Terry said:What you choose to wear will depend on many things- cost, washing ,durability feel on the
skin,fashion.Rarely will we really need to seek the very finest performance.Even when it's very
cold I usually find even a cotton shirt and goretex suit enough for active cycling.
I think you'll find you can get *far* more comfortable than that, quite easily. Despite what Gore's
marketing department may wish you to believe, Goretex has a *long* way to go yet on the
breathability stakes and doing anything active in it, like cycling for long stretches, will quite
easily produce more vapour than will pass through it, even in ideal conditions. And cotton actively
absorbs moisture, so anything that doesn't get through the Goretex will stick in your shirt. Try a
wicking top (synthetic or wool) with a less waterproof but more breathable outer and I think you'll
find comfort levels will increase a lot if it isn't total stair rods all day. 100% waterproof in the
long term has a place if you're in pouring rain for hours on end, but most people here (judging from
previous discussions) find something with fairly high rain resistance like Windstopper Soft Shell
(formerly Activent) or even plain Pertex will keep out *enough* rain not to cool you off too much
while not causing overheating. The recent interest in "soft shells", which keep out *most* rain and
dry out fast, is indicative that the traditional totally waterproof shells aren't quite all they're
cracked up to be when it comes to comfort outside of long term, heavy rain.
Quoted message said:I agree the warm when wet story sounds bollox but it has been said for a long time.
Warm when wet is *not* bollox (tm). What *is* bollox (tm) is that warm when wet will be as warm as
when dry. It won't, but as long as it's warm *enough*, that doesn't matter.
Quoted message said:I wondered whether there was some theory involving energy release as fibres recurled when drying
or water bonding and unbonding to the fibres with energy release , or something....
No need for all of that. The water is trapped in the weave where it is gradually heated by the body
and provides a warm layer that stays put. The problem comes if the layer moves around, moving heat
away with it, and allowing fresh (and cold) water in to replace what goes.
Quoted message said:I think if there is a problem with this nearly perfect material it is that it gets heavy and
droops when wet.
Anything stretchy will if it's holding water in its weave, but make it a fine weave and it won't
hold as much water and thus not sag so much... The obvious problems are high quality wool costs Real
Money and unlike silk (or Coolmax etc.) it isn't really cool when it's warm.
Quoted message said:Lastly I must, on deep reflection, admit to a preference for a product that supports hill farmers
and new zealanders rather than the oil and petrochemical industry.
All other things being equal, yes, though all other things aren't. Fit, availability and price do
rather enter it, though I'll be investigating merino wool base layers to add to my synthetics
collection. Good base layers are difficult to have too many of!
Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗
