Leathers + heat = too uncomfortable to ride. What to do?

[andycooper]

We've probably all seen far too many threads about this, but anyways here we go again ...

I always wear full leathers when I ride, regardless of the heat. However, the heat is really starting to get to me - today I got stuck behind an accident site for 1/2 hour and thought I was going to die from heat exhaustion. Sitting with no airflow is just not any fun.

Soo ....

I really don't like the idea of riding without protection, but I'm getting to the point of not wanting to ride when it is hot out, and I'd like to try to cure that. Which brings up the topic of this thread:

What do those of you that like wearing lots of gear all the time wear to mitigate the heat problem - are padded mesh jackets worth anything? What about those kevlar-lined jeans? Are there thinner/lighter leather jackets that still provide some protection?

[Jake K]

Underarmor or similar , drink lots of water, let your sweat work. When i was chubbier, it was horrible to ride in heat with leathers. Perf leathers also. a good venting helmet.

We've probably all seen far too many threads about this, but anyways here we go again ...

I always wear full leathers when I ride, regardless of the heat. However, the heat is really starting to get to me - today I got stuck behind an accident site for 1/2 hour and thought I was going to die from heat exhaustion. Sitting with no airflow is just not any fun.

Soo ....

I really don't like the idea of riding without protection, but I'm getting to the point of not wanting to ride when it is hot out, and I'd like to try to cure that. Which brings up the topic of this thread:

What do those of you that like wearing lots of gear all the time wear to mitigate the heat problem - are padded mesh jackets worth anything? What about those kevlar-lined jeans? Are there thinner/lighter leather jackets that still provide some protection?

[rockit]

drive your car.

[pknopp]

I've never rode with leathers but I would have to think the kevlar stuff would have to be cooler and more comfortable but I have no personal experience there.

[dts]

If you're sitting still in traffic for a half-hour in the summer, you're going to suffer no matter what you're wearing.

Wearing a CamelBack can help -- fill it full of ice, use it to keep yourself hydrated, and pour some of it down your front every now and then to help with evaporative cooling.

I wear perforated leathers when it's hot.

[Paul@VWvortex]

Depending upon your relative humidity level you could consider some sort of evaporative cooling vest and sleeves and if needed a head cover. I alternate between the LD Comfort gear and the heavier evaporative vest from Bilt.

I have a wide range of gear ranging from Kevlar lined jeans and a vented Olympia summer jacket to a fuller Olympia jacket and pants.. Both being textile. I think that they are a bit cooler in the summer than full leathers.

[atomicalex]

I wore my textile jacket with mesh panels (not 100% mesh, more like 35%) yesterday on a trip to Frankfurt. Wow. What a difference. Now I'm shopping for the matching pants.

[Silly_me]

I've found perforated leathers to be the best summer bet, the perforations allow air flow and the leathers do a better job of reflecting the sun's heat than does textile IMO. Add a camel back of ice water and I'm usually good to go (I'm going to sweat, but I sweat no matter what). Being stuck in an accident in the summer is going to suck regardless of what you are or are not wearing, and for this I keep a small umbrella in my tail bag.... but I don't have a twentysomething girl to hold it for me

[andycooper]

My leathers aren't perforated - they've got plenty of vents, but they're not perforated. They're stupidly heavy-duty Fieldsheer leathers. They're all that I have w.r.t. gear, and I wear them all the time. The traffic stuff yesterday was really the tipping point for me more than it being the only issue. Unless I'm at highway speeds, by the time I'm done riding I'm completely drenched even with a wicking shirt underneath everything. The leathers are good for cold weather and for early spring/late fall. Apart from that, they suck at everything other than what they were designed for - protection.

Thanks for the feedback - given that my bike is a monoposto, I can't go the umbrella girl route (and the wife would probably object a little bit to that). I'll take a look and see what I can find w.r.t perforated leathers or some textile/mesh jackets.

[Paul@VWvortex]

http://www.ldcomfort.com

Give these items a look as they are cheap enough to give a try.

[pknopp]

You could also break out the chaps you've been saving for a special occasion.

[Sizzla]

Mesh jacket for summer time riding.



Perforated gloves and boots.




Good ventilation on your helmet.

[andycooper]

Mesh jacket for summer time riding.

Thanks.

I've been looking at alpinestars jackets - which one is that and how ewll does it work for you in the heat?

[aintnowookie]

I've used my Olympia GT Air and Airglide 2 pants in triple digit heat; hot yes, bearable, most certainly. Great protection too and 4 season versatility. With all vents open, heat was never a real issue. Got plenty of people looking at me in the summer with gauntlet gloves, moto boots, full-face helmet, jacket and pants like .

[Sizzla]

Thanks.

I've been looking at alpinestars jackets - which one is that and how ewll does it work for you in the heat?

That's the Breeze Air model. It feels realty good at speed on hot days. It feels pretty protective also. Armor is in the shoulders, forearms and back. The back padding could be better though. I usually take it out and wear my back protector unless I ride into work. In that case I use the foam pad it came with.

Its a XXL and has pockets for stuff and a zip out liner. It attaches to alpinestar pants too.

[20grit_timber]

I switch to mesh in the spring because I ran into the same heat problem. I own all Alpinestars gear so I can switch the pads back and fourth rather easily. It makes ride so much more enjoyable. If the temps get to high, I just drive.

[rmchung]

Fully perforated leather jacket. Hard to find many choices since most leather jackets just use vents and only have a few areas of perforation. I've found RS Taichi to make some great fully perforated leather jackets. If it's too hot out there, I just take the car. 100 degree weather is only going to give you 100 degree cooling air...that's like trying to use a hairdryer as your air conditioning unit.

[Silly_me]

100 degree weather is only going to give you 100 degree cooling air...that's like trying to use a hairdryer as your air conditioning unit.

This. Not to mention mesh is shyte for abrasion resistance, I barely feel comfortably confident going out in textile pants, a good shot better than mesh:

[1.8t rado]

Leathers + heat = too uncomfortable to ride. What to do?

Ride faster. Sorry, I had to.

[veedub87]

Perforated leather or mesh jacket with Bilt evaporative cooling vest underneath. Paul mentioned the LD comfort stuff above too. You can also soak their arm & head sleeves in water for evap cooling.

Outside of this, you really have no other options.

[atomicalex]

Does anyone in the US make partial-mesh jackets? My Gericke stuff has the mesh in non-wear spots - my sides, the inside of the arms, the thighs, backs of calves, and the top of the butt. This seems to be a pretty good compromise, I really loved it last weekend.

[Frosty_spl]

I have an older Fieldsheer leather/mesh jacket. It's pretty nice. Leather is on the back, shoulders, and back of the arms.

I just got some Dainese leather perf pants. Hope my balls don't melt.

[irishmpls_2]

Ryde nekkid.

[sonicGLI]

I have a hybrid jacket from Icon that stays much cooler than my full leather Alpinestar, and I feel just as protected; very good design: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...0-Icon-Awesome

[GRMNMSL]

http://www.motoport.com
I struggled with what to wear besides leather for commuting after having a bike crashed out from under me, and finally discovered motorport. I still wear a perforated leather jacket with the motoport air mesh kevlar street jeans, and the motoport pants flow alot more air than jeans with kevlar inserts.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10919075
This is what finally pushed me over the edge, this guy crashed at 70mph and the gear was barely damaged, plus motoport will repair the damage for free or replace the item.

[newbody99jetta]

Don't know if this helps answer your question, but I lightly spray my shirt with water and open any sort of vent on my gear (boots included). It's crazy but it keeps me colder than the AC in a car.

[andycooper]

http://www.motoport.com
I struggled with what to wear besides leather for commuting after having a bike crashed out from under me, and finally discovered motorport. I still wear a perforated leather jacket with the motoport air mesh kevlar street jeans, and the motoport pants flow alot more air than jeans with kevlar inserts.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10919075
This is what finally pushed me over the edge, this guy crashed at 70mph and the gear was barely damaged, plus motoport will repair the damage for free or replace the item.

Thanks - this looks really promising. I'm going to take a look at it in more detail.

[Little Byron]

I've found RS Taichi to make some great fully perforated leather jackets.

I agree with RMChung. My RS-Taichi is fantastic on the sunny so cal days where it gets 90+. Build quality is also top notch.

[andycooper]

I agree with RMChung. My RS-Taichi is fantastic on the sunny so cal days where it gets 90+. Build quality is also top notch.

Thanks - what RS Taichi jacket do you use? I know that 100 degrees is going to be uncomfortable no matter what. It's the 75 to 90 degree range where I want to be more comfortable. Right now, anything above 65 degrees is just unpleasant.

Sportbiketrackgear.com or cyclesector?

[Triumph]

Does anyone in the US make partial-mesh jackets? My Gericke stuff has the mesh in non-wear spots - my sides, the inside of the arms, the thighs, backs of calves, and the top of the butt. This seems to be a pretty good compromise, I really loved it last weekend.

Sure, lots of people. My 6 year old Teknic has full nylon in the shoulders and elbows and part of the back.

Mesh gear has come a long way from 10 years ago. To the OP, what is safer, a dead cow that will slide 150' on pavement and still be good to use, worn by a rider who is suffering from signs of dehydration? Or a comfortable rider with his wits about him who is wearing a jacket that can slide 75' and be thrown away (and hopefully replaced by the insurance company)?

[turbinepowered]

Sure, lots of people. My 6 year old Teknic has full nylon in the shoulders and elbows and part of the back.

Mesh gear has come a long way from 10 years ago. To the OP, what is safer, a dead cow that will slide 150' on pavement and still be good to use, worn by a rider who is suffering from signs of dehydration? Or a comfortable rider with his wits about him who is wearing a jacket that can slide 75' and be thrown away (and hopefully replaced by the insurance company)?

This. I view my gear as sacrificial, and my insurance policy has explicit coverage for gear up to $2k total.

[Silly_me]

The only problem I have with mesh gear (aside from the obvious inferiority to abrasion resistance) is that there are an awful lot of seams for all those different panels and in my experience seams have a tendency to split in a off.

As far as dehydration, well unless you are sporting a water bladder you will be dehydrated in the summer no matter what gear you are wearing. It just may be wicked away quicker with mesh gear

[Triumph]

The only problem I have with mesh gear (aside from the obvious inferiority to abrasion resistance) is that there are an awful lot of seams for all those different panels and in my experience seams have a tendency to split in a off.

That is true in theory, though at this point there are plenty of anecdotal crash reports to assuage my fears about mesh gear.

As far as dehydration, well unless you are sporting a water bladder you will be dehydrated in the summer no matter what gear you are wearing. It just may be wicked away quicker with mesh gear

The second comment is true, but if I'm out on a summer day for more than an hour or two, I do sport a camel back. It is unobtrusive and easy to use while moving.

[gr8shandini]

Sure, lots of people. My 6 year old Teknic has full nylon in the shoulders and elbows and part of the back.

Mesh gear has come a long way from 10 years ago. To the OP, what is safer, a dead cow that will slide 150' on pavement and still be good to use, worn by a rider who is suffering from signs of dehydration? Or a comfortable rider with his wits about him who is wearing a jacket that can slide 75' and be thrown away (and hopefully replaced by the insurance company)?

I'm fully on-board with this. Real leathers are made for racers with the intent that you can have a high speed get-off and get them repaired. They're way too heavy duty for street use. There's enough evidence these days that textiles do a decent job of saving your skin in a single crash, so I don't see any reason to avoid them. Think of it this way; any time you drive in a cage, there's a chance you could get in a wreck and catch fire. But no one insists on 5 point harnesses, a fire suit, balaclava, gloves, helmet and HANS device every time they set foot in a car.

[PlatinumGLS]

This. Not to mention mesh is shyte for abrasion resistance, I barely feel comfortably confident going out in textile pants, a good shot better than mesh:

This is why I went with a mesh jacket that had leather on the arms for the best of both worlds. I am very happy with it:

Cortech HRX Series 2 Mesh Motorcycle Jacket

Performance cut, Armor-Link III mesh, 600 denier Carbolex® and 1680 denier ballistic polyester shell incorporates washable Brazilian leather impact panels
The Mandarin style collar features a soft neoprene trim
Hard molded, external shoulder protectors
External padded back panels provide added protection
Action back and stretch under arms for a performance fit
Pre-curved and rotated sleeves increase comfort and performance in the riding position
360º Phoslite® reflective piping, Phoslite® reflective material panels and Cortech's signature reflective rear triangle increase nighttime visibility
Washable Brazilian leather cuff trim is soft yet durable
Removable, CE approved armor at the shoulders, elbows and back
Aqua-Therm® two-stage waterproof and insulated liner can be configured or removed to best match comfort needs
Zippered hand pockets, internal mobile phone and pouch pockets
Adjustable waist belts with TPR pulls help fine tune the fit
Includes a 21" and 8" jacket / pant zipper attachment with the pant sides included