Wear This On Your Next Bike Tour - Lycra vs Merino Wool
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- Опубликовано: 7 авг 2024
- In the 4th video of the Bike Touring Beginner Series I take a look at what clothes to use when going on a bike tour. I go through the cothes that I typically bring for my summer tours as well as some items I might bring for my fall/spring tours as well.
Some of the clothes I mention or show in this video:
Adidas Golf Mens Gradient 3-Strips Polo - amzn.to/3mGynL2
Columbia Mens Utilizer Short Sleeve Wicking Polo - amzn.to/3kZ2f5b
Haglöfs Esker Waterproof Jacket - amzn.to/3kMcf1o
Craft Arm Warmers - amzn.to/2THQt2Q
Craft Knee Warmers - amzn.to/34H0fsq
Giro Fixture Mips Helmet - amzn.to/3jOqJMO
Merino Wool Buff - amzn.to/2HMX3Cy
My Merino Wool socks weren't avaliable on Amazon but according to one of my viewers called NOMAP these ones are supposed to be really good:
Darn Tough 1/4 Hiker Sock - amzn.to/2HSLwl2
DISCLAIMER: This description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for your support!
My entire normal lifestyle eventually revolved around my bikepacking. I now only buy clothes and gear for everyday use that also work for bikepacking.
Basically I use polyester polo shirts x3, Decathlon convertible hiking pants x3, anti-chafing underwear x3, Merino wool blended socks x3, Decathlon basic fleece jacket, Decathlon basic rain jacket and pants, cheap buff, cheap arm socks, cheap beanie, Asics Onizuka Tiger (clone) sports shoes, and basic flip flops. Everything is durable, cheap and easy to replace.
Yeah, Decathlon have great gear for reasonable prices.
Great video Mike!🤠
I like your style of presentation! And of course your information. Thanks!
Thank you! Glad to hear that!
Glad I found your channel very useful information for someone new to touring .
Good overview of necessities. Thank you.
Another good one Mike. I’m not a beginner, but it’s great to see what others use and do on their rides. If we do things the same, then it confirms I’m not alone with my approach. If we do things different, then it makes me consider the alternative. I’ve never been one to use sleeves, but now you have me thinking.
I can agree with you that these videos are probably a bit to basic for most of my viewers, but they are a great resource for someone who's just starting out. And as you say it's always nice to compare you're own gear list with someoe elses.
So agree with you on shorts, I tend to ride in either touring shorts (Aldi and Lidl usually sell in the Spring) or else mountain bike shorts, it is so much better to have air circulating in that region
Thanks for all of this information!
Great advices Mike. Thanks
Thanks Dino!
I have clothes i can wash out by hand and air dry. I put wet clothes in a dry sack and wash them when i stop or when I pass through a town or city with a launderette where i can clean them. I've also cut right down on clothes, 3 changes of top, 2 changes of shorts and 3 changes of socks. I layer system of Marino wool long sleeve jerseys and waterproofs. A full army size poncho is excellent for rain protection and doubles as a tarp tent if need be. I wear tinted glasses for riding, I have 2 buffs - thick and thin and a shemagh for rough nights.
Sound like a good system. I've kept my dirty cothes in a separate stuff sack, but one side is mesh. So I might follow your advice and go for a dry sack to be able to avoid the smell spreading throughout the pannier.
No need to look for a launderette. I wash clothes as I go. Sometimes in a stream, or perhaps a wash basin in a public toilet. Just use whatever you find. I keep a rolling program of washing clothes, you may have a few days of rain when they won't dry off. If pushed, I attach them to the outside of my bags so they dry during the day as I ride.
Thank you again . Always good information.
Thank you Pierre! Glad you enjoyed watching it.
Love your unhurried style of presentation, and the genuinely useful content. For my two penn'orth, I'd also give a shout out for Capricorn mohair socks.... also none smelly, but much harder wearing than merino.
I don't handle a camera a lot while riding, but I do use a GoPro, and use a smart phone, and I like full-finger gloves, so I just made a slit in the glove just below the tip of the index finger so that I can use the touch screens. For a jacket I like a GoreTex type with pit zips.
I hope I can tour next spring! I have lots of new gear to try out.
Yes, nice! Subscribed.
Thank you for very good video and greetings from Finland! That vid was more than helpful 'cause next summer I will start touring with my Trek 920.
That is a nice bike you have chosen. I'm sure you'll have great tours on it.
I am 187cm/+100kg. That's why 920. Maybe I should buy Brooks saddle...but which one of those? Which tires you use?
I have a Brooks B-17 saddle on two of my bikes and I am super happy with them. It's worth to know that you probably need 2-3 weeks to wear in the saddle before it starts to feel really comfortable. Regarding tires I have Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires on my bikes and couldn't be happier with them. Not a single flat tire in 4 years.
I prefer Schwalbe too. Under heavy load while touring, how wide tires you use?
Wish I found your channel earlier! Love your videos
Was just wondering when the next video would show up!!
Sorry about that. Been super busy lately. Too much ice hockey.
For warm weather I wear Patagonia Tee long sleeve Capilene . They come in several weights. Recently I discovered the open weave Long sleeve and short sleeve Tee by 32 degree.. Both are wick moisture away from the body and don't hold an odor. I always ride in long sleeve to protect my skin and keep the sun off, keeping me cooler.. In cool weather I wear them under a wool sweater. I have more than I really need because the never wear out. At the end of the day touring I rinse them under a faucet or if I have a shower I wear my bike shorts and Tee in the shower. They are dry in the morning. If they are damp my body heat dries them in a short time. On tour my only shoe is the Keen hiking sandals on spiked flat peddles. I carry several weights of socks. Alpaca is my go to sock. They are warm in cold weather and cool in warm weather. I carry a Buff year around. On a hot summer day I soak the buff in water and put it around my neck to cool me through evaporation. In a summer rain instead of a rain coat, I wear a short sleeve loose weave wool shirt. Wool when wet still retains 80% of its heat capacity. that is what protect animals during a rain. Back in the early 70's I cut the sleeves off and turned them into chest pockets. It has been on every ocean kayak, canoe, bike and hiking trip for the past 50 years and is still going strong.. I have switched to alpaca socks. the advantages are that they keep your feet cool in the heat and your feet warm in the cold. I have worn the socks for ten days in a row with NO odor. I have switched over to a alpaca sweater to ride in, again because of the wide temperature range and they don't collect odors. They are also great in the rain, because they only will hold 8-10% of water. wring garment out and it is dry.
I don’t know if they are available to you in Scandinavia but try Darn Tough wool socks. They say they will replace them if they wear out. Love the Brooks saddles. Don’t ride anything else.
I have some "merino" wool socks, but they smell like sheep; maybe they weren't what they said. For me, most important thing about shorts, is the seems, they can cause a sore spot, where you contact the seat.
I have had a problem keeping gloves dry, in the rain, even when they say they are waterproof; so I'm going to try neoprene kayaker's gloves.
I also have neoprene socks, to wear in my Crocs, when it's cold and wet.
Another very important thing for me, is a DaBrim helmet visor, because there is very intense sun in California. It also deflects rain, but it does look dorky. I have a helmet rain cover too, that keeps my head warmer, as well as dry.
Great advice again, Arm warmers are fantastic for changeable days, roll up/roll down all day long, without stopping. I’ve just got some cheap merino base layers from Aldi.
Loved the Emperor’s new shorts, I couldn’t see them at all. Has Malin locked you in a dungeon? I’ve called Amnesty International just in case.
Take care Ed
Haha! No, that'sj just my man cava aka our home cinema. The weather has been horrible the last couple of weeks plus days days are so short. So I'm more or less forced to film inside during the coming weeks. I bought a couple of studio lamps since that room is basically a dark room. The plus is that it's basically soundproof from the rest of the house so I can film the videos there without being interrupted. There is always something going on in our house.
Mike, if Darn Tough merino socks are available in Scandinavia, take a look at those. They offer a lifetime free replacement if they wear out. I've purchased mine through Amazon.
Thanks for the tip. I'll add them to the list!
Nice videos . What’s with the lights fittings ?
Bästa regnjackor är dom från Showers Pass.
Vulpine säljer sköna merino tröjor, och shorts som man ser lite mera normal ut.
And that buff is a good face covering in these trying times
I think when I bought my Buff a couple of years ago they said it had over 10 functions. I'm guessing they can add another one this year.
I have read that the buff actually makes spreading diseases/viruses worse because of thinness and humidity of the material.
Thanks for another great video.
An off topic question regarding tent stakes. As I understand most stakes included are often of bad quality. Have you changed to some other ones and in that case which?
I have broken or lost tent stakes while touring . I found an old stick from a dead tree works . Just sharpen the ends up a bit and it's just and old dead stick from a branch from a dead tree so nobody cares because your are not harming tbe tree .
Very good selections. Right after I get my down pants for winter camping Merino Wool gear for biking is on the list. Maybe Santa will be good to me this year.😁 Do your leg warmers have zippers on them? I have seen some that do. What do you think about that? Take care and stay safe, Al
Hi, I have leg warmers with calf length zips, they work well and I wear them lots in the winter
Mine are without zippers. I actually have both knee warmers (3/4) and full lenght leg warmers. So I switch between them depending on the weather situation.
Hi Mike, great video! I have gone from wearing just normal clothes in the past to all Lycra, which does look rather silly on Tours, to now a combination of a Bib Short with a Merino Tshirt, which also looks rather silly. So.... I would really like to hear more about the shorts you wear, and what you wear underneath? Do you wear some kind of padded shorts? Wearing cotton underwear is definitely not the best idea.
Looking forward to more of your videos!
Greetings from Germany,
Frank
Hi Frank! Like I mention in the video I usually ride around in padded MTB shorts. The ones I use are these:
www.decathlon.co.uk/p/st-100-padded-mountain-bike-shorts/_/R-p-152234?mc=8381864&c=BLACK
I never wear anything underneath, so after a couple of days a quick wash can be in it's place. But somehow these one don't seem to smell that much. So I usually managae to ride around in them for a week without having to wash them.
For my bicycle touring (several 1000 km), I am wearing merino underwear (Icebreaker Anatomica Boxers) and most of the time short pants (Vaude Krusha Short). I never have problems with this on my Brooks saddle. I did carry a bib-shorts for emergency, just in case, but will leave it at home for my next trip.
Cotton makes you sweat a lot, and then you get cold when you stop riding.
what would you do for riding pants for people who might kneed full leg cover when riding
Hi Mike, I live in Florida, and most of my riding in the Southern USA. I hate lycra, and I'm not a fan of t-shirts, so like you, my preference is for long and short sleeve polos made of dry-fit or some other cotton blend wicking material. I also use padded zoic undershorts with 5.11 tactical police shorts over them. I think the 5.11 shorts are nothing short (pun intended) of genius. They are tough as nails, have lots of pockets and are a cotton synthetic blend, so they wear well, and dry quickly. My big issue is shoes. I used to have two pairs of mid cycling shoes that looks a lot like standard sneakers, but they have long since worn out. I never feel secure in lows, so I prefer mids or even high-tops, but they seem to have gone out of style. Any suggestions? Thanks.
can you recomend good ridding pants for somone who kneeds to have there legs coverd when they ride ?
Hi, can you send the link where to buy that kind of shoes please? I like the same one that you have. What brand is that shoes? Thank you.
Unsurprising to hear you, too, take in and regurgitate the hype of both the merino wool and of Brooks leather saddles.
You know while a broken-in Brooks saddle is considered "comfy"? Two reasons: 1. a broken-in saddle, which you seat in, rather than on. That translates to comfort, especially on longer rides. 2. The polishing, the treatment of these saddles.
But you can never emphasise enough the greatest weakness of these leather saddles: they're exceptionally susceptible to damage from both water and from heat. Another weakness is the need to break them in (and the time and pain it often takes to do so).
What's the alternative? A (non-leather / coloured version) Selle SMP pro-grade upholstered saddles. My personal favourite is the Plus model (colour version), but people with narrower ischial tuberosities would be advised to go with the Avant, or even the Lite 209 instead. Why? Just like a broken-in Brooks / Selle Anatomica, these are the type of saddles that the rider sits in (rather than sits on) - same concept as in horseback riding saddles. They also have the right amount of padding - not too much and not too little; perfect for long hours in the saddle. Why colour, as opposed to black? Because the cover of the colour versions is microfibre, and happens to be more comfortable (especially on longer rides and in warm weather) than the black ones (leather), which sticks and causes irritation, despite the very comfortable shape and padding. The colour versions are slightly more expensive than the black ones, but are worthy every penny of the price differential. I've ridden all them (currently own two black SMP Plusses, a torquoise SMP Plus (My favourite!) and a B17 that came with one of My bikes. I've also ridden 25 or thereabouts more various saddles, incl. Selle ProLink Trans Am (a beautiful design, but leather with all the shortcoming thereof, plus not intended to be seated on for days on end), various Velo saddles (relatively comfortable, depending on the model), SDG iFlex (nothing flexible about it - it was a seatbone killer), Fizik Aliante (hard and uncomfortable), Specialized BodyGeometry Dolce (a typically mediocre saddle, far from perfect on long rides), ToPeak Allay (a gimmick), Fizik Nisense Sport (above average; managed a 2.200km Amsterdam-Delphi tour with few issues, but not particularly comfortable), Fizik Gobi XM (essentially, same as the Aliante - hard and uncomfortable), Syncros (do not recall the model - relatively comfortable, but the leather cover sticks and causes irritation on longer summer rides), Charge Spoon (affordable and quite comfortable, but the cheap cover delaminates rapidly), Charge Ladle (fairly comfortable on shorter rides, but an assault on seatbones for rides over 30km), 2 different Brooks Cambium C17s (one rather comfortable, the other - not so much), ISM PR 3.0 (about average - rub issues with the nose and the non-ergonomic shape), Ergon SMC4 Comp Gel (gentle on the seatbones, but a murder weapon for the inner thighs), SQ Labs ErgoLux 610 Active (fairly average - on the hard side, but otherwise will do for 4-5 hour rides), and more.
Apart from the superior comfort both in the ischial and inner thigh areas and superior longevity / resistance to the elements to any Brooks / Anatomica leather, the SMP Plus (Avant or Lite 209 for more slender riders), resolves the perineal numbness issue. Its only disadvantage (this is specific to all touring / endurance saddles) - is its weight: it's heavy. And price, but, given the absence of worthy competition, it's worth it.
Hi Mike! I'm very interestet in the Haglöfs Esker and found one for 130 €. First question - what do you think about the price, second - how small can you get this (the jacket, not the price ;-)))? Lots of love from Germany! Stefan
Hey Mikael, hope all is well. Hey would you mind repeating the brand-name of your rain jacket? ...may not have heard it correctly, couldnt find it the way I slept it. Also, intersting comments re the Merino wool items...good to know. Thanks for the content, always first rate!
Sorry for the mumbling. Forgot to add that in the description. It's called Haglöfs Esker Jacket. Haglöfs is a premium Swedish brand, but it can be a bit tricky to go hold of in the US i reckon'.
Wow!...yeah I found them, no problem. They're certainly dear. Oh, and you didn't mumble, I just can't hear clear. Thanks Mikael appreciate the reply.
www.amazon.com/Haglofs-Esker-Jacket-Large-Black/dp/B0761W9HYB/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3DS3THYIN8S0&dchild=1&keywords=haglofs+jacket+mens&qid=1604173840&sprefix=Haglof%2Caps%2C229&sr=8-3
Thanks Jerry! You're doing the work for me. I was planning on making a list of the things I mentioned in the video. But I was up editing it until 1 AM last night so I had to call it a night. But now that you have looked it up for me I might get to it. Haglöfs make quality clothes. Usually you can't go wrong if you buy Swedish, Norwegian or German clothes or gear.
Mitt bästa cykelplagg är en kortärmad regnjacka från highendmärket Engelsons. Säljs inte längre 😞
plus if you have smelly cloths it will not work well for you if you are riding in bear country
Hi Mike. Very helpful all your videos. Question, what is the total weight you carry without the camera gear? Thanks!
The most common question I get, but one that I'm never able to answer correctly. ;-) That's is since it varies very much from tour to tour. But in general when I have all panniers fully loaded they weigh somewhere around 25 kgs I believe. Plus the bike that weighs 14 kg. So that would make just under 40 kgs or 90 lbs.
Mike you’re British right? 🤔
No, I'm Swedish.
voll doof