So, after reading that these merino tops are suppose to be better at not getting stinky after 10 minutes, thought I might try one out, where's a good place to get them? AND, is there any that are a bit more 'stylish' in design rather than just plain black or dark green which is all I can seem to find, are any of them a loose(er) style for summer riding/commuting and not skin tight, I have looser polyester type jerseys for the warmer weather but they stink up pretty quick looking for similar in merino? – just had a quick look on crc, wiggle, etc – don't want to pay mega £'s but something reasonable?

Cotswold Outdoors have some Smartwool kit on offer just now. Cyclesurgery have Icebreaker stuff.

Embers?

http://www.groundeffect.co.nz

Another vote for embers merino here

You get what you pay for with merino. IceBreaker

I got some smart wool cheaply from flying fox bikes. Very good on the commute. Not stinky after a week of commuting. And yeah, i'm a fat scotsman! 🙂

Not tried Merino?! 'Kin hell. If you're not wearing merino, you're doing it wrong. I've not not worn merino at any given time for about a year now. Been wearing it on the bike for about 2 years.

I get most of mine from Howies. Wait until a sale and jump in quick. However, I've just ordered some 75 quid merino polo shirts from the Spring preview. Cycle to work, wear them all day, look smart in meetings and ride home. Repeat for a few days.

I got married in howies merino. Seriously. I did 4 days and nights
in the Cairngorms in the summer, cycling and bivvy bagging, same merino
top the whole time and then went to a party in the same top. I wore merino
leggings non-stop for 9 days snow boarding, including sleeping in them. Still smelt fresh after that.

Likesay, if you're not wearing Merino right now, you're wearing the
wrong thing.

Embers, Ground Effect, Icebreaker. Howies don't ring my bell.

steal it

No question, it's http://www.chocolatefishmerino.co.ukfor me everytime.

I have merino tops from Patagonia, Icebreaker and Howies and I would rate them in that order. Patagonia has a superb cut, Howies is very basic – yet more expensive. When I need another it will be from Finisterre – £30/40 and a sound, local business.

I got a s/s top from Aldi for £15. Its great for the money

themountainfactor.com always has some deals on icebreaker. got some 1/2 price smartwool from cotswold a few weeks ago.

I'd cross GroundEffect off the list if you want the stink-proof qualities. All the GE merino kit is a mixture of merino with either polyester or nylon. You want 100% merino for pong-free riding 🙂

I have Ground Effect Merino (woll/poly mix) and also pure merino.

If your sole objective is pong free, then by only by a small margin, the pure wool gets the nod, but the mix wicks quite a bit better, while maintaining all the benefits of wool

Been wearing a Howies smartwool longsleeve for about 5 years, recently it looked a bit tired so I opted for an Endura baabaa longsleeve which has been a great replacement so far. Chain reaction for £30, it's not the sort of purchase you'll regret 🙂

I have a BaBaa T – it's OK, but doesn't come up long enough in the body, and the fit is not the best

I've taken to wearing it for everyday in this coold weather and it's very good indeed for that duty

Brilliant, thanks for all the replies, not sure I'd want to wear the same shirt for commute, work, sleep, repeat for a few days though? 🙂

Be interested to know what fit is like on some of these as well, if your usually a large and you ordered a large was it a tight fit? Tight fit would be ok in the winter under a windproof but want a bit looser for summer.

Just from the opposite perspective, all my long sleeve merino tops are rather a loose fit (have a short sleeve Howies one which is nice and close fitting) – would really like a close clingy skin fit as most of my synthetics are. I take a small BTW (not really that tiny – 5'9" and ~12 stone right now, though that's a stone over my race weight, my top size seems the same). Any recommendations?

No problems with Endura or Howies. Ive tried Rapha but woof what a price – never again!

I like Swobo stuff, a range of colours, go up one size as they are cut conservatively. They are on offer at the moment at Stif 40% discount!

I've got a short-sleeve Icebreaker and also got a long-sleeve one from Kathmandu in one of their sales – both excellent pieces of kit.

Not sure if Rock and Run have any of the Smartwool L/Ss left.

http://www.missionpac.com

edit: site appears to be down atm.

For Icebreaker sales/discounts try

http://www.webtogs.co.uk/Icebreaker/

they often have good reductions. I have ordered from them several times now and the service is efficient and very fast. Here by the next morning every time so far.

For a wider range of designs and colours than you can get in this country I found this web site that sends to UK direct from New Zealand.

http://www.sheepskinslippershop.co.uk/Catalog/MerinoClothing/merino-clothing.asp

I have not tried them, but they have a lot of the designs and colours I have been interested in but just could not find here.

I was told by a outdoor shop staff member that Icebreaker do not even give old stock or samples to the shop staff (unlike other company reps) as the market for the product is so reliable, they dont make extra efforts to promote the product or to get people to 'push' it. Hence the lack of really good sales reductions or discounted pricing.

For the females:

Apparently chocolate fish do thermal merino leggings suitable for use with a she wee.

Decathlon.

+1 for Chocolate Fish.

i have had several merino wool tops, the worst was HOwies a dire piece of tea towel, endura and konas both turned to felt, 1 x nike shrunk so now fits the cat, 1 x nike brilliant 1 x surly great but suddenly started with holes, 2 x groundeffect from last century possibly the best but a poly wool mix
BUT
ask yourself why you want wool….if you a sweater they will be sodden within a mile they will stay warm if you are moving, no smell but you still get the salt stains…..nice……… personally as a sweat bucket i will not bother again, sticking to man made and keep washing them! 😀

Smartwool. Magical stuff. Not wearing any today and it feels weird. Wear it virtually all the time now, regardless of temperatures and what I'm doing.

do bear in mind that they are pretty delicate too – certainly the thinner stuff is. you don't want to wear it as a top layer if you're biking in the woods or likely to come into contact with brambles etc.
i wear ground effect socks, which have the poly outer layer, and they've lasted very well indeed. they get washed every time i use them ( at normal temperatures ) so can't comment on long-term no wash smell properties. 🙂

Arcteryx merino is very good – a good buy in the long run.

vondally did you have any good ones, and which ones?

flyingfox can you recommend anything particular in that fabric?

Second the fragile thing – these expensive tops do rip, and easily

I wear Smartwool Microweight most of the time. I have a long sleeve lightweight (with zip, which is really useful) that I've worn under a Gore Alp X top at -2C or so and it's been fine too. They're simplifying things for Winter 10/11 but the Sport NTS is what many people go for.

not really the surly was about the best followed by the Nike limited ed lance one. Ground effect are great but are a combination mix.
Walking the dog though I use a …as recommended by MBUK…M and S white granddad one….i would not ride in it
Mind you try TK MAxx..they often have some deals if you are lucky ir cotswolds

I bought one from Lab Gear just before Christmas. Worn it for a couple of hundred km of running and a week of skiing since then and it's great. Having not tried other brands, I can't say for sure that they aren't better, but I'm definitely getting more. Website at http://www.lab-gear.com/ and there's a UK distributor who holds stock at £37.50. He put a nice note in the package too pointing out that they did merino hats that fit under a helmet.

I've got tops from Ground Effect, their size guide is pretty accurate, Icebreaker and Fat Face, the latter was in a sale at half price, not seen it the shop since.

GE stuff is the most robust and you can wash it on a 'normal' wash, icebreaker is better quality but I've worn through two of their tops where the straps of my pack has worn them thin and you've got to be more careful when washing them.

A wise man on here once told me that not using deodorant will do more to keep the pong from baselayers than the material they are made from. Another wise man on here told me that washing them occasionally with napisan keeps the pong at bay as well.

I have two lab-gear full marinos – great gear, good fit, but does get very sweat wet

I think the GE stuff is hard to beat

Who's lab-gear's UK distributor?