On Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 5:17:01 AM UTC-7, Roger Merriman wrote:
> Tom Kunich <cycl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Saturday, April 16, 2022 at 11:06:07 AM UTC-7, Roger Merriman wrote:
> >> Tom Kunich <cycl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>> On Saturday, April 16, 2022 at 6:26:31 AM UTC-7, Roger Merriman wrote:
> >>>> Frank Krygowski <frkr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>>> On Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 2:57:26 PM UTC-7, Roger Merriman wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> My commute bike isn’t as old only being 17 years old!
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I don't have an actual "commute" bike because I'm retired. But I still use what was my
> >>>>> commute bike for utility riding. I used it (as usual) on today's run to
> >>>>> the grocery store.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I realized the other day that it has a birthday sometime this year. It's turning 50!
> >>>>>
> >>>>> - Frank Krygowski
> >>>>>
> >>>> Arguable more useful than a 50 year old car, most years have a fair in the
> >>>> royal parks and I love the old bikes, which yes are a bit primitive but
> >>>> still very much a bike.
> >>>>
> >>>> And while off road is huge difference, on road older bikes particularly at
> >>>> cafe stop pace or utility very little in it, if anything really folks who
> >>>> have taken very old bikes on for example Tour de France original routes
> >>>> etc, have said it’s the clothing than the bike which is the big change.
> >>>
> >>> Try doing the big climbs and descents in wool jerseys and leather padded wool shorts.
> >>>
> >> Bizarrely I’ve done half of that in that some of my kit is merino wool!
> >>
> >> But that was the point of the comment that cycling clothes have
> >> dramatically improved over the years.
> >
> > In dry weather Marino wool is OK. In wet weather it is horrible. Pro
> > racers had an entire crew that would wash and thoroughly dry particularly
> > the shorts. When wet and on fast descents wool shorts would billow out
> > like parachutes and wool jerseys would increase their weight to
> > unbelievable levels. Sports riders all had to treat crotch infections
> > constantly. I still have large bottles of hydrogen peroxide that I used
> > to swab down with immediately after a ride. There was no sitting down for
> > a minute before removing your shorts.
> >
> That’s certainly not my experience with modern Merino stuff, which is
> generally base layers/winter jerseys, generally high end.

Possibly they can treat modern wool to be more water resistant. I stopped using Wool with the advent of Polyester. Yes it wasn't as warm in the cold but then it never gets that cold where I live and ride. I am not sure what the modern stuff is made of. It is more comfortable and fits to your body better, but all the heat must be generated by your athletic performance.