Wool, yeah, wool.

As I pedal more and more, and refine my kit, there is one thing that I’ve settled on. Wool. Yeah, I ride steel bikes with fenders, leather seats, and I wear old timey Wool. I’ve got my gear pretty sorted out and the main thing is that Wool is the only thing that touches my skin. Here’s how it breaks down.

It all starts with an Ibex Wool bib. I just got this as a christmas gift and right now it’s probably my favorite piece of gear. I guess it would have to be as it is the piece that determines a comfortable ride or not. Having said that, I’ve only done rides up to 60 miles with it, so things could change over longer distances. I just hope it holds up. I’m not into riding in just the bib (yet) so I cover these up with Swrve knickers. I’ve got a few pairs, but mostly they are a cotton blend or the WWR fabric. This is the one piece that’s not Wool. Damn.

Next up is a Baselayer from Swrve. I’ve got both long sleeve and short sleeve versions. They are very soft against the skin and I can’t recommend them enough. I would wear them just as a T-shirt if I could. Actually, I don’t know why I can’t?

Also from Swrve are wool socks. I use the no-show socks for club rides and the taller socks for my commute into work. You can probably tell that I love the Swrve gear. It’s some of the best stuff around as far as I’m concerned. I just wish they made wool knickers!

This all gets covered up by different wool jerseys. I’ve got three of them right now. They are all very cool. I think my favorite one is from a store in San Diego called Velo Cult. I seem to get compliments on it every time I wear it. Not only do they have a cool jersey, but their blog is a great read. I recommend following their adventures. The Velo Cult jersey is made by Woolistic. If you want to check out other cool vintage jerseys, this is the place to go.

One of the drawbacks of wearing wool though, is the care that is needed to keep them clean. It’s ok to put them in a washing machine, but a better option is to hand wash them.

Sometimes I get lazy and put them in the wash, but more importantly they have to be dried laying flat. This can be a problem when I’ve got a full load of gear to wash, and I end up setting clothes all over the house to dry. I don’t think my wife thinks it’s as funny as I do.

Even with the extra care needed to maintain the wool gear, it’s the most comfortable gear I’ve tried. A lot of people assume that it’s itchy, but these items are more comfortable than most bicycling jerseys/shorts. If you haven’t tried out wool yet, do yourself a favor try it. You won’t regret it!