Whackjob Trail Tee

by Simon · 12/02/2013

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Whackjob Trail Tee

Paul Hopkins

February 2013

Bamboo t-Shirts that are both organic and very ethical, but can they handle a very sweaty roadie?

Just arrived at CycleTechReview.com is a Whackjob Trail Tee. Whackjob’s t-shirts are usually seen off-road but Whackjob claim that bamboo may just be the next big non-synthetic sports material and are keen to promote it to all cyclists.

It certainly has excellent credentials; it’s naturally anti-bacterial and odour-resistant, is hypoallergenic and has a natural moisture wicking ability, all which makes for excellent sports wear.

The Whackjob Trail Tee uses a 70% bamboo to 30% cotton mix and has a fantastic soft feel to it. It’s also very light; lighter than cotton with a feel like cashmere. Pulling it on it feels both light and warm.

Bamboo also has good insulating properties, keeping you cooler or warmer depending on the temperature. Sizes and fit are casual t-shirt, rather than tight underlayer. I tried a small shirt and, as a t-shirt, it was a good fit on my scrawny 38″ chest.

It will be interesting to see how the Whackjob Trail Tee deals with being under layers of synthetic jerseys, it’s normal environment is as an outer layer.

As well as the properties mentioned above, bamboo is a sustainable crop, it’s fast growing, absorbs huge amounts of CO2 and requires no pesticide or herbicides so environmentally its spot on.

Plus Whackjob have gone to great efforts to source material that isn’t only organic but is also produced by factories that comply with The Fairwear Foundation’s international verification initiative, which ensures safe and fair working conditions. They also avoid using air-freight, to keep their CO2 emissions down.

The company are based in Devon, in England’s South West corner and always have a regular presence at most of the UK’s ‘whackier’ mtb events, running the Whackjob Lounge, ‘a funky, fabulously tasteless lounge-in-a-field’ where ‘there’s music, TV, lighting, sofas, hell – there’s even a coffee machine, a lavalamp and a laser’. Just what you need after a hard day on the trails!

Let’s see how Whackjob Trail Tee does on the road…