Hot Weather Riding Gear

I run an air conditioner for hot rides!


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Had it on for many a day last summer while riding across Canada on my modern Bonneville. You give it a full soak and wear beneath your vented jacket, I had a Triumph brand full mesh with armour. Works a treat at speed and even when walking a bout in the heat. Stays moist for a good few hours before a resoak needed.

For. Leggings, I typically use Saint brand Model 1 pants with knee and hip armour. These are CE level 2 rated. Have single layer Spectra material, which is slide rated for 6 seconds, which is on par with leather. But spectra is highly breathable and there is no liner to the pants.

Last weekend I rode with a guy across the desert in 100 degree heat from Mancos, CO to Torrey, UT and a couple guys at the gathering had these. They said they really work great, I was wearing my leather jacket and was ok as long as we kept moving. But I think they seem like a great idea in really hot weather. Going to look into getting one, the thing I like is they are easy to pack. Chuck.
 
Last weekend I rode with a guy across the desert in 100 degree heat from Mancos, CO to Torrey, UT and a couple guys at the gathering had these. They said they really work great, I was wearing my leather jacket and was ok as long as we kept moving. But I think they seem like a great idea in really hot weather. Going to look into getting one, the thing I like is they are easy to pack. Chuck.
When I was doing my motorcycle training some 6 yrs ago, I recall reading in one of a few new rider books that wearing leather in hot weather is actually beneficial vs mesh or other breathables. Concept was at speed, the rate of evap from skin from the high hot/dry wind speeds can seriously dehydrate a rider in less than an hour. This impairs judgement, reaction time etc.
Ive experienced a bit of that effect before so gotta take precautions by drinking frequently even when you dont feel thirsty.
Once on a long sailing race trip in SoCal, hot weather, working hard, one guy was drinking lots of water, more so than anyone else. He kept say he was so thirsty but no amount of water was helping. I ask him if he had tried some gatoraid/sport drink and he had not. He said he was also feel dizzy. He tried the gatoraid and within half hour was much better. It was the sweating in the heat that dropped his salts/electrolytes to point where water alone can't rehydrate your tissues.
 
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That’s an interesting point, I’d never thought of mesh having that effect.

I think I’d still favour mesh on balance though, my take away from your point would be to drink more and keep the mesh, rather than wear leather and drink less.

Heat can also cause issues too of course, so using mesh, allowing your body to expel more liquid through sweat and evaporation, and drinking more to compensate still seems like the thing to do on balance, to me at least.
 
On our trip last summer (July 2019 ) we had some very hot weather in central France:
40 -45° C.
I found that soaking my balaclava was really helpfull.
(I always wear one under my helmet)
Keeping your head cool is most important.
Minus is you have to repeat it every half hour or so..
 
When I was doing my motorcycle training some 6 yrs ago, I recall reading in one of a few new rider books that wearing leather in hot weather is actually beneficial vs mesh or other breathables. Concept was at speed, the rate of evap from skin from the high hot/dry wind speeds can seriously dehydrate a rider in less than an hour. This impairs judgement, reaction time etc.
Ive experienced a bit of that effect before so gotta take precautions by drinking frequently even when you dont feel thirsty.
Once on a long sailing race trip in SoCal, hot weather, working hard, one guy was drinking lots of water, more so than anyone else. He kept say he was so thirsty but no amount of water was helping. I ask him if he had tried some gatoraid/sport drink and he had not. He said he was also feel dizzy. He tried the gatoraid and within half hour was much better. It was the sweating in the heat that dropped his salts/electrolytes to point where water alone can't rehydrate your tissues.

I have had that happen to me in Spain, I slowed as I got to a village and as the extra heat from the fans kicking in on my ZZR wafted up I felt very strange, I stopped and only just got the stand down before just about passing out. took a good couple of hours of beers and ice-cream before i felt i could carry on.
 
I have a Joe Rocket mesh jacket and a pair of Road Gear mesh riding pants. I find them very comfortable to ride in. I also have the liner for the jacket which is water proof and folds nicely into a saddlebag. I have has one low speed spill with this gear; the protection and durability is outstanding. Padding in all the right places without feeling bulky. Here in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, it gets into the 90's but is usually in the 80's. The liner is nice for after dark, when the temperature drops.
 
I am glad you have shared your riding experience in the summer. I was struggling to look for summer riding gear.
 
I run an air conditioner for hot rides!


View attachment 17995

Had it on for many a day last summer while riding across Canada on my modern Bonneville. You give it a full soak and wear beneath your vented jacket, I had a Triumph brand full mesh with armour. Works a treat at speed and even when walking a bout in the heat. Stays moist for a good few hours before a resoak needed.

For. Leggings, I typically use Saint brand Model 1 pants with knee and hip armour. These are CE level 2 rated. Have single layer Spectra material, which is slide rated for 6 seconds, which is on par with leather. But spectra is highly breathable and there is no liner to the pants.
With the hot air dome over Western North America, we're seeing 40 Cel during day and 30 Cel nights, most on next four or five days. No AC at home as its never be needed previously. Opening windows useless as hotter air outside and absolutely zero wind. I'm wearing my cooling vest inside the house and its helping a lot.
 
My summer rides are conducted in jeans and a t-shirt..... A helmet really heats things up. Our heat indices have been running anywhere around 105-113. Problem is I tend to ride mid morn to early afternoon after the heat is up.
 
upgraded to day glo green mesh jacket with armor from Fieldsheer and short road racing type zip up boots and day glo green joe rocket gloves, day glow yellow flip face full helmet ..........and blue jeans
 
Soak your t-shirt in lavatory/roadside brook once per hour, the evap cooling under a mesh jacket is nothing short of game changing.
 
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