Bamboo Socks

While not strictly a unicycle product per se, what we put on our feet is important too.

I recently discovered bamboo fibre socks. After wearing them on a few rides with my custom hybrid uniboots I consider them the ultimate sock material. There are several different companies all selling a very similar product.

The ones I bought have a two-layer construction. They are tough on the outside but like cotton wool on the inside. The tough outside makes them really easy to put on.

Perhaps because of the low material cost they are very generous with the fibre and weigh about eighty grams each.

Some sites claim the bamboo fibre to be four times more absorbent than cotton. They certainly take a long time to dry but it is hard to tell because they give an odd initial impression of always being damp to the touch even when totally dry. Bamboo is certainly a very “watery” plant and this nature manifests in the socks.

They are also claimed to be antimicrobial.

Thoroughly recommend giving them a try.

fyi, bamboo textiles are mostly just viscose rayon. The base is bamboo, but it could just as well have been any other wood. Since the fibers are completely broken down before it is made into a textile, any qualities from the original material is lost.

That said, it is very comfortable, and it can be argued that growing bamboo has a smaller environmental impact than cotton. It might just not be the supermaterial that it is claimed to be. Just be aware that a bamboo tshirt lets through a lot of the uv light so it is not the best for sun protection. For socks that should not be a problem though.

Wool on the other hand…

Source, Wikipedia.