Wool for winter riding in Oregon??

HI All,

I am in my second month of a new job in Portland Oregon. Commuting
miles are ~150/week, throw in 15-20 more for errands.

My gore-tex riding jacket was stolen from a coffee shop a while ago
and I need to purchase something for the rainy season. First thought
was a stretch wind-blocker fleece jacket (Castelli Espresso) with
light weight synthetic undie top, but should I consider:

wool base layer
wool trainer (the Woolistic offerings at Vintage Velos seem
particularly nice).
lightweight shell

Many fall and winter days in this part of Oregon include rain; but not
always a steady or heavy rain. We do tend to have a handful or two of
really miserable (mid-upper 30's and raining hard) days. The commute
is ~1 hour each way and fairly hilly. I usually stay fairly warm and
sweat a fair bit. Hiking jacket or other outdoor clothing could be
pressed into service if need be.

What do you think? Wool or no wool?

Your advice would be much appreciated.

Best Regards,


Rob
Portland, OR
USA

Rob wrote:
HI All,

I am in my second month of a new job in Portland Oregon. Commuting
miles are ~150/week, throw in 15-20 more for errands.

My gore-tex riding jacket was stolen from a coffee shop a while ago
and I need to purchase something for the rainy season....

A coat soaked in the blood of Nessus for the next thief?

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
A Real Cyclist [TM] keeps at least one bicycle in the bedroom.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Rob wrote:
HI All,

I am in my second month of a new job in Portland Oregon. Commuting
miles are ~150/week, throw in 15-20 more for errands.

My gore-tex riding jacket was stolen from a coffee shop a while ago
and I need to purchase something for the rainy season. First thought
was a stretch wind-blocker fleece jacket (Castelli Espresso) with
light weight synthetic undie top, but should I consider:

wool base layer
wool trainer (the Woolistic offerings at Vintage Velos seem
particularly nice).
lightweight shell

Many fall and winter days in this part of Oregon include rain; but not
always a steady or heavy rain. We do tend to have a handful or two of
really miserable (mid-upper 30's and raining hard) days. The commute
is ~1 hour each way and fairly hilly. I usually stay fairly warm and
sweat a fair bit. Hiking jacket or other outdoor clothing could be
pressed into service if need be.

What do you think? Wool or no wool?

Wool is very nice when dry, and insulates when wet, but in my limited
experience, it absorbs a LOT of water. Contrast fleece, which also
insulates when wet, but most of the water wicks downward and out. It's
astonishing how little water fleece retains.

I sweat a LOT, and so I've tended to avoid wool for rain rides (great
for other rides if I won't be sweating too much, but once I put on a
windproof shell, I'm soggy inside and out). Clearly YMMV.

Heavy wool socks work well for me in rain, but I don't think my feet
sweat that much compared to the rest of me. Also, wool is "stiff"
enough that the socks retain some insulating thickness even with the
pressure under my soles. I think fleece would be a poor choice /there/.

Granted, I have limited experience with wool garments in the rain
(except socks). Wool is the fabric of choice for the retro crowd, so
listen to other opinions too.

Mark (Salem, OR) J.

In article .com,
Rob wrote:

HI All,

I am in my second month of a new job in Portland Oregon. Commuting
miles are ~150/week, throw in 15-20 more for errands.

My gore-tex riding jacket was stolen from a coffee shop a while ago
and I need to purchase something for the rainy season. First thought
was a stretch wind-blocker fleece jacket (Castelli Espresso) with
light weight synthetic undie top, but should I consider:

wool base layer wool trainer (the Woolistic offerings at Vintage
Velos seem particularly nice). lightweight shell

Many fall and winter days in this part of Oregon include rain; but
not always a steady or heavy rain. We do tend to have a handful or
two of really miserable (mid-upper 30's and raining hard) days. The
commute is ~1 hour each way and fairly hilly. I usually stay fairly
warm and sweat a fair bit. Hiking jacket or other outdoor clothing
could be pressed into service if need be.

What do you think? Wool or no wool?

Your advice would be much appreciated.

Well, I like wool for cycling clothing. The one downside is that it
doesn't dry rapidly, so if you turn up for work in the morning with wet
wool you'll be putting wet wool back on to ride home. You'll still be
warm, but the wool won't dry out at work unless you can do something to
help it along. And your office will smell like wet sheep.

As for a jacket, I have been very pleased with the Showers Pass Elite.
With that and a single layer I find I am comfortable to surprisingly low
temps. The jacket is well vented and I stay drier inside it than any
other jacket I have used.

As mentioned, wool can absorb a lot of water and get heavy. Some people
can't wear wool. It's expensive.

Other than that, wool is my favorite! Nearly all my socks are wool (too
bad D-Feet quit making the Wool-E-Ator!), and I have a pair of jerseys
(one heavy and one light) that are great!

My wool shorts from the 70s are gone, but I hated them (mostly chamois
issues).

Rob wrote:
HI All,

I am in my second month of a new job in Portland Oregon. Commuting
miles are ~150/week, throw in 15-20 more for errands.

My gore-tex riding jacket was stolen from a coffee shop a while ago
and I need to purchase something for the rainy season. First thought
was a stretch wind-blocker fleece jacket (Castelli Espresso) with
light weight synthetic undie top, but should I consider:

wool base layer
wool trainer (the Woolistic offerings at Vintage Velos seem
particularly nice).
lightweight shell

Many fall and winter days in this part of Oregon include rain; but not
always a steady or heavy rain. We do tend to have a handful or two of
really miserable (mid-upper 30's and raining hard) days. The commute
is ~1 hour each way and fairly hilly. I usually stay fairly warm and
sweat a fair bit. Hiking jacket or other outdoor clothing could be
pressed into service if need be.

What do you think? Wool or no wool?

Your advice would be much appreciated.

Best Regards,


Rob
Portland, OR
USA

On Oct 6, 9:33 pm, Rob wrote:
HI All,

I am in my second month of a new job in Portland Oregon. Commuting
miles are ~150/week, throw in 15-20 more for errands.

My gore-tex riding jacket was stolen from a coffee shop a while ago
and I need to purchase something for the rainy season. First thought
was a stretch wind-blocker fleece jacket (Castelli Espresso) with
light weight synthetic undie top, but should I consider:

wool base layer
wool trainer (the Woolistic offerings at Vintage Velos seem
particularly nice).
lightweight shell

Many fall and winter days in this part of Oregon include rain; but not
always a steady or heavy rain. We do tend to have a handful or two of
really miserable (mid-upper 30's and raining hard) days. The commute
is ~1 hour each way and fairly hilly. I usually stay fairly warm and
sweat a fair bit. Hiking jacket or other outdoor clothing could be
pressed into service if need be.

What do you think? Wool or no wool?

Your advice would be much appreciated.

Best Regards,

Rob
Portland, OR
USA

This-
http://www.rei.com/product/666124

With Wool jersey underneath..we sell 'em and they really work well.
(also REI)

wool is for sheep and feet: polypro is neat

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...0226&langId=-1

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...0226&langId=-1

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...egory_rn=61294

'red ledge' had a "Backpacker" recommended light parka. I bought one
only wearing it briefly indoors where yes immediately the fabric
breathes and is hiker light.

An inexpensive Campmor jacket should last a Portland winter.

Try a Polartec crew with zipper for under jacket, add the poly
underwear for below 30 degrees. Seattle fabrics has W/P/B material
for DIY Gore Tex socks worn over Wigwam acrylics or polypro liners
available from campmor. 3 layer W/P/B Gore sox should be just the
ticket. Clean boots insides first.

search "Backpacker" for information

if you buy a hiking parka, consider adding silicone rip stop nylon to
the back lower hem. The cycling position shortens the hiker design
allowing dripping onto your butt

home depot carries day glo road wrokers mesh vests

"Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
HI All,

I am in my second month of a new job in Portland Oregon. Commuting
miles are ~150/week, throw in 15-20 more for errands.

My gore-tex riding jacket was stolen from a coffee shop a while ago
and I need to purchase something for the rainy season. First thought
was a stretch wind-blocker fleece jacket (Castelli Espresso) with
light weight synthetic undie top, but should I consider:

wool base layer
wool trainer (the Woolistic offerings at Vintage Velos seem
particularly nice).
lightweight shell

Many fall and winter days in this part of Oregon include rain; but not
always a steady or heavy rain. We do tend to have a handful or two of
really miserable (mid-upper 30's and raining hard) days. The commute
is ~1 hour each way and fairly hilly. I usually stay fairly warm and
sweat a fair bit. Hiking jacket or other outdoor clothing could be
pressed into service if need be.

What do you think? Wool or no wool?
Your advice would be much appreciated.

Best Regards,
Rob
Portland, OR
USA


I commute year round, 16 miles daily in Chicago. I do not think wool is
well-suited for your commute, for the reasons others have mentioned.

My winter weather strategy is pretty simple. The layer next to the skin
needs to wick. The middle layer needs to insulate, so there is a lot of
flexibility here. Mostly personal preference. The outer layer needs to wind
block, and hopefully will let some of the humidity pass through to the
outside air. My choice is gore-tex, head to toe, including gaiters (commonly
overlooked by bike commuters).

Why are you thinking of changing from gore-tex? Just because of the cost? I
don't think that is a good reason for changing your system. If gore-tex
worked well for you before the theft, just buy another gore-tex shell, and
reconsider your coffee shop security strategy.

Nice stuff (unattended) is a theft risk - J.