Best fabric for athletes? Cashmere?

[afc345]

Originally Posted by dah328

It says that it's made of polypropylene.

I think it's some sort of wool mixed with a material I don't remember the name of to make it flame resistant. Anyway, it's the ****. Wore it on a ski march that lasted for five days straight, kept me perfectly tempered all the way. Nothing but that under gore-tex outer, plus backpack and winter camo.The good thing about it that it doesn't become cold or wet when you are stopping for a break or whatever, it stays dry.

 

[TheDarkKnight]

Isn't our long lost Vox an avid cyclist?

 

[The Silverfox]

Originally Posted by afc345

I think it's some sort of wool mixed with a material I don't remember the name of to make it flame resistant. Anyway, it's the ****. Wore it on a ski march that lasted for five days straight, kept me perfectly tempered all the way. Nothing but that under gore-tex outer, plus backpack and winter camo.The good thing about it that it doesn't become cold or wet when you are stopping for a break or whatever, it stays dry.

Brynje's classic thing is to have a synthetic mesh shirt and a fine merino shirt in the same garment. sort of as an outer and an inner, with the mesh being the inner and the merino being the outer. If used as a midlayer with a fine merino baselayer it's very nice. The mesh is 100% synthetic, think they refer to it as merklon or something, but I think it's basically polypropelene, and it's woven in a very open way. It will transmit moisture and keep the outer away from the skin, creating pockets of air in between. Warms nicely and even if the outer is completely saturated with sweat it doesn't feel clammy as the merino outer doesn't really lay against your skin. The fabrics aren't mixed by the way, the mesh is 100% synthetic and the outer is 100% merino.

 

[afc345]

I believe what you are referring to is the Brynje Arctic Zip Polo which indeed is an merino outer and a mesh inner. Didn't know that it was completely synthetic, thank's for the heads up to that. I do have that garment as well, but I wouldn't use that for cycling, as it simply would be too warm. Solely wearing the mesh shirt would be the ultimate, in my experience, as it fits tighter and from what I have experienced wicks moisture better. The mesh undershirts supplied to the Norwegian Army which I have been using during my service were supplied by Aclima ( http://www.aclima.no/index.php?view=...bcat=2&lang=en )though, so it's slightly different. The one thing these shirts are prone to though is ripping. But that is probably caused by the garments shrinking when washed and handed out shrunk to grunts like me..

 

[The Silverfox]

The mesh shirt and then an outerlayer, or just the mesh shirt?

The warmth of the mesh shirt lies in the pockets of air, but these are contingent on there being something on top of it to keep them locked in. If you wear one of the garments that just a mesh rather then mesh and merino and you wear it without anything on top, I don't see how this could be any warmer than wearing a fishnet.

If you meant it would be too warm to have mesh with merino as a mid layer with an outerlayer on top, I might agree, but it can be used as an outerlayer as well. They have a garment that I think is in the antarctic series that can be used as both mid and outer layer. It's essentially the mesh/merino top from the arctic series, but I think the merino might be a hint thicker, and in addition the front of the garment is windproof. I haven't tried it, but it sounds good for cycling (in decent weather at least) as the windproofing in the front allows it to be used as an outergarment, while the fact that the rest is purely mesh and merino makes it very breathable. Ultimate breathability without getting windchilled as your going down the hills.

 

[afc345]

I was thinking the mesh shirt as the only baselayer with a windproof jacket over that, or even a longsleeved jersey with windproofing in the front.

However, the Brynje and Aclima stuff is so versatile that it could be used in any weather and layered with anything, really. I know the outerlayer you are talking about as well, and I agree in that it would be pretty decent, but the problem would be to make it fit as tight as possible (and lack of pockets in the back) to avoid any flapping in the wind, which is very annoying and disturbing when going downhill fast.

 

[stu00a]

polyester.

 

[Cyclist]

Originally Posted by dah328

You could probably piece together the answer for yourself from the info in that thread. In short, cashmere is warmer per unit weight than merino wool. This almost certainly means that it has a capacity for absorbing water before it saturates. That does not necessarily mean that absorbed moisture will evaporate any faster from cashmere than from merino.

I didn't realize that absorbing water / wicking was connected to warmth. I read that the softer a natural fiber is, the warmer it usually is, because softness means small follicles that bend easily, which is the formula for trapping and holding onto air.

Originally Posted by dah328

If I were you, I would stick with the cashmere you have since finding alpaca or vicuna is likely to be difficult and pricey.

Yeah, that's probably what I'll do. I'm going to stick with merino for base layers, and cashmere for mid layer insulation, plus goretex when it's windy or raining. I was interested in whether there's anything better, but it difficult and pricey to find out, like you say, and it's cold now.

Originally Posted by SpallaCamiccia

Cashmere for sports sounds crazy to me!

Then you'll hate this: after I get a few new cashmere sweaters, with no holes in them, I'm going to cut two of the thrift store ones up, and make pants out of them. One day when I should have done laundry, I went out riding in cotton/poly pants, it started to rain, and I was miserable.

Originally Posted by cptjeff

But fiber doesn't mean a whole lot in terms of performance gear. the properties of this stuff depends a lot on the often complex weave- for example, a wicking shirt will often have a weave that uses thicker and looser thread on the outside than the inside, with the finer stuff drawing water off the skin, and then the thicker stuff on the outside, with more absorption capacity, draws the water away from the inside to the outside, where it can stay away from the skin and then evaporate. Keeps the stuff driest on the inside and helps the moisture evaporate faster.

Thanks!! I appreciate the info! And it makes perfect sense that the weave should be pretty important, too.

 

[zippyh]

What would Eddy wear?