How 'bout this heat ladies!!

How 'bout this heat ladies!!

by Anita Woelfel
(St. Louis, MO)

I live in the St. Louis area. I just learned to ride this last October, so I'm not too confident. I've heard the phrase "dress for the slide, not the ride". I even got a motorcycle jacket with pads in all the right places, and vents too! Only thing is, it's still sweltering, boiling hot, especially in traffic jams. UGH! I was so hot on the way home from work one day I nearly puked in my full faced helmet. I don't want to be unsafe.... Just today a lady made a left in front of me, I missed making a face print in her door by the sheer power of fear slamming on the brakes and skidding to a smoking rear end clinching stop. So what's a lady to do who wants to be safer and not have a heat stroke?

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How 'bout this heat ladies!!

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Jul 08, 2010

Heat
by: Aili

I have an awesome mesh jacket, its also white, which feels like nothing in the summer. I can feel individual raindrops through it. But it has hard spots on the arms, shoulders & back to be protective in a crash. I just wish I could find pants made of the same stuff.

Jun 28, 2010

Riding in the Heat
by: Anonymous

All good advice. I live in Okla where the heat and humidity are about equal all the time.

Always wear your gear, but wear the mesh jacket with underarmour. When sitting in traffic crack the helmet visor, let in some air. Will cool off when start moving again. Then the jacket and underarmour act like a radiator, cools you when moving

Jun 27, 2010

HEAT
by: Rocco

I don't ride because I think it's safe. I ride because I love it. Shit can happen anywhere. My husband fell out of his box truck and seriously injured himself. A friend who was riding passenger in his big HUGE truck, died when a car hit him. Another friend survived a horrific bike accident with no helmet. You never know. Just dress for the weather. Chaps and biker boots (NOT big ol thick heels and soles either) are always bearable. You can always handle at the very least a half helmet. The cooler it gets, the more you can bundle and/or dress for safety.

Don't suffocate yourself. Motorcycling is a risky business. Take it for what it is, or don't. Having said that, I wish all bikers a safe ride.

Jun 27, 2010

Riding Gear
by: Anonymous

I live in SE Florida and it is HOT and HUMID here. I wear Riding pants and a jacket when I am going on long rides and sometimes around town. I wear a jacket all the time and jeans when not wearing my riding pants. Get a good mesh jacket for summer riding and get some mesh riding pants. You can get them to wear over your jeans or I wear wicking clothes, like Under Armor and Athleta work out shorts under my riding pants and I am comfortable and safe. I don't even stop to put rain gear on here in the Summer, it feels good to get wet sometimes from something besides sweat!

You can find riding gear that will help accommodate the seasons. In the stop and go traffic, it would be especially helpful to have some of the wicking clothing. You can also find a product designed for motorcycle riding called LD comfort or something like that. Do a web search. And make sure you have water and Gatorade with you. It is easy to become dehydrated without realizing it.

Jun 27, 2010

Texas Heat!
by: Sassy2731@comcast.net

That is why here in this Texas heat we try not to ride much from June to Sept. Just too darn hot 100% and not to mention the humidity which makes it feel even hotter 110%. We ride more down here in fall, Winter and Spring. I guess we are kinda lucky in that aspect because we get to wear all of our leather gear and full helmets. In the summer it's really hard not to go to half helmets and long sleeve light colored shirts just to keep from getting sunburned. I always cringe when I see someone riding with shorts and sandals and no helmet. I always say that they have never went down before because if they had they would either not be here OR would be wearing better gear.

I've went down before on a moped full throttle at the racetrack and I thank God everyday that a cold front had blown through and I had a sweatshirt and one of my husbands racing jackets on and jeans. No road rash, but I ripped up a $400.00 jacket trying to keep my head covered up best I could. Needless to say no scratches, but plenty of bruises. Ever since I wear as much gear as possible (especially my helmet) no matter how hot it gets or just don't ride until weather cools back off. We try to only ride early mornings or late evenings and after dark in the summer months here.

Jun 26, 2010

ATGATT - All The Gear, All The Time
by: Toolie

I live in an area where it gets up to 100+ degrees in the Summer and I NEVER ride without full protection. A long sleeve shirt WILL NOT protect you from any kind of fall or accident. I once wore jeans, full helmet, gloves, and a riding jacket on a ride and dropped my bike at a standstill - I fell on my back and elbow (back protection and elbow armor in my jacket buffered the fall; result: no injury, hit my head on the ground; result: no injury, landed on my leg; result: huge road rash on my outer knee).
The point is that nothing will protect you that isn't made with motorcycle protection in its design.

I would recommend one, or more, of the following:
- Carry a camel pack
- Have a bottle of water with you
- Wear clothing with wicking material
- Wear a wet scarf around your neck

And if it's just too hot out, then it's ok to drive your air conditioned cage. Don't take a chance on injuring yourself or someone else. Is it really worth the risk?

It gives me pause when I see people riding with just a shirt and/or shorts on. I am much more protected, and cooler, then they are when the sun is beating down. Am I warm/hot at times?? Yes, but I know that IF an accident should occur, I'm well protected.

Be safe with however you choose to ride. :-)

Jun 26, 2010

Wear What's Comfortable
by: Anonymous

I wear long sleeve shirts, at least you have some kind of protection, and your not over heating, you don't have to wear an armour jacket when its hot. I have several of them and I do have vents in them but when its to hot just wear a long sleeve shirt. Good luck on your riding.

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