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12 Tips for keeping your cool on a hot
ride
 A
sunny day, not a cloud in the sky. Perfect riding weather, right?
Think again. The temperature ekes it’s way over 90 as the day wears
on and wear it does as you begin to lose focus and wonder what kind
of fool idea you had buying a motorcycle and riding it in heat like
this. Even with your mesh riding jacket and gloves you just can’t
seem to beat the heat. Now what?
The road to just about any summer rally is
littered with the flesh and crash remnants of sun stroke victims.
But taking a few simple steps, upgrading your riding gear and
preparing ahead of time will keep a smile on your face well beyond
100 degrees.
The rider above enjoys a ride in 90 degree
heat fully geared up including a set of Bohn Armor under those black
Levis. To cool off, an evaporative cooling vest under the jacket can
mean the difference between an unpleasant day or a great ride.
Cover
Up
 The fastest way to a sun stroke is by
exposing your body directly to the sun. Your head, face, shoulders,
legs and core are ready and willing to soak up as much of the sun’s
rays as you can throw at them
and the more exposure you allow,
the
sooner you’ll become a victim of the dreaded sun stroke.
Novice riders and uneducated passengers
alike think they will actually be cooler if they strip down to a
tank top and a half shell or no helmet at all. It’s a fallacy that
takes its toll on thousands of riders every summer. You’ll be far
more comfortable if you cover up in full riding gear and use the
preceding wisdom. And while you’re at it ,
please pass the sunscreen.
Shorts and a
t-shirt won't keep you any cooler
when temps go into the 90s, but
this rider may go home with a hearty case of sun stroke riding
dressed, or should we say undressed,
like this for a few hours.
Vented & Mesh
Riding Gear
In the last decade ,
a slew of vented
and mesh riding gear has come on the market,
and even so it’s amazing how few people wear it. Our species is
having trouble evolving away from the basic overheated 1850s gold
mining pair of blue jeans sometimes hidden behind that 1860s cattle
herding attire, a.k.a.,
chaps.
Vented riding gear will keep you cool, but
only to a certain point. When temperatures are in the 80s the gear
will assist in eliminating excess body heat which is coming off your
body at 90 plus degrees. But what happens when the outside
temperature reaches 90 or above? At that point you’re fighting fire
with fire and more drastic measures are needed. Enter the
Evaporative Cooling Vest. ..
Cooling Down with an Evaporative Cooling
Vest
As far as I’m concerned this is simply one
of the most innovative garments ever to come along for motorcyclists
in this century. But first a lesson in core temp management. The
best way to keep your body warm when it’s cold, and cool when it’s
hot is to maintain your core temp at 98.6 degrees. Repeat after me…
‘the best way…’ OK now let’s explore how to do that on a hot day.
 For
years , pragmatic riders were hip to the virtues of wetting down a
long sleeved t-shirt and draping it over their body. Water allows
heat to transfer away from your core and as you ride it’s whisked
away by the wind. The trouble with the long sleeved t-shirt trick is
it only took about 30 minutes of dry heat and the shirt would become
dry as a bone and then began insulating the heat that need needed to
get out.
Enter the evaporative cooling vest. Built
with a quilting mass of PEF (Polymer Embedded Fibers) , the vest takes
about 3 minutes to hydrate fully by soaking it in water and can
retain water up to 20 times longer than the old t-shirt. Your body
uses the heat coming into your arms and legs to manage your core
temp of 98.6 degrees. A stunning system of comfort and human
ability.
But what about when the air temp rises
over 98.6? More recently cooling vest systems hit the market that
include zip -off sleeves. When the outside air temp rises above 98
degrees, simply affix the sleeves to the vest if it has the option
and the good times keep rolling right into the 100s. What if you
add the sleeves below 98 degrees? At that point you’ll lessen your
body's ability greatly to manage the core temp and you can actually
drop your core temp below 98.6 which can provide you with unpleasant
flu-like symptoms including dizziness. Imagine riding through the
desert and shaking with the chills. Bad idea. You may want to find a
way to affix a trustworthy thermometer to your bike so you can
monitor the outside air temp, but personal experience has shown that
every time I felt the compulsion to add the sleeves, low and behold
the air temp was right at 98. No thermometer required. The pituitary
gland is fascinating.
 Finally,
it’s important to understand that the vest is going to do far more
good when worn under a leather or textile riding jacket with the
vents open, than worn as the outer layer of your riding attire (sans
jacket). With air flowing around the vest while inside a coat, the
vest will stay wetter longer. When worn alone without a jacket it
will dry out faster than necessary and not provide the
optimal cooling ability for long at all.
Wear a Wicking T-shirt
A synthetic wicking t-shirt will do far
more good than a stuffy old cotton t. The beauty of polyester
synthetics such as intera yarn, rayon and other s is that they
wick excess heat away from the body, making them a perfect garment
when worn alone under your jacket on a hot day or an excellent
transfer vehicle when worn between your body and an evaporative
cooling vest.
The other advantage to a synthetic wicking
t is that eventually the air is going to cool down. Whether you’re
heading up into a cool mountain pass or the day is ending at some
point , you’ll want your t-shirt dry. For a wet cotton t that may not
occur soon enough and then swing you the other way by having a wet
shirt draped over your body when outside air temps drop into the
70s or below. Not good medicine. Synthetic wicking t’s typically
dry out three times faster than natural fibers, allowing you to
manage your core temp better.
One final advantage of a good synthetic
wicking t is that they typically pack much smaller.
 What’s
that funny Padded Wicking Skin on my bottom?
Ditto on everything you just read above
about the t’s with an added bonus. Padded wicking skins, like those
made by Andiamo!, feature a chamois pad in the crotch. While some
think this is for general comfort, the real reason is that the pad
provides additional wicking where you’re going to need it most on a
hot day. They feel a little funny at first, but after a few days and
a few hundred miles you’ll hardly notice them, until the next time
you don’t wear them.
Mine yourself a pair of Silver Wicking
Socks
Ditto on all that previous wicking wisdom
again, but since the feet are likely to funk
due to the fact
they’re trapped without much air circulation, we need to add a little
anti-microbial properties into the mix. There are various forms of
this on the market. Most garments that claim to be anti-microbial
are simply sprayed with a solution during manufacturing that
over time washes out in the laundry (which we will discuss shortly).
The one sure-fire anti-microbial is a natural element and will
follow you wherever you go as long as you own the garment. What
you’re looking for in socks are those made with a synthetic thread
spun with silver added into the blend during production.
Upgrade your insoles
Not just in the case of motorcycle boots,
but most shoes in general don’t come with much of an insole. Few
breathe very well and most won’t wick heat away from the body.
Upgrading your boot insoles to a thin sole that is form fitting and
heat wicking will do wonders in keeping your feet from overheating.
 Pass
the Powder
Quality foot powders are designed to
absorb moisture, soothe, refresh and relieve itching and burning
feet. Using them when you ride is
one more way you can reduce
overheating scenarios on the road.
The last three pieces of advice on the
feet produce some stunning results when used all together.
If this rider cares enough to protect
his head with a full face helmet, he might be interested to know
that with today's technology he can protect the rest of his body on
a hot day and still be comfortable - for a little more than the cost
of a full face helmet..
Hydration Hijinx’
We hear it all the time – be sure to drink
lots of water. And you should, at least a few liters a day while in
the saddle. How you choose to do it is up to you. Some like to use a
bladder system like a CamelBak, others are content enough just
sucking down a few ounces at each stop. However you do it, do it.
But did you know you can over -drink
yourself into dehydration? Drinking excessive amounts of water
(beyond a gallon a day) will force your body to sweat and/or pee out
wanted electrolytes which balance the brain's ability to manage
bodily functions. With a shortage of electrolytes, the body starts to
malfunction and suddenly the day just isn’t going the way you had
hoped. Enter the Electrolyte Add-In...
Electrolyte Add-Ins and Oxymorons
The oxymoron here is that you can get
electrolytes by way of those fancy energy drinks, that surprisingly
are full of sugar and oftentimes caffeine, both ingredients that
lead to dehydration. Gatorade, Red Bull, PowerAde and others do
more harm to motorcyclists than good – especially if you’re
diabetic.
There is a way to get pure electrolytes
into your system without all the junk. Recently a mineral company in
Utah, Mineral Resources Incorporated, introduced an Electrolyte
add-in to the outdoor market called Elete. While most sport drinks
only include two needed electrolytes at best, sodium and potassium,
Elete utilizes four with the addition of magnesium and chloride. You
won’t find vast amounts of sodium in the product since it’s assumed
you’re already getting plenty of that in your next order of fries.
 Off
the Bike
Once you step off the bike, you’ll still
want to beat the heat. A flexible hat with a full brim (not a
baseball cap) will insure you keep the sun’s rays off your face and
head should you need to fix a flat, take a long break, spend some
time at a roadside attraction or dine outdoors. Being flexible , it
will slip nicely into your tank bag without being a nuisance.
Wash em’ up
We’ve talked a lot about synthetic fabrics
here. It’s critical to launder them properly in warm, not hot water,
and by not using everyday laundry detergents. Instead , reach for a
product like Dreft (baby soap) or Nikwax’s Base Wash. Normal
detergents leave residues behind that clog synthetic pores, reducing
their ability to wick heat and moisture. The two above-mentioned
cleaners rinse out pure leaving behind no residues. The latter, Nikwax, has anti-microbial properties of its own not found in Dreft.
It’s also important not to add fabric softeners in the rinse or use
dryer sheets with synthetics.
Teach Others What You Know
Okay, so now you’re an expert about
keeping your cool on hot days, but that doesn’t mean the others
you’re riding with are and you may have a few fellow riding pals who
are still of the mind that they can strip down to a tank top for
best results. If you’re planning any rides in the near future,
feel
free to pass this article along so everyone knows all your tricks,
thus reducing the chance that you’ll be dealing with someone else’s
sun stroke on the road.
Patrick Thomas/Spring 2008
You'll find a number of the items
mentioned in this article in the
Sound RIDER! online store under the
Ride Cool category. For jackets, helmets, boots, pants and
gloves please shop your better stocked
local
dealer. |
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