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Touring in really hot weather?

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CorriganJ
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PostPosted: 09:42 - 30 Jul 2020    Post subject: Touring in really hot weather? Reply with quote

I have a 500km ride in a few days in 40 degrees. Went for a quick ride yesterday and within 30 minutes I felt uncomfortable on the bike because I was sweating into my jeans and it felt nasty. Now I'm not sure what to do in regards to the long trip. Do I wear protective gear and be uncomfortable for 8 hours, or do I wear shorts, be comfortable, and just accept the greater risk in return for not being miserable? On one hand, it might be safer to be comfortable on the bike.
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wr6133
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PostPosted: 10:41 - 30 Jul 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd take the risk, though probably not shorts. Light trousers and a t-shirt with a cutoff or similar over the top + gloves & lid.

Be careful with sunburn riding in short sleeves though, the air flow means you don't feel it and you end up with bad sunburn and really weird tan lines where the gloves go up your wrist Laughing
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doggone
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PostPosted: 11:11 - 30 Jul 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mesh jacket would be the way to go, assume this is not UK where it might get worm about twice most years.
Is there a lower body option you would think so.
Shorts really is unwise even the slightest incident or debris thrown up from the road could cause disabling injury.
You almost always slide on your thigh or backside.
You might risk it riding round home - but touring on roads you don't know?
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Freddyfruitba...
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PostPosted: 11:51 - 30 Jul 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mesh gear is the way forward, coupled with decent sweat-wicking undergarments (long-johns and long-sleeved tee). I was riding in the high 30s in Spain last year wearing that, and it was bearable. As far as I'm concerned the risk of using my bare skin (and include wearing a tee-shirt and light trousers) as a brake to slow down from high speed is not one I'm prepared to take. Google some pictures if you really need convincing.
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chickenstrip
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PostPosted: 12:19 - 30 Jul 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sometimes you just have to face the fact you're going to get hot, no matter what you're wearing.
Drink lots of fluids - water, fruit juices etc. Make sure you have water or some other drink with you.
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CorriganJ
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PostPosted: 12:21 - 30 Jul 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

doggone wrote:
Mesh jacket would be the way to go, assume this is not UK where it might get worm about twice most years.
Is there a lower body option you would think so.
Shorts really is unwise even the slightest incident or debris thrown up from the road could cause disabling injury.
You almost always slide on your thigh or backside.
You might risk it riding round home - but touring on roads you don't know?


I was actually just at the moto garage picking up some oil for a change before the journey and i saw a dude in what appeared to be moto shorts - they appeared to be super thick tough matterial. Makes sense for hot weather I guess.

The riding trousers I have are just moto jeans - slide rated but no impact protection. Presumably they won't protect me from flying debris much either?
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ThunderGuts
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PostPosted: 13:41 - 30 Jul 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

CorriganJ wrote:

I was actually just at the moto garage picking up some oil for a change before the journey and i saw a dude in what appeared to be moto shorts - they appeared to be super thick tough matterial. Makes sense for hot weather I guess.


Shorts (assuming they're proper motorcycle materials, which I've never heard of) aren't going to offer any protection really other than to your backside; in a slide they'll ride up as far as they can.

There's a school of thought that reducing distraction on the bike (e.g. discomfort) will lower the probability of a crash, but increase the severity if once occurred.

Mesh is good. What about the bike? Massive difference between a fully faired and a naked when riding at reasonable speeds; nakeds will give plenty of airflow which if combined wish mesh or plentiful vents will help lots. As mentioned, don't neglect hydration - when I go cycling I sweat buckets but I'm "comfortable" because I keep well hydrated. It takes a lot of fluid to keep hydrated in such circumstances.
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CorriganJ
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PostPosted: 13:57 - 30 Jul 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

ThunderGuts wrote:

Shorts (assuming they're proper motorcycle materials, which I've never heard of) aren't going to offer any protection really other than to your backside


If I have to choose one thing to protect, its going to be the womb broom and wumble chunks. As long as the tripplets are safe I can sacrifice the knee skin.
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Freddyfruitba...
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PostPosted: 15:07 - 30 Jul 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

CorriganJ wrote:
If I have to choose one thing to protect, its going to be the womb broom and wumble chunks. As long as the tripplets are safe I can sacrifice the knee skin.

I don't know if you're being serious or not, but if you really think a bit of knee skin is all you need to be worrying about, have a quick read about The Roadrash Queen, Brittany Morrow
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Kawasaki Jimbo
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PostPosted: 18:29 - 30 Jul 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've worn perforated leather jeans (Wolf Nimbus) for years and never had a particular problem with overheating down there. I have a Hein Gericke mesh jacket for the rare 30C+ trip but my legs and arse are always protected by the leather jeans. If it's hot, go faster.
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doggone
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PostPosted: 18:40 - 30 Jul 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kawasaki Jimbo wrote:
I've worn perforated leather jeans (Wolf Nimbus) for years and never had a particular problem with overheating down there. I have a Hein Gericke mesh jacket for the rare 30C+ trip but my legs and arse are always protected by the leather jeans. If it's hot, go faster.

I was OK on a trip to the Pyrenees in August it was 38C around Bordeaux.
The problem was when you stopped or worse wanted to walk far through the day. It was manageable though.
Visiting Rocamadour which is basically built on a cliff so a lot of up and down steps in blazing sun was not a lot of fun and the other tourists in shorts looked at me funny.
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Tdibs
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PostPosted: 22:24 - 30 Jul 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wicking underlayers + drink a ton of water.
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MCN
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PostPosted: 19:15 - 31 Jul 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Meh... mesh. Jacket with armour is fine normal troos fine as you'll lose plenty of heat from upper body on the move.
Beware the hydrating thing.
More fluid may mean more pish stops.
But hydration is important for brain function too.
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Kawasaki Jimbo
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PostPosted: 19:54 - 31 Jul 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

I once had a wicking modern fabric t-shirt for badminton and something about the wicking made me stink of BO. Spreading sweat across a greater surface area makes it available to more bacteria, I guess. Any other shirt and I smelled like my usual sweet self.
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Enduro Numpty
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PostPosted: 19:22 - 02 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Drink a lot and make sure you carry plenty of water with you. Riding in seriously hot conditions can be a bit unpleasant but in my opinion it's very much preferable to cold and wet. No matter how tempting it may be to dress down, the consequences of even a low speed slide down the road can be serious. I find the more exposed my body is to the hot weather the more quickly I become tired. Generally wear textiles while touring and just open up the vents and try to keep moving. Traffic and stop start riding make it that bit harder.
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Freddyfruitba...
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PostPosted: 11:09 - 03 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kawasaki Jimbo wrote:
I once had a wicking modern fabric t-shirt for badminton and something about the wicking made me stink of BO

You want a thin merino wool one - natural fibre - you can literally wear them for days on tour if you want and despite being really sweaty weirdly they just don't smell at all. They are dead easy to rinse out under the tap though and when you get home are machine-washable. I swear by them.
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Zen Dog
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PostPosted: 15:23 - 03 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Generally, I tend to err on the side of "sweaty but safe".

The only exception I've made was in the tropics, where wearing proper gear made me so hot I found it impossible to concentrate properly. I really thought I'd end up crashing through being so distracted, so I abandoned the gear. It was the right choice, but not one I'd make lightly.

No-one likes being "boiled in the bag", but I'd say unless you find it so distracting it's making you unsafe, just open every vent you've got and deal with it.
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