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Really struggling to wean myself off synthetic textiles for exercise (not just cycling).
I'm not sure Merino wool is the answer in general, other than for inner layers where it seems to work well.
In a similar way to @M_V my Buffalo fibre pile clothing has been in constant hill walking, plus winter cycling, use since the early 2000s and only now is reaching end-of-life. I have fleece pullovers that have almost no signs of use after a decade.
I love the buy-it-once aspect of these kinds of synthetics, but they need to be modified in sourcing and end-of-life disposal. Unfortunately, I think microplastics in washing are an issue as small quantities in each wash are scaled up by the population size.
I would like to see plant-derived synthetic alternatives that are eventually biodegradable, e.g., eco versions of micro-fleeces and fibre pile fabrics. As one example, Elite are doing this with their Jet Biodegradable Water Bottle.
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Nick_S
Really struggling to wean myself off synthetic textiles for exercise (not just cycling). It's not so much the CO2 impact of producing the clothes I own. That is probably comparable the CO2 footprint of all the supermarket packaging and other kinds of rubbish I throw out in a month. But I hate to think about the microplastics that go into the sewage system whenever I wash them.
Merino is the answer I know, but cost and availability makes it hard to make the switch.