i love the look of the the old school/retro wool jerseys. are they as comfortable and nice enough to justify the $150+ price tag? i’ve seen both long and short sleeve jerseys, i can imagine the long sleeve would be nice in the winter but how in the heck could you wear a wool jersey in the summer? or are the short sleeves meant to be worn in cool weather with arm warmers? thx
It’s very nice. We have the new Sugoi and Kona wool clothing coming for the fall. I have also worn the Swobo jersey and shorts, yes WOOL SHORTS without the itching. They were very nice. I would recomend it highly.
It’s nicer in the summer than you think. It’s a moisture wicking fabric and not very heavy. You should be fine on most summer days. Heck around here you might end up wearing the long sleeve most of the time the way our summer has been going;)
I’ve got one of the old Molteni wool trainers (without the back pockets) made by Woolistic and I wear it around with jeans. It’s quite nice and I get compliments on it all the time. I actually have 4 wool jerseys that I wear but none of them are short sleeved so mine just get used in the winter as accessories.
I started cycling in the 70s when wool shorts and jerseys were common. The feel of the fabric took a bit of getting used to, but then it’s fine. The stuff was cheap then, so I didn’t stock up. I have one long sleeve wool jersey left, by Protogs, and it’s great. But I certainly wouldn’t pay $150 to replace it.
I have a wool (merino) jersey that I really like. I didn’t pay $150 for it though…
This is the jersey: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=1116607
I have one I wear on cooler mornings. It is a little thicker than a synthetic. It smells a lot less(natural fibers don’t hold the stink that synthetics do). All in all it’s nice but I paid $5 for mine used from the 80s.
Sure…
wool is cool, but so is summer in SF…
I wear mine all the time.
Our Team had custom “Woolistic” 100% Merino Wool jerseys made a few years ago.
I commute in my short sleeve (it doesn’t retain odor like my synthetics so it doesn’t smell as bad when I put it back on in the afternoon). The long sleeve is used CONSTANTLY in the fall/winter/spring and is PERFECT in wet/damp conditions (I’ll throw a thermal vest over it when the temps drop below 45 degrees).
The jerseys last forever and are easy to clean.
I raced wool in the evening at the 24-Hours of Laguna Seca, but wore a sublimated jersey during the daylight hours.
Contact River City Bicycles in Portland, OR if you want more details…Or to order one of their VERY cool jerseys (Palo Alto Cycles also has custom wool jerseys).
Make sure to get 100% Merino Wool. The blends generally don’t feel as nice.
Regards,
Jonathan C. Puskas
thanks for the info guys. tribato i would love to find one of these jerseys without the pockets to wear in cool weather, is the one you have a relatively recent purchase? scott, does your shop have any jerseys without the pockets? i’m going to google your shop for a website, i’m convinced i’ll get one, just which one now.
thx again, jason
Hey Jase, check out www.vintagevelos.com and click on the link for WOOL WINTER TRAINERS as they’re the ones that are thicker (also more expensive & HOT) but they lack the pockets on the back like all the offerings in the WOOL TEAM JERSEYS section. Also it’s worth a phone call to see if they’re the Woolistic jerseys that are made in China or Italy as the sizing is COMPLETELY different (American vs. Euro). My medium Zipp jersey (made in China) is MUCH larger than the medium Molteni-Arcore trainer that was made in Italy.
thanks tri, i’d seen this site before but everything i looked at had the 3 pockets. i didn’t realize the trainers were the ones without the pockets. and thanks for the heads up about sizing.
be safe, jason
Have you checked out Rapha’s Sportwool?
It’s pricey stuff, - but really nice. I have two old school jerseys, - a thick ss Bianchi and a thicker still SS Corse jersey, - plus the Rapha Sportwool. the Rapha is much lighter and tolerable under 70 degrees. But if I rode in Indiana or Ohio, - no chance would I put any of them on…
Ibex out of Woodstock VT is great stuff!!! usually only wear it for MTBing but is great stuff in my opinion.