[heavynikonf3]

For 3 seasons I'm all about ATGATT, TourMaster is a favorite---but advice please: In the summer months it is damn hot locally, 105-110, I'll ride in jeans and a mesh jacket, full face. Can anybody who rides in the SW or where it gets that kind of hot recommend a pair of riding pants that are reasonably cool? Over pants or normal trouser style. Your advice and experience is appreciated.
Thanks

 

[JPSpen]

Mesh riding pants similar to your mesh jacket should be available from most outlets..

In the summer you'll be cooler in mesh than you will with the sun heating your skin...

That's the way we do it...

But I ride in jeans a lot of the time too....

John

 

[RexR]

Buy yourself a Veskimo and a phase-change vest to wear under a perforated jacket. And then post your opinion of each to help me decide which type of cooling garment to buy for myself! :wave

 

[heavynikonf3]

Buy yourself a Veskimo and a phase-change vest to wear under a perforated jacket. And then post your opinion of each to help me decide which type of cooling garment to buy for myself! :wave

I wear a a vest, wet, under my mesh jacket, and keep a spare ready to go wrapped up in a plastic bag in the saddle bag. These "hydration vests" work great, even here in the desert.

 

[05Train]

Get the khaki BMW Summer pants. They're not black and they breathe well.

There are many conflicting opinions out there about what's best when it's Africa hot. 105 degrees is 105 degrees, and you're going to be hot no matter what. I tend to believe what the IBA folks have been preaching, which is that above about 93 degrees, mesh is not your friend. You want something that covers your skin but keeps the airflow off of you. I'm skeptical about this, but I'm going to try wearing a Rallye 3 suit from Maryland to Southwest Colorado in June. It'll either work, or I'll die. Either way, I'll have an answer.


Here's the IBA article I was talking about.

 

[hopz]

I have mesh pants but the more I looked at them the less I felt they would do anything at all for me regarding protection.

Last year I went ahead and got the BMW Summer II pants. Probably the best investment I have ever made in the clothing/protective gear department.

 

[jzzmusician]

Like you, I'm ATGATT. Full face helmet included. I wear Cycleport / Motorport pants and jacket along with riding shorts made by LDComfort.

I had a cool vest I used to wear but last year got Comfort Cool Sleeves again made my LDComfort.

Here's a link: http://ldcomfort.com/store/comfort-cool-sleeve.html

They work well.

-- Bob

 

[Moot]

Veskimo! If your core is cool, the rest of you will be comfortable. I have both the backpack for short hauls and the large cooler that I place in my top case for longer trips. I drilled a hole in the bottom for the hose to exit and plug into the vest. I have ridden dozens of times in the summer from Vegas to So Cal. That ride regularly sees temps of 110 or above. The ice/water in the cooler stays cool at least to Barstow and then I stop for gas and fresh ice.

 

[Moot]

Veskimo! If your core is cool, the rest of you will be comfortable. I have both the backpack for short hauls and the large cooler that I place in my top case for longer trips. I drilled a hole in the bottom for the hose to exit and plug into the vest. I have ridden dozens of times in the summer from Vegas to So Cal. That ride regularly sees temps of 110 or above. The ice/water in the cooler stays cool at least to Barstow and then I stop for gas and fresh ice.

 

[kevincaron]

Airflow for me. I only ride about 6 miles to work but I still slip them on for the ride. Carry work pants and change when I get there.

 

[cessna]

I like the LDcomfort shorts with Olympia Airflow 2 mesh silver/gray over pants. I also add a cool vest under an Olympia Airflow 2 riding jacket. They work reasonable well.

Living in Arizona you get acclimated to the 110+ heat and know how to manage it and stay hydrated. Then again, I turn my Gerbing's on at 50 degrees F so a lot of it is relative. I am probably more concerned about keeping the engine cool.

 

[LT_Pilot]

I'm always in ATGATT, whether out riding or going to work.
Mornings are normally okay, but mid-day and afternoons can be brutal with the heat.
Tried the evaporative and phase-changed vests.
Neither cooled as effectively or as consistently for extended periods as the Veskimo.
Just did a test run on my Veskimo in preparation for the first hot ride of the year.
Haven't needed it yet.
After four years, still working fine.
I prefer the 9 quart cooler; fix it before the ride and forget it until the afternoon.
The backpack lasts a couple of hours less than the 9 quart,
so still has an extended period of consistent cooling.
Makes a big difference after a full day of riding.
You're not worn out from the heat.
For me, it's removed the decision point of whether it is or will be too hot to ride.

 

[steveaikens]

LDComfort tights and long sleeve top almost all the time, under my 'Stitch. Pretty easy to wet down and zip up. Very slow evap cooling keeps me cooled down for an easy couple hours before I need to wet down again.

 

[Atomicman]

For 3 seasons I'm all about ATGATT, TourMaster is a favorite---but advice please: In the summer months it is damn hot locally, 105-110, I'll ride in jeans and a mesh jacket, full face. Can anybody who rides in the SW or where it gets that kind of hot recommend a pair of riding pants that are reasonably cool? Over pants or normal trouser style. Your advice and experience is appreciated.
Thanks

REv'it Airwave or Tornado

 

[twkBMW]

I live in Vegas and use all mesh gear (ATGATT). This will be my first summer with the RT. My concern is airflow. On my old bike I could stand the heat as long as I was moving. Instead of the usual bar to bar riding in Vegas I actually ride.

But the RT does such a good job of keeping the air off of you that it should get really hot.

I bought a cut down windshield, hopefully that will help, but my hands and legs get no airflow. A friend with a Goldwing has the same problem.

 

[lkchris]

On my second go-round with BMW Airflow suits.

And the latest ones are available in either black or white and BMW claims ...

the white one doesn't get dirty

the black one reflects heat.

Mine's the Europe only previous version that's kind of a cream colored jacket with light gray pants (they only sold the matching gloves and a baseball hat in this combo in the USA). The new white one is white pants, too, and very bright white and sure looks good on the female model in the brochures--still thinking about it for me.

The drill with BMW Airflow suits is that you get the corresponding 2-piece rainsuit. This serves also as a "draft stopper" on cooler days, early mornings, etc.

 

[billsmith]

Get the khaki BMW Summer pants. They're not black and they breathe well.

There are many conflicting opinions out there about what's best when it's Africa hot. 105 degrees is 105 degrees, and you're going to be hot no matter what. I tend to believe what the IBA folks have been preaching, which is that above about 93 degrees, mesh is not your friend. You want something that covers your skin but keeps the airflow off of you. I'm skeptical about this, but I'm going to try wearing a Rallye 3 suit from Maryland to Southwest Colorado in June. It'll either work, or I'll die. Either way, I'll have an answer.


Here's the IBA article I was talking about.

I like that detailed account in the IBA article.
Lots of ideas to consider a lot of which we take for granted. So far I have tried freezing (2) 2-litre bottles of smart water the night before and sip off of them during the ride. It served me well last summer on my trip to TX via MO and OK. I was going to get a hydrapak but that cooler in top trunk seems good. Would it fit LT or take up too much space. That picture looks like a GW.
ride safe :bmw:

 

[racer7]

Absolutely nothing beats a Veskimo for staying cool but it doesn't have enough ice capacity for a whole day and won't even take a full 10 lb gas station bag as a refill so I'm thinking about enlarging the ice reservoir on mine.
The only thing I still notice is the heat in my helemt- now all I need is a chiller line going to my helmet liner....

That IBA article ought to be required reading for all riders- right to the point with technically acurate info that many do not know. Heat fatigue is insidious and very dangerous. As a track instructor, we teach and warn students about the need to stay as cool as possible and hydrated to avoid the afternoon brain farts that cause ibcidents- and we see the consequences when folks don't listen well.....

 

[billsmith]

I looked at the Veskimo.
I like what it does but not too sure how it wears. I am comfortable with a hydropak but if space is and issue and if not travelling alone a cooler plus 10 pounds of ice seems like a lot extra weight.
For those of you in the southwest does that same heat have an impact on the gas tank. Burns quicker or evaporates faster what you do for that. About 15 years ago on I-15 out of Vegas my car outside reading was 99. New to me, when I got to Davis dam I pulled over to cool my mind and car some scare.
ride safe :bmw:

 

[LT_Pilot]

I wear the Veskimo vest over a nylon t-shirt.
I wear an Olympia mesh jacket with the Gore-tex liner.
The liner keeps a microclimate between the liner and the body.
Temperature stays at 68 degrees.
The new backpack has a larger capacity than the original that I have.
I was able to get at least 2.5 to 3 hours before recharging the ice.
Still prefer the 9 quart for most rides.
This weekend, I did my pre-season systems check
on both my Veskimo backpack and 9 quart cooler,
on both battery power and 12V.
Both fully functional and ready for our 5th summer together.