Summers Coming - Riding in The Heat

[wphillips007]

I commute 20 miles one way to work (non-freeway) and top speed limit is 45mph. I'm concerned about the typical weather pattern here in Florida where there is a downpour for an hour every afternoon, and then the sun comes out and it is 200% humidity. I read the link that Phil posted, "How to stay cool when riding in the heat" - an article in the Iron Butt Magazine. It was excellent. I did 10,000 miles a year commuting on a cycle down in Miami in the 1980's and never thought about protective clothing, etc. Now that I'm "wiser" I'm wondering what protective clothing/rain gear do you use in the summer? I know a bunch of you are getting hammered by snow tonight, but summer IS coming! Thanks, Wendell

 

[RedNigel]

I commute 25 miles one way in the warm months. Even though it gets really hot, I wore my Olympia Airglide 3 every day last year. I hate sunburn. When I go for a day ride in the heat I wear the cheap 'Heatout' brand under layer from Cycle Gear. This year I am going to wear my brand new Joe Rocket Phoenix 5.0 mesh jacket that just arrived. Same amount of armor but much more mesh. I'll probably have to start wearing a bandana, since the JR has no collar. I also just got the JR 3.0 mesh pants to wear this summer with shorts or just riding underwear to get me to Spearfish

For rain, I have had real good luck with Frogg Toggs...which also work great to keep you warm if you get caught out when temps drop unexpectedly

 

[Phil Tarman]

What he said. I'll wear mesh around Fort Morgan, but I can't go more than 2 miles without getting out of town. Out of town in the summer, I'll be wearing my 'Stitch, zipped up with cuffs unzipped and either the armpits or the back vent open.

I'll be drinking lots of water.

 

[Silver Ranger]

I support Rick's solution. Last year on the way across South Dakota after Spearfish it was 105 to 110. Rick suggested I do just what he said above and it worked. Put some water down or up your sleeve and when you are at speed and need to cool of put your arm out and let some air in. Bang you will cool off. That is until you are dry. Thanks Rick.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Rick, do you leave any of the vents open when it's hot?

 

[ken]

I traveled 8000 miles last summer, in temperatures up to 114F, basically following Rick's suggestions. I would also include:
1. A cooling vest, although they don't work well if you are commuting to work; they tend to make whatever you are wearing underneath damp and wrinkled. For longer trips, they work well.
http://www.amazon.com/Chill-Its-6665-Evaporative-Cooling-Vest/dp/B002BDU3QA/ref=pd_sbs_a_2

2. A cooling towel, which works well even when commuting to work. I just wrap mine around my neck for short rides, and around my shoulders for longer rides. It works for a couple of hours before it needs wetting again.
http://www.amazon.com/Frogg-Toggs-Chilly-Cooling-Towel/dp/B0049RPBWW/ref=pd_cp_hi_2

Ken

 

[EX Winger]

I had a nice long talk with Mario the man of LD Comfort. He also suggested leaving a slight opening at the neck as well as the cuffs of your jacket. I have used that method for the last 8-10 years with good results with First Gear and Stich Darian jackets, as well as my Langlitz leather jacket, and the Teiz suit I used last year.

Rick, Have you tried that with the stich I am just courious as I will be in a learning situation come may or early June when my new suit arrives. I read the article you reffered too also, it almost sounds like tossing a can of chicken noodle soup down a time or two per day might also help on the hydration if I understood all of what they were saying in it.

 

[Mellow]

Mesh has always worked great for me. My olympia airglide 3 or the Moab are not 100% mesh however. They have solid arms/shoulders so they do flow air around and not just 'pass through' the jacket.

On very hot days I may take the time at gas stops and pour cold water down my front/back and head cover, if I'm using one, and that will give you a nice cool breeze for at least 100 miles.

You don't have to drink a lot of water, but you do need to sip water constantly so I will use a camel back type hydration pack on the long warm-to-hot days. Not much use to only drink water at gas stops, the damage is already done by then.

There are lots of approaches so find what works for you and adjust things from there. Also, different location may mean addressing things differently based on humidity levels so that's important too.

 

[Chuck 500]

Thanks Rick, Joe, et al, for the reminders about hot weather riding. I am an (almost) daily commuter.

The only exceptions to the above form Rick and Phil I practice involve the commute. Since I suit up over a full compliment of street clothes for commuting, I just go with mesh and deal with it. the ride, at 26 miles each way, is just not that long so I open tthe suit to mesh. For longer day rides and trips I use the techniques above. They do work, but I get some strange looks when I close the mesh panels on my jacket. It really works. On one ride I closed the vents when it was about 105 degrees. Poured a pint of water down my neck (the outside) and rode off front he stop. It was like riding in air conditioning for the next 45 minutes.

BTW, my jacket is an Olympia GT Air Transitions which has four larege panels that open to mesh, chest vents, arm vents and two liners. The combinations are almost endless.

Keep cool out there,

Chuck

 

[RedNigel]

I am not arguing with anything thats has already been said here... As Joe says, 'do what works best for YOU', and I do wear what i feel is appropriate for me
but what i want to know is,

If these procedures are SO critical, how are all the folks in our community wearing only wife beaters and bandanas not dead, drying heaps of jerky littering our nations highways?

 

[RedNigel]

NOt so, Paul
What about the thousands of folks who travel great distances dressed in only tshirts who dont die or get sick?

Im not rying to start anything

Im just curious how so many people manage to avoid death or heat stroke without any gear at all if gear is so important
And dont say its luck

 

[Lorien]

First thing to remember is the NT has a bit of a heated seat whether you like it or not. Make a big difference once the summer heat shows up. There are a lot of threads on this.
Otherwise it's mostly physiology and physical science. Heat in to a system and heat out. Jackets can make a big difference. My favorite to this day is a old Joe Rocket 1.0 Phoenix. Breathes so well that the first time I wore it I got profoundly dehydrated because I did not realize just how much sweat I was loosing.

 

[charlie b]

If you are going to ride without stopping much Rick's statements are true. It is the airflow that sucks the water out of your body that is the problem.

With a full up windshield and mesh jacket and stopping often I have no problem for a few hours in 100+ heat in the desert. Actually, not a problem with a long sleeve tshirt either.

Maybe from growing up in Phoenix? Just learned to keep the direct sun off the skin and much of the time wind/airflow was bad. We drank a lot of water/soda/gatorade. Yep, soda is supposed to be bad for you and too much water means you are flushing out your system (not good).

You can tell when the airflow is bad. It feels like when you open the oven door. Yes, you can feel the heat sucking out the moisture.

Commuting carries with it another challenge. How to arrive at work without looking like you ran a marathon. Can't toss a pint of water over your shirt or wear all these high tech things to keep you cool.

My solution is lots of airflow. For the few minutes (even an hour) you will be in the heat your body won't object. When you get to work replenish your body fluids and you'll be fine. The tough part for me is afternoon rush hour. Sitting still with hot asphalt, exhausts, etc it is really an oven. Only good thing is I am going home and can take a shower when I get there.

 

[RedNigel]

When I was in my 20s I ONLY wore my hand me down leather jacket if I was cold, It was all I had. I couldnt afford gear. The one pair of winter gloves I had was a luxury

In the summer if I did wear the jacket, it was only to prevent sunburn

BTW
I still have that jacket
Sears and Roebuck, circa 1967
I also have my Dad's brown bomber jacket he wore on over 150 combat missions in 1944

 

[artemedes]

I am not arguing with anything thats has already been said here... As Joe says, 'do what works best for YOU', and I do wear what i feel is appropriate for me
but what i want to know is,

If these procedures are SO critical, how are all the folks in our community wearing only wife beaters and bandanas not dead, drying heaps of jerky littering our nations highways?

Well, you know the stereotype, ride from bar to bar. They are getting rehydrated at each stop.

I used to think this was an overblown stereotype, and it probably is, but last summer I witnessed this Pirate parade bar hopping. It was a sweltering June day I headed to a little KS town for a family reunion. It was hot when I arrived around 10:30 am. I came out of the reunion to see the entire downtown filled with cruisers. Most of the riders were inside the local bar, but the ones I could see where jeans, doo-rags and leather vests. All of the exposed skin was sun and wind burnt bright red. Turns out my cousin was one of them. He said it was a poker run. I asked him about the stops an distances. He told me that today this was going to be a long ride and they were going to go almost 150 miles throughout the day. Then I asked him about the distance between stops. He told me that one stretch between towns was almost 40 miles. He said it with an expression that told me he felt 40 miles was quite a long distance. He then showed me his ape hanging sportster and made a point to start it up so I could see how loud it was. As I am talking to my cousin I realized I just didn't get it. I put on my riding gear even though it was probably 103 degrees and headed for my 200 mile trip home. It was hot enough that I did stop 3 times.

That experience convinced me that some people really see their motorcycle as an extension to a lifestyle. My cousin's wife was even rude when she saw me putting on my gear and getting ready to head out. "What is that?" (looking at the NT). Then "Aren't you hot in that jacket?". She didn't believe me when I told her I was more comfortable with it on.

I don't see many wife-beating bandana wearing long distance tourer's out there when I am putting in big days, but i bet the ones you do see are stopping frequently.

I have an Uncle who was telling me about his big trip this summer. He has a nice looking road king and is planning to trailer to couple southwest destinations and do rides from "base camps". He is only going from KS to AZ and back. I wouldn't even think of trailering either of my bikes for a trip like that. So it is really a different mindset.

 

[wphillips007]

As John said, this is a great forum for getting good advice (and a variety of opinions). All the comments were helpful - thanks for posting. Our rainy season doesn't start till June so I have a little time to sort things out. You notice that I cover up even out kayaking.

 

[charlie b]

Just to make it clear. This isn't "risk management" like not wearing a helmet.

It is just a matter of how you manage your riding and your body. It is also to dispel the myth that more airflow will solve your heat problem by itself. More airflow will help as long as you have fluids in the body to sweat and cool the body through evaporation, and, the air is not at 100% humidity. Simply drinking water can be dangerous...as anyone who has played sports in the heat knows.

The caution here is for those not accustomed to severe heat.

As someone who has had heat stroke, it is not fun. But, there are plenty of signs of distress before you get to a critical point. The point is to 'listen' to what your body is telling you.

 

[RedLdr1]

Charlie,

While I agree with your post I do think it is also about "risk management". Weather conditions are a risk factor you can evaluate and take steps to mitigate. If I know the weather is going to be 90+ degrees with high humidity daily on a long trip I simply take my car instead of the bike. If I am on a motorcycle road trip and get caught in high humidity and temperatures increasing my breaks, both in number and duration, and cutting down the total number of daily hours I'm exposed to the conditions is risk management. Those are simple things anyone can do regardless of how they are "dressed" for the weather. Those are also the same risk management, or "survival" if you prefer, techniques I was taught at Fort Huachuca Arizona in the high desert and at Fort Stewart Georgia commonly know as Camp Swampy...for very good reasons.

 

[charlie b]

Sorry, risk management is an over used term and I disagree with how you are using it.

Heck, the way you use it getting up in the morning is risk management.

And Sierra Vista is not anywhere near hot enough to stress you that much

FYI, I grew up in Phoenix and never experienced heat stroke until I was in NY. Didn't heed the signs in a high humidity environment.

 

[U20417]

This has been a most interesting thread! (c:

I think a lot of us would be interested in reading the articles and supporting documentation for ourselves. So please post the links so we can all review them and learn from them. For myself I always love learning new things.

Thanks

Richard