When I first started bike touring, I packed two kinds of clothes: those I wore on the bike and those I wore off it. My on-bike clothes were mainly Lycra biking gear. My off-bike clothes were a pair of lightweight cargo pants with zip-off legs, a couple t-shirts, and a cotton overshirt, in case it got cold.

At the end of every tour, I would take yet another look at my gear to re-evaluate every pound I was carrying. My first change was to replace all my off-bike t-shirts with no-logo biking jerseys. Instead of having dedicated off-bike shirts, I would put on a clean jersey after showering at the end of the day, wear it at night, and again riding the next day. This allowed me reduce my gear weight by a pound, or so, though it meant carrying an extra biking jersey, for non-biking days.

After reading so many good things about wool jerseys, specifically their ability to be worn multiple days, I decided to buy one to see for myself. They aren't cheap. The long sleeve, merino wool jersey I bought cost $120, more than twice what I've paid for any previous jersey.

As I'd heard, the jersey feels good, looks OK (mine is red), and managed to keep me just warm enough when riding in the fog and wind over the Golden Gate Bridge and just cool enough in the heat of Marin County. What's more, I could wear it for three days in a row without any discernible body odor being left on the jersey or discomfort due to overuse.

After the trial period went so well, I decided to buy another wool jersey, short sleeve (red) this time, and to take only these 2 jerseys on my next tour. I spent over 4 weeks riding around the UK and never once felt too cold, too hot, or stinky. What's more, these jerseys dry quickly enough that you can wash them before going to bed and they are ready to wear in the morning.

Now, my touring gear contains only 2 shirts for all on- and off-bike wear. In my case, they are both red, making accessorizing even easier! I also carry just two-pair of wool socks, which also last for days without needing any cleaning.

As a further testimonial of how well these clothes work, I was able to pack for a 7 week (non-biking) holiday using 4 wool shirts (the two biking jerseys, a t-shirt, and collared shirt). I spent most of the trip in just the t-shirt! When it needed washing, I'd do it before going to bed and it would be dry the next morning. While it wasn't cheap at $80, it is hard to say it isn't worth it! Next time, I'll probably just pack two!

Despite the cost, I will now only pack wool clothes for my long-distance biking wear, both on- and off-bike, to save both weight and space. In addition, I will take them on my multi-day and week trips to save packing space.

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