Beat the Heat?
Howdy y'all, I live in Dallas and here the Heat is a problem. (pun intended). As it is I have a nice run of the mill mesh jacket, soft pads in the elbows, forearms, shoulders, and the back. I was wondering if anybody thought if this http://www.thormx.com/product.jsp?path=3224,3230,3251,11433 with a reflective vest over it would help against the heat, without sacrificing any real protection. Any all opinions would be great. Thanks in advance guys.
one armor opinion
I would buy dirt bike racing armor instead, because it is designed to be lighter and better vented.
My plan for very hot days and long trips, although generally I do not ride if it is over 95 degrees F:
When stopping for fuel, stay in the air conditioned store for at least half an hour. Buy a large soda fountain drink with ice, and drink it fast to prevent dehydration. Add water and more ice to the cup and let the water get cold for a few minutes. Then pour this water onto your hair and on the cotton T-shirt under your jacket. While you ride, this water will evaporate and cool you more.
You should wear a white or reflective helmet and jacket- light colored pants and boots get dirty too fast for me.
Things have got slow here, maybe a few more new people will ask questions.
Yowsers, that's very Mad Max
Yowsers, that's very Mad Max esk, but other than the kidney belt it's way more armor then I've ever worn. In 3 pavement falls and countless hundreds of dirt crashes over 46 years of riding I don't recall once wishing I had a chest plate. Twice I regretted not having more back and tailbone protection. Gear like that is one of the reasons I don't do Motocross any more, Motocross is all about making the other guy wish he had a chest protector, or was out in front.
...note the web address is thorMX as in this is motocross armor.
some gear for hot weather
Here are a few choices that stand out to me for both high venting and low cost, along with more safety than the typical jeans and T-shirt, from feet to chest:
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-boots/oxtar
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/6/10/8506/ITEM/Shift-Racing-Enfor...
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/olympia-recon-3-mesh-pants
http://www.bohnarmor.com/catalog/proddetail.php?prod=BGSC%2FBGLC
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/shift-racing-backdraft-mesh-jacket
http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=5734
Shift jacket/knee guards
I have both the Shift backdraft jacket and those shift enforcer knee/shin guards (as well as the torque jeans and chaos gloves). I live in the DC area and it gets hot and all humid and nasty. That jacket does a great job of keeping me cool without sacrificing protection. I wear the knee pads under the torque jeans. Both are great for keeping cool, tho the knee guards do block off some of the ventilation. I think it's a great,cheap and effective alternative than to wear armored over pants. In fact my whole SHIFT ensemble ended up making for perfect summer time riding gear. And my Scorpion Exo-700 helmet has super great ventilation.
I would look into getting an
I would look into getting an evaporative cooling vest
http://store.mm411.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID...
I've just spent several days riding around in the south with temps in the mid 90's and never had a problem (at least when moving, when stopped it's still hot as hell).
Also this article may be of use to you.
http://www.ironbutt.com/ibmagazine/IronButt_1002_62-66_Hot.pdf
Whewww! Last couple of weeks
Whewww! Last couple of weeks the temp has hovered between 101 and 110 here in the sunny southwest. I hate to say this but wearing protective gear is almost impossible in this weather. I'll only wear my helmet when it's this hot. Other riders don't even wear the helmet.
I've found that the Joe Rocket 2.0 UFO mesh jacket seems to work. Once you get on the interstate, the air flows real nice.
summer riding
I got on one of my bikes about 10am today, to beat the heat coming later today. If I lived in the southwest, I would ride more in the winter and less in the summer, the opposite of Kentucky. I do not like to ride at night, dusk or dawn even though it is cooler, because car drivers seem more likely to not see you and you can not see the road surface as well.
A friend of my parents moved from western New York State to Las Vegas after she retired, and she got sick from the heat and decided to quit riding completely. When it is hot, ride less, or take a lot of breaks to go in air conditioned buildings and get a big drink.
The most scientific energy drink is Gatorade- they make 3 kinds, before, during and after a lot of sweating.
This is my favorite drink for taste and some extra calories. The main ingredient is corn syrup, something you should limit in your diet to maybe a couple of times a week:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Sobe_Lizard_Blizzard_20_Fl_oz/content_413...
Texas heat
I live in Dallas too. Are you riding this week? With temps of 105 plus I am now driving my truck.