I suppose that this all started with my Grandpa.
That tough, old geezer stood outside at his newstand through the worst Boston weather, year in and out. And he looked good doing it. Forget polar fleece. He wore wool.
Wool shirt. Wool cardigan. Wool coat. Wool lined pants. Wool felt boot inserts. To cap it all off, wool beret. Face it. Old men have great style.
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with extreme wooly bike commutes. How much can I pile on and still move around? How much do I need to block the wind? How do I keep from getting too hot? What happens in the rain?
My current setup? Wool undershirt from Rivendell, wool V-neck cardigan from Goodwill, wool zip-up sweater from H+M, wool button-up coat from The Gap.
Each layer zips or buttons up the front, so that I can adjust ventilation on the fly. On longer coats you can un-fasten the bottom buttons, too. This gives you plenty of leg room, but a long back that doesn’t ride up. This guy knows what I’m talking about…
For short trips around town, my wool watchcap works great. For longer rides in traffic, I wear my helmet over Windstop Fleece. A tough decision, to be sure.
For wool at bargan basement prices, check your local military surplus shops, or websites like this one. Fours pairs of wool pants for $20? Hey! It’s worth a try…
Glad to see you back in production, I am looking forward to vicarious rides in the NE. If you are looking for wind and rain resistance, look to felted wool. My wife made me a felted wool hat that is incredible for Northwest winters. It is thick and dense enough that nothing gets through. The hat was lager than a basketball before it was felted, now it is darn near a helmet.
I know Cascadia winters are not as cold as NE winters, but 35 deg and raining can be incredible on a bike. Especially when it goes on for a week at a time, you never shake that cold feeling – It soaks into your brain, sucking away every happy thought. (Whoa, where did that come from, I guess I’m ready for spring.)
By: Cøyøte on February 20, 2008
at 6:11 pm
Hey, thanks!
My special lady-friend made me a felted wool hat, too. But it shrunk up too small, so now she wears it.
It’s this one. I have been wrestling with the ethics of posting the pattern on the blog. My better judgement says I shouldn’t…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vargels/441343957/in/pool-velocouture/
By: jfink on February 21, 2008
at 6:09 pm