Do you wear cotton on MTB rides?

Most mountain bike jerseys, shorts, and socks are made with wool or synthetic materials as cotton has fallen out of favor.

Cotton gets a bad wrap when it comes to mountain bike apparel, and that extends to most outdoor and athletic pursuits as well. Compared to modern wool blends and synthetic materials, cotton provides little or no insulating value once it’s wet plus it’s slower to dry too, leaving us feeling sticky and gross.

Scrolling through my photo archive, I used to wear an oversize white cotton t-shirt on pretty much every ride, which today looks a little… wrong. That’s not to say I’ve given up on cotton completely. Sometimes a favorite cutoff t-shirt or a pair of jorts is still the most comfortable choice.

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Do you wear cotton on MTB rides?

Do you wear cotton sometimes or all the time? Tell us whether it’s your shirt, shorts, socks, or something else in the comments below, and how you decide if cotton is a good choice for a ride.

Me? I draw the line at cotton socks. No thanks!