Merino Cycling Jerseys - Why Merino Wool is the Best
8 Reasons Why Merino is the Best Material for Cycling Jerseys
As Eroica, vintage, steel bike and retro cycling gets more popular there are many manufacturers jumping onto the wool jersey bandwagon and making substandard wool jerseys, compromised with substandard artificial fibres like polyester or using itchy, scratchy non-Merino wool.
If your woolen jersey isn't 100% Merino wool you lose the benefits of this wonder fibre and have a less comfortable jersey too. Whether you buy Soigneur or not, make sure your woolen jersey is 100% Merino!
1. Thermo-regulating:
Merino wool is a natural, active fibre. When worn next to the skin, super fine Merino wool works as a dynamic buffer, helping to stabilise the humidity levels and temperature of the micro-climate between the fabric and the skin. This keeps you warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot.
In fact, latest research you can read here shows that Merino is so good that people who sleep in Merino pyjamas sleep better! We've never heard of sheep with insomnia.
2. Breathable:
Being 100% natural, Merino wool is highly breathable, because wool absorbs large quantities of moisture then moves it away to evaporate into the air. Just how good is merino wool? It can absorb and release twice as much moisture vapour as cotton, and thirty times as much as polyester! So you don't get saggy, sweat-soaked clothing.
3. UV resistant:
Merino wool absorbs UV radiation, which is why sheep don’t get sunburnt.
4. Odour resistant:
Merino wool helps reduce sweat and odour, keeping you drier, cleaner and less smelly. Bikepackers love our jerseys as they can wear them for days withour getting smelly. Also good if you just don't like doing laundry.
5. Comfortable:
Soigneur merino wool clothing is made from 19 micron fibers, extra fine wool as soft as silk, cashmere or alpaca. As cited above, you'll even sleep better in Merino!
6. Water-repelling:
Sheep don’t like being wet and neither do you - Merino wool’s fine properties make it quite water-repellent, meaning you don’t have to worry about being caught in a short shower or light rain when riding in a Soigneur merino jersey.
7. Therapeutic to the skin:
Wool has been found in medical research to be therapeutic to the skin, providing a natural treatment for eczema that reduces the need for traditional medicines. Dermatological trials have shown that adult and infant eczema sufferers who wear super fine Merino wool garments next to the skin have significantly reduced symptoms.
8. Doesn't pollute the world:
Soigneur jerseys are 100% biodegradable. Every time synthetic (i.e. plastic) clothes are washed, tiny strands of fabric are washed away. Now, a quarter of fish have these strands in their guts, and over 60% off the plastic debris found in the sea are microfibres from clothing. Plastic microfibers have been found everywhere, including the food we eat. We may like to think that cycling is 'clean and green' but the moment that synthetic cycling jersey is put in the washing machine, more plastic microfibres are finding their way into the environment. Read more here.
Did you know?
The Merino Sheep has been closely guarded for its superior quality. Before the 18th century the export of Merino Sheep from Spain was punishable by death. Up until 1986, Australians banned the export of all Merino Sheep.