Wool for Summer? Icebreaker’s Ultralight Merino Wool Cycling Clothes
29. Jul, 2010 
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Icebreaker, a New Zealand-based company with a conscience for sustainability, makes merino wool performance and travel clothing, has a line of technical sports clothing including cycling jerseys and high performance merino socks made for cyclists and runners.
What’s so great about merino wool? Merino wool is very different from traditional wool which though warm, was also heavy, bulky and itchy, and took forever to dry. Merino wool is much softer, lighter, breathable, odor-free, non-itchy and easy –care. Merino is very good at regulating body temperature, especially when worn against the skin. The wool provides some warmth, without overheating, and naturally wicks away moisture from the skin. Compared to synthetics and other wool, merino has an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio because the fibers trap dead air and keep in body heat like a good sleeping bag—even when wet. (Perfect for those late autumn rides.) It’s amazing how humans can spend so many years working on technical clothing, when a sheep with finely crimped, soft wool had the answer all along….
Icebreaker’s GT line is their most technical and is perfect for high performance aerobic activities. The merino wool is combined with a little touch of LYCRA for shape retention and fit and eyelet fabric for breathability. Icebreaker’s technical clothing comes in different weights from the “Ultralight” to keep you cool in the heat, to a “Lightweight” and finally, “Midweight,” which will keep you warm in colder weather. In addition, the natural characteristics of the merino wool make the clothing soft, odor-free, breathable and easy-care—all the aspects we want in the best technical clothing.
We had Katie Young, a road cyclist who lives in Park City, Utah, put Icebreaker’s “Ultralight” socks and jersey (SS Dash Zip) to the test over the course of several rides. (Thanks, Katie!)
Katie’s Review:
The Bike Ultralight Mini socks are amazing! They are so comfortable and so nice for the long bike rides and they don’t bunch up in the foot, which is usually one of my biggest complaints with socks. If they could change one thing about them it would probably be the height of the sock on the ankle for the women. Other than that they breathe well and are very, very soft! (Note: Icebreaker has a pair of socks that is 2 inches shorter: the Bike Ultralight Micro.)
The Ice Breaker Ultralight jersey is one of my favorites to wear on a bike ride early in the
morning and after 6:00 p.m. It wears very well and breathes nicely. It is too hot to wear in the peak hours of the day. Another nice feature on the jersey is the long front zipper on the chest and the handy dandy pocket on the right side of the shirt! It holds treats very well for a fast shot of energy! I also love the long length of the jersey!
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Thanks for the feature on wool jerseys. I actually didn’t know Icebreaker was making cycling jerseys. I have several from Ibex and Swobo and they are great, especially for touring.
i have their long sleeved hoodie – it was expensive but absolutely the best bit of cycling clothing i have. warm, dry, cosy but breathable. perfect!
nice post. thanks.