Riding in gear can be too warm

[Ride-or-die]

i have read a lot of peoples post on here over my time and also know a lot of americans ride without proper safety gear and i think they're nuts as im aware most of the members on this forum agree. however summer has finally arrived in the UK and as this is my first summer of riding i wasnt aware that i would get so hot on the bike, but i refuse to ride naked.

So today i went out wearing a sleveless thin t-shirt my codura jacket and leather bottoms and i was sweating buckets, unless i was travelling at speed i was too hot and i didnt enjoy the ride as much, and to think that todays weather wouldnt be as hot as what some of you guys experience. so a crazy question but would my textile jacket be warmer than leather? can anyone think of any solutions?

The problem is i would ride in just a t-shirt but firstly i like my skin and second as the warm weather = warm roads it = very sticky tires and therefore better handling and therefore means i can throw it around more and i want to be protected for that.

wow i dont think i have ever written this much before in my life

[87gsxrnut]

Wear leathers.

England? Hot? Try South Texas homeboy! I wear full leathers down here. Hydrate real well the night before. Take breaks, and drink lots of water during those breaks. Climatize yourself in your leathers. Then it won't seem as bad. Mind over matter.

- Nut

[md2lgyk]

I was thinking the same thing. I can't imagine summer in the UK would be nearly as hot as many places in the USA.

I ride a cruiser and have never owned leathers, but I will say my armored textile jacket is relatively comfortable up to about 90 degrees F (32 degrees C).

[Gixxerdale]

Nut nailed it. I ride all summer in black non perf leathers. In fact mine are so old that the liner is built in and can't be removed! I ride the Mojave Desert (not always by choice)on 120 degree days.

Keep moving, wear a Camelbac or keep the bladder in a tank bag to drink on the move.

When you stop get out of the gear or open it up as soon as possible to aid in airflow and cooling.

Wear a Dowrap under your lid and keep it wet.

A wet bandana on the neck is helpful too.

Keep a couple Ziploc bags on your bike. When you stop where ice is available, get a cup of it, fill a couple bags and place them in your jacket pockets. Chest pocket if you have them. Yes they will leak. Instant swamp cooler!

The UK Hot! HAAHAAHAAHAA!!!!!!!

[trini0]

I cannot comment on the others comments, as I dont live there, but
down here in S. Florida (I've only been living here for just over a year), where the temps can get into the 90s during
the summer, it gets fairly hot with the extreme humidity.
But in my opinion (during my 1 month of riding), the high temps doesn't mean anything.
What I've experienced, is that high humidity, makes me sweat buckets on my commute to work (20 min ride), even while moving at speed.
I wear a JR Meteor textile jacket that features vents on the front/back/arms, and by the time I get to work, my back/shoulders are wet, on a humid day, and on a not so humid day (like Mon/Tue/Wed) of this week, if I move at speed, I barely sweat.
Im at the point where, I'll ride with the jacket front zipped half way up, so that additional air can get to my back.
I have a new jacket on order (its supposed to be delivered today), a JR Santa-Fe, that features full mesh. I hope that it keeps me from sweating during
those humid days.
One of my MSF coaches recommended us to wear this
to help with sweating. I haven't tried it as yet.
But wear your gear, no matter what...

[JSXR]

Originally Posted by trini0

One of my MSF coaches recommended us to wear this
to help with sweating. I haven't tried it as yet.

does it come with the muscles?

[Nexus242]

Originally Posted by Ride-or-die

The problem is i would ride in just a t-shirt but firstly i like my skin and second as the warm weather = warm roads it = very sticky tires and therefore better handling and therefore means i can throw it around more and i want to be protected for that.

Well here's answer #2, the first one would have cause far to much %%%%%in so I'm redoing it. So I'll simply say wear what ever gear you feel comfortable in depending on the temps and type of riding your doing that day. If your "gear" happens be jeans and a t-shirt or full leathers it's up to you. I'm not your mom or pa so I'm not gonna tell you what you can and can't wear out to play.

That being said I wear the "gear" appropriate to the type of ride I'm out on, my destination and duration of my ride. And today I added another piece of gear I can choose from for summer riding, it's a JR Phoenix 3.0 mesh jacket in black.

And lastly Essex is just east of London right?? Today's high temp for London is only 83 and tomorrow is gonna be 84 but the lows will down to near 60 at night?? Are you sure you know what hot is??

[trini0]

Originally Posted by trini0

I have a new jacket on order (its supposed to be delivered today), a JR Santa-Fe, that features full mesh. I hope that it keeps me from sweating during those humid days.

Well the jacket was sitting in my room when I got home tonight.
From the looks of it, its a well made mesh jacket, and even the leather is perforated.
So hopefully I can get my bike early tomorrow, so that I can get a quick ride in before the afternoon "storm" blows through.

[trini0]

Originally Posted by JSXR

does it come with the muscles?

No, its an accessory

[JES883]

I wear a leather jacket pretty much all the time. There's days that I leave at 7:00 and ride all day and am done at 9:00 or later. If I get too hot during the day with the leather, I unzip the vents (forearm, shoulder, back) and maybe unzip the front halfway.

On hot days, I wear the jeans with holes in 'em for the air-flow effect.

Also, I stay well hydrated.

[Dave2122]

Any time I think it is to hot for my leathers I think of how much fun Skin Grafts are !

[87gsxrnut]

Any time I think it is to hot for my leathers I think of how much fun Skin Grafts are !

No kidding. I was cringing at the number of riders I saw yesterday in t-shirts and shorts. Many were without helmets. Man, will they ever learn? It gets real hot down here 100+ now with the heat index, and it is only June. But, when you can walk away from an accident or a spill . . .

- Nut

[Dave2122]

It amazes me to see all the Studs out there blasting around on sportbikes basically devoid of protection sans a helmet......I remember following a guy that tucked the front of an 89 cbr600 and he had a T-Shirt and shorts on. well I pulled over and helped him and his bike off the road. I had to give him my shirt off my backe to clean out the gravel and dirty blood from his shoulder and forarm and wrist. The knob on his wrist was worn right off and you could see the bone. He was bleeding so mush that blood was everywhere. I saw the guy 3 months later in the shop and he had some serious scaring. If that isnt a good enough reason to wear leathers than nothing is!

[inspiron]

Sadly, they will never learn.

It's the hottest day of the year over here ... right now (6:45pm) it is 33°C (91.5°F). I was out in my mesh jacket and leather pants, boots and gloves.

I passed alot of bikers in jeans and T-Shirts, tennis shoes and no gloves. (At least most everyone had a helmet on - the helmet law does make a difference).

[Nexus242]

Well I gave my JR 3.0 a ride today with the Boys and Girls from CFCR and I must say mesh is the **** for summer!!! Even with the textile material of my Shift SuperStreet jacket it still locked in lots of heat and the vents just aren't effective since while in the riding postion they get bunched up therefore perventing good venting. The JR Phoenix's mesh breathed like i wasn't even wearing a jacket at any speed over 20mph and even it's black color didn't cause any problems after 4 hours in the sun.

So damn I'm hear to sing the praises of mesh in the summertime. Yeah I was hot but at least my shirt underneath didn't need to be wringed out after the ride was over and my strength is zapped to the point that I want to take a nap either.

[Uncle Bob]

Love my mesh kacket, have said it before, it's like your sitting in the shade, cooler than just a t-shirt.

[trini0]

Originally Posted by Nexus242

I must say mesh is the **** for summer!!!

+1
I just got back from the dealer with my bike (it had its 600 mile maintainance).
I was wearing my new JR Santa-Fe that I got yesterday, and man, its like
night and day, compared to the JR Meteor.
It felt so good, with the wind on my torso while moving.
Speaking of squids. On the way back, I saw two stunters pulling wheelies on the street. I only paid attention to the one in the rear. He was wearing, a Tee, and what looked like Hawaiian shorts (really colorful print).
I hope they get to their destination safely.
Down here in S. Fl, I very rarely see people in proper gear.
Granted, I was wearing my FF helmet, mesh jacket, gloves, and jeans, it
is way better, that 90% of the riders Im seeing on the streets around here.
Anyway, bottom line for me, is to always wear gear, no matter how hot it is.
I'd rather keep my good looks

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by trini0

I have a new jacket on order (its supposed to be delivered today), a JR Santa-Fe, that features full mesh. I hope that it keeps me from sweating during
those humid days.

Gee I have one and I love it ! Sometimes have to check that I didn't foget to put it on !

[Gixxerdale]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Gee I have one and I love it ! Sometimes have to check that I didn't foget to put it on !

Uncle Bob, can't feel it through all the body hair?

[NWEng]

I'm not going to comment on the heat, but I understand what Nut goes through and it's worse than I have it. San Antonio in the summer is 90+ degrees and 90%+ humidity. (We have family there, I'll look you up next trip out.)

One of my MSF instructors had some sort of a vest that he threw into the freezer that kept him fairily cool when he was out on the course teaching us squids how to ride. It was filled with some kind of liquid I guessed.