WoolWeenies Club

[Cataboo]

I'd second Bleecker street girl on increasing ventilation and trying a silk or silkweight baselayer.

What sort of bra are you wearing? I switched to merino wool sports bras because almost every other sports bra I was using left me feeling cold & clammy around the chest after a ride in the cold. So the cold & clammy is concentrated around your breasts, maybe think about trying different sports bras.

You do sound like you're wearing too much. Just some suggestions - if you're going to put a windproof outercoating - use something that's only windproof in teh front or use something which has huge pitzips. My mammut ultimate hoody literally has the entire jacket unzip down to the waist from the pitzips. I just recently got an outdoor research Reflexa jacket that has the same feature. I think for the most part golite skimps on the pitzips because - it makes the jackets lighter. The other thing you can do is get basically a jacket that is windproof only on the front panel and breaths on the back. I've got an rei one that's softshell front, merino wool back. Marmot has their driclime windshirt (I highly recommend the driclime pants as well). Patagonia has the windtracker jacket, I think it's called. Another option is sort of like what you said - just use a windproof vest. Down vests that are made without any windproof/waterproof fabric are also a pretty good way to ventilate, because wind/air goes right through them.

I have a tendancy to overheat and sweat once I start doing cardio activity, so I really do end up not wearing a ton - maybe a thin merino wool layer with the ibex serrano jersey over it, then my mammut ultimate hoody, and a down vest to go on and off if needed. Thin wool hat(like a liner hat), I will put on over gloves, but if I'm working, I'll end up taking those off and using my manzella glove liners. Pants, I really like the ibex alpstars or some of the ibex softshell/wool mixtures. I tend to put on a pair of cloudveil walk dont run boxers (run don't walk?) and tall socks.

Increasing the ventilation makes sense. I think I am going to try and use only the Smart wool base layers for this week and see, as well as stick to thinner mid layers. I was wearing a very plush Terry fleece jersey as my mid layer when I experimented with the wool base on Monday. I think that one is just too thick and it promotes sweating. My jacket has sleeves that come off, so I could unzip a little, using the detachable sleeves like pit zips. That helps when cycling. I just get freaked out by hypothermia... probably listened too well when I went for my AMC leadership training. I am not shivering, but there's a lot of varying levels of exertion when I ski, which seems to affect me in the sweating department more than when I ride. And, there's, more stopping, at least for me, since I use a waist pack for my water, as I hated skiing with a Camelbak (and the fact that even the winter hose on that froze). And, it's when I am stopped, even for just a minute or so, that I feel damp. I also just ordered a merino hat. Right now I wear a fleece hat when it's 20+ and a wool hat with a fleece lining when it's below that, which keeps me warm, but that hat is really heavy.
Will report back after next weekend.

[OakLeaf]

Crankin, I think I'm much like you minus the wool sensitivity, and unfortunately I don't have much good advice ...

It's a very thin line for me between freezing to the point where I will never warm up no matter the exertion, vs. drenched with sweat. In fact, I don't think there is a line ... if I'm not so cold that my performance is impaired, my fingers and toes are numb, and I'm risking a pulled muscle,... then I'm sweating.

+1 on the ventilation, +1 on having wind block only in front, and I'd say if at all possible, have an extra layer (especially hat and gloves) that you can put on whenever you stop. Hat seems to be the best way for me to add a major temperature regulator that I can easily pull off and stow in a pocket - especially if I'm doing something *other* than cycling which involves removing and re-adjusting my helmet.

Presence or absence of hat seems to be good for a difference of at least 10°F ambient, maybe as much as 20°.

[rubywagon]

I have turned my mother into a wool weenie. I have been telling her for months about the awesomeness of merino wool, so today she picked out a nice Smartwool 1/4 zip top. In the car, on the way home, she kept rubbing the wool and saying, "Oooh that is so nice and soft. It isn't itchy at all. I am so excited."

And +1 on the ventilation.

[OakLeaf]

I have turned my mother into a wool weenie. I have been telling her for months about the awesomeness of merino wool, so today she picked out a nice Smartwool 1/4 zip top. In the car, on the way home, she kept rubbing the wool and saying, "Oooh that is so nice and soft. It isn't itchy at all. I am so excited."

I was extolling the virtues to my yoga teacher the other day. I'll probably wear my Ibex Balance cami next class and let her feel the fabric, then she'll be hooked too.

[Cataboo]

I almost feel guilty when I make a wool convert, because it is such an expensive habit to have. I've made at least 3 this year.

I recently went on a kayak camping trip in the everglades - the day after we got back, I got an email from one of the girls that went with about what an expensive person to know I was, because she'd gone to costco to get the rechargeable batteries I had, bought all the snacks in costco I'd brought on the trip, bought the patagonia nano puff jacket that I had, and had bought some merino wool.

I was biking with a lady at Bike Virginia who was telling me how these ridiculous people at REI told her to buy wool cycling socks, and who would be stupid enough to buy something like that? Kmerzad and I bought immediately pointed to our feet. So we were mocked for being sheep and just listening to whatever the guy in REI told us to buy. A few days later in the morning, she was chilly so I loaned her my ibex solano jersey... About 10 mins later, she said "well, I'm not getting socks, but I might need a wool jersey like this" She emails me everytime she buys something wool now and I helped her buy smartwool hiking socks a couple weeks ago

I went to the rally to restore sanity with a friend of mine, who very much is a shop at nordstroms or macy's and buy $600 designer purses and clothing person. If was going to be cold, so she borrowed an icebreaker sweater from me. I very nearly didn't get the sweater back, and have been helping her buy wool since. Her bf laughed at her till she bought him some wool socks.

[Crankin]

Cataboo, I am fine on the bottom. I wear silk-like long underwear with my Ibex windproof front/wool back tights. And Ibex boy shorts underwear. If it's warmer than 30, I leave off the long underwear, or wear my heavier weight tights I use for cycling. But, I think you are right with the bra. I have been thinking about switching to an Ibex bra for awhile. I am also OK with my gloves/liners. I have a selection of mittens this year and I almost always use liners and hand warmers when it's below 25. I'm OK with the socks, too... Smart Wool all the way.
I bought a Gore cycling jacket from someone on TE; it has pit zips, in fact the sleeves come off. I could wear it skiing, although it's very tight and I may have to re-evaluate my mid layers. At this point, I don't really want to spend the $ for a new jacket. Perhaps at the end of the season, I will look for something on sale.