Who Are Mons Royale?
Mons Royale began in New Zealand, founded by pro freeride skier, Hamish Acland. Hamish wanted to address the issue that many snowsports enthusiasts encounter when packing for trips; having space for ski clothing and casual clothing once the essentials had been packed. Hamish formed Mons Royale in 2009 and was quickly joined by Hannah Aubrey, a graphic designer, with the focus on creating high quality, functional base layers with Merino Wool that weren't just boring and black.
So what has this got to do with Westbrook Cycles? Merino Wool is not only very high quality, but it has a range of features that make it perfect for making mountain bike garments from, as well as snowsports. We have a large range of men's and women's shorts, jerseys, socks and casual wear available in store and online.
What's So Good About Merino?
Merino wool comes from a particular breed of sheep and has many great qualities that make it perfect for making sports clothing for both winter and summer. Merino wool is really soft to the touch, anti-odour, breathable and also temperature regulating making it a highly technical garment. Due to these qualities it is also incredibly versatile; the same baselayer can help to keep you warm in winter and cool in summer so it's perfect for more unpredictable climates or packing light for trips.
Mons Royale clothing exclusively uses ZQ Merino which is the world's leading ethical wool brand. This means that both the farmers and the sheep are looked after, ensuring that farmers are given long-term contracts and the sheep are given a high quality of life, adhering to "The Five Freedoms".
The quality of life that ZQ Merino sheep enjoy also has the knock-on effect of creating higher quality wool, a bit like free range chickens laying better eggs! The wool from ZQ Merino sheep tends to yield longer strands that are actually stronger than other Merino brands.
All farmers calling their wool "ZQ Merino" must be certified and the processes involved with rearing the animals must strictly adhere to "The Five Freedoms". The controversial process of Mulesing is also prohibited for farmers seeking ZQ Merino accreditation.
All ZQ Merino is traceable back to the farm that the animal was reared on and third party audited so quality is always maintained. Merino wool is also 100% biodegradable, so unlike many other synthetic fibres that can pollute the oceans with microplastics washed out in the laundry process, the wool breaks down to its natural base elements.
Mons Royale Technologies
Although Mons Royale offer some garments that are 100% Merino Wool, they also create a range of fabrics that are blended to make highly technical clothing. Here is a run-down of some of the key material technologies employed in Mons Royale's range.
Merino Air-Con
Merino Air-Con is designed to be used all year round and is created by using super thin Merino wool fibres spun around a Nylon core. This enables the material to retain a lot of the fantastic qualities of Merino; the breathability, the feel and the anti-odour element, but it also adds in the durability of Nylon. Air-Con also contains a small amount of Elastane which makes the material a bit more free moving and allows the garment to retain its shape slightly better.
83% Merino Wool, 13% Nylon, 4% Elastane
Merino Tencel
Tencel is a fibre derived from 100% biodegradable Eucalyptus pulp taken from sustainable plantations. When blended with Merino wool fibres the resulting material is one that is soft to touch and can keep you cool, even at the height of Summer and on very humid days. This blend of fibres is again spun around a Nylon core to give it further durability, while maintaining the highly breathable qualities of Merino.
52% Merino Wool, 35% Lyocell (Tencel), 13% Nylon
Merino Shift
Merino Shift was designed to provide incredibly high wicking performance when you're giving it your all. The Shift material moves moisture away from your skin effectively, keeping you comfortable in high output situations. As with the other technologies featured here, the Shift fabric features Nylon fibres at the core of the Merino and Polyester blended fibres for increased durability.
44% Merino Wool, 44% Polyester, 12% Nylon
Mons Royale MTB And Casual Clothes At Westbrook Cycles
We are pleased to offer a wide range of Mons Royale Merino clothes, both in store and online. We stock a fantastic range of Merino wool socks, jerseys, baselayers and shorts in a choice of stylish colours. Why not check out our range of Mons Royale sale clothing here and give your wardrobe a refresh?
If you would like to know more about Mons Royale UK sizing, clothing, technologies or anything about their ethical and environmental policies, please get in touch with us here or call us on (+44) 1642 710232.
