Ibex sent us arm and knee warmers and a jersey to try out. I took the New Zealand Merino wool clothes with me to Santa Barbara. It was thankfully warm in SBA and I didn’t wear the warmers for very long, but did note during the ride that they were well-constructed and offer a unique blend of wool, nylon, and Lyrca. They’re also made in the USA.
Temperature regulation is always tough in wet, cold climates (and Seattle has been the wettest and coldest this year!) and I think Ibex would meet the demand for training rides, commutes, and recreational rides. The material is probably too thick for hard riding, but I’ll need to long-term test that factor on a colder, pouring, suffering ride to make sure.
What’s interesting about Ibex and their competitors, is that wool is back. Well, it could be argued that it never left, but back in the day all you had to wear was wool, including shorts! One of my all-time favorite jerseys is an ancient Santini St. Raphael. I bring it out on frosty, yet sunny mornings and it’s liberating to just wear that, unzip when it warms up, and not get all technically layered up. I also exclusively wear SmartWool socks to keep my feet cool and comfortable.
The Fausto Lightweight Jersey Ibex also sent us feels like old St Raphael, but lighter and more comfortable – the pockets could be more generous in the back, but overall it’s a nice addition to the cycling wardrobe and well designed and blended. It’s not scratchy, very comfortable, and it actually doesn’t really feel like wool. Here’s an idea for Ibex: make a light wool track suit, for just lounging around, after riding.
Are you wearing wool now? Have an old favorite in the closet?
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