Merino Wool Jerseys
 

Seems there ought to be a sub-forum for cycling clothing discussions, but anyway....
I'm not interested in starting a merino-wool-vs-lycra, yes-no, love-it-hate-it debate thread here, I'm interested in hearing people's impressions about specific merino wool jerseys.

At the moment I'm looking for a warm-weather, s/s merino jersey. I have a Cima Coppi Sobremont s/s jersey, which while very well made is just too heavy-weight and kind of scratchy in summer heat (I rarely find wool, particularly merino scratchy...). Also have an Oregon Cyclewear l/s jersey which is also really well made, not scratchy at all and a bit lighter than the Cima Coppi, but it's l/s (and I'm not crazy about the color choices in s/s). It's actually not bad in the heat & I can push the sleeves up if I need to, but something a little lighter and s/s would be nice to have..

Has anyone tried Kucharik jerseys? Walz? Breathevelo?

I had a long sleeve Merino wool jersey, and it was OK at first, but eventually it wouldn't keep its shape (stretched out) and it got eaten by moths. I'm sticking with poly/lycra.

I have several Merino wool tops including a couple of short sleeved Ibex brand. No jerseys. Ibex is out of business, other vendors have decent models. I wear the short sleeved shirts in the summer, the long sleeved hoodies are a second layer in cold rides.

I have a few de marchi jerseys that are 50/50 wool acrylic that are really nice, and a Richard Sachs jersey that is very lightweight and well made. The Sachs is 50/50ish wool/poly with some elastine

Define "warm weather." I pretty much live in merino wool for at least nine months of the year, but when temps get above 70 degrees I wear lycra jerseys almost exclusively. Marketing blather notwithstanding, wool is not suitable for warm weather, at least for me.

I've got a walz, I've tried it on but their cut is way too tight to fit, bought the 2xl and it fits my size 6 wife, the fabric seems nice though. Has a nice, smooth finish to the fabric and feels soft. Just watch the sizing.

I have used Kucharik jerseys before. They make wool and wool blend. I wore the wool blend ones year round in the past.

I have a merino wool long sleeve jersey from Decathlon which I just don't find comfortable on bare skin but is nice as a layer when it's actually cold, and a merino base layer from Wiggle which is again not feeling as nice on skin as lycra when going hard enough to get properly sweaty, but doubles as a comfortable and stylish T-shirt off the bike and I rather like it for the easier winter rides. I ordered once a short sleeve merino jersey from Wiggle but it was comically short (unlike their base layer which is really long) and basically unwearable without a base layer, so I returned it.

Lycra for me, but there is a certain style and look to wool, I'll admit. Still wouldn't bother when the temperatures go over 30 C (86 F).
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Some marino wool jerseys are super thin and light. I have an old one made by Le Coq Sportif and you can see my bib straps through it but they don't make it anymore. Thinner than any polyester jersey I've had and the best one for hot weather. These look similar:

https://isadore.com/merino-wool-perf...summer-cycling

https://rdcp.bwcdn.net/media/2017/06...-flags1-v2.jpg

^^^ That dude's helmet is too small to have a cap underneath :lol:

I have a number of merino items including Endura BaaBaa long sleeve base layer, socks and beanie and an Icebreaker base layer. I find all of them comfortable against the skin, not at all scratchy. The Icebreaker top is very smooth but I think the Endura one is more effective. I recall buying the Icebreaker from Cotswold Outdoor after I'd half frozen to death on a ride to work. Man, that made such a difference! Merino is great stuff but I can't imagine using it for summer wear.

Decades ago, I had a midweight Swobo s/s wool blend jersey which was nice for cooler weather, but it looks like they are not around anymore. It also got weird with its shape , maybe after washing, which is how its life ended, IIRC.

Backcountry has some very sheer Giordana woolies:

https://www.backcountry.com/giordana...5nIGplcnNleQ==


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...216f8ac4d.jpeg

I have a couple Cima Coppi custom SS jerseys in the finer yarn gage. Aren't they the best merino maker? I also have IBEX and a couple others, the names of which escape me. Once it hits 68F unless I am riding in the rain....no merino for me.

I prefer Yak to merino by far but YMMV. Softer and warmer

Really happy with Patagonia except during the dog days of summer here in socal when very light weight Patagonia synthetic works well.

I have a bunch of wool products, but their all thicker and reserved for colder weather.

I usually only ride in warm/hot weather, so the idea of a wool cycling jersey doesn't sound pleasant to me. I'm the kind of guy who gets hot easily and sweats a lot, so even when riding in cool weather a cotton T-shirt under my cycling jacket is enough. So to me, the phrase "wool jersey" sounds about as appealing as "non-alcoholic beer."

Cycling in a cotton tee shirt sounds about as appealing as yesterday's baby diaper

It is, unless the temperature is in the 50's or lower.

Well, sure didn't take long for this to turn into an 'I don't like wool because...' etc. thread, EXACTLY what I said I wasn't interested in in the original post.... Yeah, yeah, I know, it's an internet forum, so what did I expect!? But thanks to the handful of folks who have posted of experiences withspecific merino wool jerseys/brands!

I'm thinking of trying a Walz..

Oregoncyclewear.com is where I buy my wool jerseys. Both short and long sleeve. I would say they are a bit on the heavier side.

I ride with lycra when the temp hits 70, but mid 60s is great for the short sleeve wool.

Oregoncyclewear.com is where I buy my wool jerseys. Both short and long sleeve. I would say they are a bit on the heavier side. 100% wool - no polyester.

I ride with lycra when the temp hits 70, but mid 60s is great for the short sleeve wool.

The l/s I have from Oregon is fantastic. I do wish the sleeves were just a bit longer (I have long arms I guess), and I wish they offered some more colors, particularly in s/s...

I've got a bunch of merino wool gear I use. Great stuff. Ibex jersey, and some minus 33 stuff and Icebreaker. It's all lasted for years. Most of my merino kit is now over 10 years old. The one minus 33 baselayer has some wear holes now from my HR monitor strap but it still just keeps going and going. The holes don't seem to unravel and come apart like you would think with a normal knitted item. Everything else is good as new still.

My newest one is a short sleeve from soigneur.co.nz. Heavier material than my other jerseys but seems really well made.

https://www.soigneur.co.nz/product/P...y-Short-Sleeve

Wore it for 40 miles last Sunday with temps reaching up to 88 f. and felt just fine in it. That's part of the appeal to me. I can head out early on a long ride here when the temps are in the low 50s and still be fine when I finish with temps in the 80's. All in just one simple merino jersey, they have such a huge temperature range.

Consider the Rapha Classic jersey, then. If they have one in your size, you can get it on sale. If they don't have your size in the sale section, rest assured it is still worth full asking price.

+1 for the Rapha Classic merino jerseys. I picked up the long sleeve version last year in the sales and it has turned out to be an incredibly versatile jersey. The long sleeve is more of a spring/autumn and cooler morning/evening summer jersey, but I can imagine the short sleeve version working well in warmer conditions.

Ditto. Icebreaker GT jacket- love it. It’s vented, but definitely not a summer piece. I like merino, but I’ve never even seen a hot-weather merino jersey, so I’m learning from this thread!