keeping cool

[stillyboy]

hi there
question for you season bikers was interested in what you guys are wearing to keep cool in the hot spots
there are a lot of different makes of coolmax type stuff
base layers etc any help would be great
lee

[Bill Holland]

Hi stillyboy (almost called you 'sillyboy !!)
I wear an airmesh type jacket and trousers, 'summer' gloves and have a white helmet.
I prefer having several light layers to cover hot and cold and wet conditions, wear several thin layers in the cold with a lightweight waterproof, helps me to keep a warm layer of air between each layer, and as the weather warms I start to remove the layers.
Everyone has their own preferences for keeping warm/cool, a lot of it seems trial and error.
My airmesh still has the armour elbows and shoulders.
Bill

[MikeS]

Nothing will keep you cool when its 53degC like it was for us in Nevada and Nicaragua.

Its good to take your t-shirt or shirt whatever and soak it in water and wear that while you're riding. Dries in about 1/2 hour but feels great!

Oh, and get yourself a cheap collapsable 'eski' cooler bag otherwise your drinking water will become undrinkable once it gets hot. My 12 can sized one took a big 1.5/2 L bottle of water.

[Don_N]

Anyone seeking to stay cool all day should look into the Core Cooler. It's marketed in the US by SixSixOne, but available everywhere. They're in a bit of a short supply since the US Government is buying them up to ship to Iraq.

Basically, the Core Cooler is a collar that has water-absorbing gel crystals. A 1-hour soak can keep you cool for a full day. If you soak it early enough to let it dry (a few hours), you won't feel wet, but you will feel a lot cooler.

Because it works on evaporation, it's most effective in dry areas, but it even helps in the monsoon season here (Arizona).

[Joe C90]

For summer continental trips, both me and the missus use Becka coolwear, pretty cheap, (30 GBP ish) stick it under the leathers and it works a treat, although you do look like you're wearing a romper suit whilst having breakfast. Shiny silver helmet, and my summer vented racing gloves do the rest.