Regular cyclists will likely already have a small wardrobe of cycling clothing made from materials such as Lycra or nylon, which are widely regarded as the best materials for the sport. After all, they offer the flexibility and support that you need to keep pushing when the ride is getting tougher, while also being able to wick sweat away from your body at crucial moments.

With that in mind, the advantages of wool cycling clothing may not be immediately apparent. After all, we associate wool with warmer clothing, which would seem to be counterproductive in many cases. However, there are a number of benefits that wool cycling clothing can bring to the table that are worth exploring, particularly in the case of Merino wool.

It Breathes

Every cyclist knows that a good piece of clothing must be able to breathe so that your body can maintain a cool temperature at every point of the ride. Merino wool is no different and you will find that it is actually much cooler than you might have first imagined.

This is particularly useful during those hot and sweaty rides, when the moisture on your body can cause plenty of distractions while also maintaining heat. A good piece of wool cycling clothing will be able to absorb that moisture, taking it away from your body and enabling you to stay cool when you are riding.

Fire Retardant

Now we will admit that it is not often that you are going to be in close contact with a fire when you are out cycling, but should the unfortunate event arise you will be far better protected by wool cycling clothing than you would with any clothing made using synthetic materials.

For a start, synthetics have a rather irritating tendency to melt in extreme heats, which means you actually end up receiving worse injuries than you might otherwise suffer. Better yet, wool cycling clothing is usually completely flame retardant, which offers an added layer of protection for your body should you ever need to get close to the heat.

This is actually particularly useful when you crash and the friction of the material against the ground can heat things up.

Handles Odours

Have you ever been out on a long ride and happened to catch a whiff of yourself? Sometimes, hours on the bike can lead to your body smelling a little less fresh than you would like. It can even get distracting if the pungent aroma is particularly strong.

Obviously, making use of deodorants is going to be able to help, but for that added layer of protection for your nose, wool cycling clothing is able to absorb a variety of odours that would otherwise cause you issues. Merino wool’s overlapping scales, coupled with its moisture absorbing properties, create a bad environment for bacteria to grow. This is great news for anybody who is taking their date out on a romantic bike ride and doesn’t want to completely stink up the joint.

Less Noise

If you wear synthetic cycling clothing you will be more than aware that it makes quite the racket when you are on the bike. All of that squeaking and crinkling can definitely cause a distraction when you are on a ride, particularly if you are just trying to enjoy the scenery while you cruise around. Having constant noise in your ear is going to stop anybody from taking in the views.

Wool cycling clothing, on the other hand, will be completely silent when you are riding. This means that you can enjoy your ride in peace and quiet if you need to really drink in the scenery around you. This makes wool cycling clothing a perfect choice for those long adventure rides, where the main aim is to enjoy the ride rather than get through it as quickly as humanly possible.

Vintage and Cool

Because wool cycling clothing is never going to go out of style.

Do you have wool cycling shorts? Wool cycling clothes of any kind? A jacket perhaps? A wool cycling jersey? Let us know what you think of wool cycling apparel as it compares to lycra.