Cycling kit has come a long way from the scratchy wool jerseys of the past… or has it? We collaborated with Youtuber and ex-GMBN presenter Anna Cipullo as she dives into the world of Merino wool and demystifies what makes it such a popular choice for modern cycling apparel.
Check out the video below or keep reading for Anna’s views. Many thanks to Rapha for supplying the base layers for this video.
“Today I want to talk about Merino wool, because I have questions, so I’m guessing some of you do too. So if you’ve ever wondered what “Merino” actually is, how it’s supposed to stay warm in the cold and cool in the heat, and why it’s making a comeback in cycling, then stick around and find out with me.
It’s worth noting, this is not a review! This is a demystifying video, so let’s start with some facts.
What is Merino Wool?
Merino wool comes from—you guessed it—woolly sheep, but specifically the Merino sheep. It was a European sheep, but it was taken to Australia by settlers a couple of hundred years ago, and now most Merino wool comes from Tasmania.
Unlike traditional sheet wool, Merino fibres are incredibly fine, soft, and lightweight. To put it in perspective, Merino fibres are about one-third the thickness of human hair.
So here’s the nerd stuff…
Wool is made of Coarse fibres, often over 30 microns, but Merino Wool is typically 17-24 microns in diameter. These fine fibres allow the wool to trap small air pockets between the fibres. These air pockets act as insulation, keeping you warm in cold weather.
This range in thicknesses can change how warm or cool the jersey is, so no one Merino jersey is the same on the warmth-ometer, and to be honest, a polyester jersey could potentially be made of fibres (from 10-30 microns)… so to say one is better than the other is really hard when the range is so different! But there are other reasons to choose one or the other…
Why would cyclists want woolly clothes?
Here’s where it gets cool—literally. Merino wool is actually a temperature-regulating superhero.
While woolly fibres trap air and therefore warmth, the finer Merino wool fibres also allow excess heat to escape, making the material more breathable in warmer conditions. Plus, Merino can absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture before it starts feeling damp! How amazing is that?! So this means it absorbs your sweat and mixed with the breathable air pockets means the two evaporate together, which helps cool the body in hot weather.
This is all great, but if you’re still picturing the scratchy jumpers your nan bought you at Christmas… then they don’t sound great for sports. But… The fibres have a natural crimp, creating elastic, spring-like structures. And the fineness means they’re very soft on the skin.
Balfe’s Bikes gave me these two base layers – from the same brand, the same size, same price, and same purpose. One is Merino, and the other one is polyester. The polyester one feels…shiny. the Merino feels softer.
Merino is naturally antimicrobial, meaning it resists odours caused by bacteria—unlike synthetic fabrics that can get, well… funky.
Seriously, I’ve sweated in this, thrown it on the floor and it smells bland the next day. It’s great for multi-day trips when laundry isn’t an option, but also great for anyone whose cycling kit just isn’t washing fresh anymore… you know who are!
Plus it’s sustainable – Merino sheep are bred for wool production. You shave a sheep, and the fur grows back. Renewable fabric if you will. And the fibres are biodegradable. That means no microplastics in the ocean and no guilt when your jersey eventually wears out and ends up in a landfill. If you’re a real eco-hero, remember that Merino takes ages to stink up, so it can be washed sparsely, saving water and energy.
So this sounds like an ad for Merino right now, but… I can assure you that although Balfe’s Bikes has supported this video, they don’t mind if you go with Merino or Polyester. There are definitely benefits to the Merino, but there are some not-benefits…shall we say…
What’s not to love about Merino? Anything?
As with many things, people always ask me “What’s the best…?” and I always say, “It depends”!
For some people, all the benefits I mentioned are enough to make the switch to Merino, but it’s not for everyone. For one, it’s not cheap. Merino wool is a premium material, and that comes with a premium price tag. It’s often more expensive than synthetic fabrics.…although Rapha are proving me wrong here by being the same price on both. Typically you can get cheap base layers but it’s harder to get cheap Merino. This is due to the scarcity of Merino, and the labour-intensive process of producing it. Cyclists on a budget might find Merino clothing hard to justify, especially if they need multiple layers.
But here’s the big one for me: Merino Can absorb up to 30% of its weight in water without feeling damp, and it stays warm in the wet, but… it takes longer to dry. This is fine when you sweat, it actually helps you feel less damp, but what happens if it rains? And then when the rain stops and the wind blows, then what?
What if you’re bike-packing and planning to sleep in that jersey overnight, after rain? Holding moisture to the skin for longer means wind chill becomes a factor and even hypothermia could set in if you stay wet in the cold for too long. I love Merino, I really do, but I won’t reach for it if there’s a chance of me being out in the rain for a really long ride. Polyester just dries quicker, and sometimes that’s better than the “warm when wet” theory.
While it’s naturally elastic, its fine fibres are less durable than synthetics or coarser wools. It’s prone to pilling and can wear out more quickly, especially with frequent use and washing. Shrinking in the wash is a very real possibility too. Most Merino clothing is machine washable but some need a little extra care; cold wash, gentle detergent, no tumble drying. Is that too much effort for you?
So, is Merino worth the hype?
Some brands boast 100% Merino, when truth be told a lot of garments are blended with other materials. Adding nylon or polyester improves durability, stretch, and drying time without sacrificing much softness. So it’s a blend… but that doesn’t mean it will be of lesser quality. It might actually be better. You can get cheap Merino, and expensive Merino, as there are different grades of Merino – really really fine stuff will be used on ultra-high-end base layers, as they will feel silky, they will be light in touch and feel, and will perform an excellent balance of warmth and moisture wicking. The “cheaper stuff” will not perform as well, but it will feel coarser and heavier and it may be a little too warm at times… but it’s still Merino at the end of the day.
So there’s the facts. It’s wool, but expensive wool, with some good qualities and some less good. If you live in a mild climate and want natural, sustainable materials, a high-grade, thinner, summer-oriented base layer merino could be for you. If you live in a cold climate, you can get away with cheap coarse stuff (and I can confirm it is very warm stuff). I reach for Merino every time on a cold day, it’s second-to-none. But if it’s raining, I reach for the synthetic stuff.
What do you think? Have you tried Merino wool for cycling? Head over to Anna’s video and leave any questions or comments there!
You can also shop our full range of base layers here.
