Fr3nd Merino Wool Shirt

The Fr3nd Merino Wool Shirt is a summer-weight option for looking sharp yet relaxed on a bike and not smelling after a day or two. There are no technical features and you're paying a premium, but if it's the look you're after it's a very good choice.

Merino is a miracle fabric for cycling. Warm when you need it to be, and not smelling even after days of use, it's the perfect bike travel companion.

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Fr3nd has aimed at the crossover use case between work/smart casual and multi-day travelling. Being made from 100 per cent merino grown in NZ, milled in Italy and sewn in Portugal, the shirt can be worn for three or four days of pretty heavy riding before there's any noticeable odour.

I wore it as an about-the-home-office shirt for a week straight with no notable signs of revulsion from my life partner. I'd imagine it handling a long journey with a soak in a hotel sink or stream then being dry by morning or shortly after starting riding.

The fabric has been engineered with a bit of stretch, so it's comfortable bent over on a bike. I found the size large to be perfect on my 6ft/75kg frame with long arms.

There's really nothing to distinguish the shirt from any other business shirt, even close up. You could wear a tie with it and people wouldn't bat an eyelid – likewise, you could roll the sleeves up, pop on a pair of baggy shorts and hit some gravel without looking strange. The cuffs are a single button, with a second button halfway up the cuff split, so it's easy to get a secure fit when rolled up so they don't unroll.

The tail is short, meaning it's designed to be worn untucked, but it's long enough to tuck in if that's the look you want.

The fabric is definitely summer weight – and as it's also SPF50, you could wear it by itself and not get sunburnt.

I own and love a £90 EDZ Merino shirt which has been on many a chilly bikepacking trip with just a thin baselayer underneath. The EDZ shirt would definitely be too warm in temperatures above maybe 15°C, which is where I see the Fr3nd offering being most comfortable. Below that, I feel the thin fabric lets too much air through.

> Buyer’s Guide: The best casual cycling commuter wear

There are reinforced patches on the elbows, to protect the thin fabric from wear; that seems a good idea, as 100 per cent merino isn't overly strong when it's spun this thin, and as the patches are the same colour you don't look like a geography teacher (other stereotypes are available, and FWIW my geography teacher was cool).

Fr3nd has gone for the muted end of the rainbow, the shirt being available in 10 variations of grey/blue.

Value

At £130, the Fr3nd is a fiver less than Icebreaker's Pankow shirt, but a little more than French brand Seagale's lightweight merino for €120 (currently around £102). For cooler weather, the EDZ offering is definitely better value for money.

Conclusion

If you're after a shirt for warmer weather, to keep the sun off while cycling, walking or sightseeing, able to go pong-free for days and possibly to find a new job along the way, the Fr3nd Merino Wool Shirt is a very good choice.

Verdict

Sharp-looking shirt for warm-weather adventures, in or out of the office/cafe