So they say gear is hot, eh?

Message

-Holiday · #1 Post by **-Holiday** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:58 pm

I'm im riding through the hell that is Kansas and its in the 90's. At rest stops I talk with harley riders wearing t shirts and jeans, nothing else. They're sunburned and tell me how hot out it is.

I'm wearing my full face BLACK leather gloves, BLACK leather and mesh jacket, and BLACK mesh and cordorra pants, oh and BLACK full length boots. I'm not hot. I'm not sunburned. Sure , its gets a little steamy when the humidity is 100% like it is on the east coast, but there really isnt much humidity here, just the hot sun that shines down on you and burns your skin. That is if it can get to your skin. It couldnt get to mine. Well, my forhead might have seen some sun, and the back of my neck, but there isnt much I can do about that.

So here I am, telling you, that my BLACK mesh gear kept me cooler then if I had bare skin showing. Maybe those Arabs in the desert knew something afterall...

I'll report back after I go through Las Vegas.

disclaimer: I'm not trying to say my way is better, and to each his own, but today proved to me personally that at least sometimes, gear is actually cooler then no gear, at least in Kansas

earwig · #2 Post by **earwig** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:21 pm

You are on crack. Just because someone is sunburned doesn't mean they are hotter than you. I have tried both, it's much cooler with just a tshirt on. I still wear my boots, gloves and helmet... but just a tshirt in this heat.

black mariah · #3 Post by **black mariah** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:24 pm

earwig wrote:You are on crack. Just because someone is sunburned doesn't mean they are hotter than you. I have tried both, it's much cooler with just a tshirt on. I still wear my boots, gloves and helmet... but just a tshirt in this heat.

Sign says "New Jersy". Our hot's different down here in the south. Stay in the shade and it's not bad.

A jacket and helmet are just mobile shade.

-Holiday · #4 Post by **-Holiday** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:28 pm

earwig wrote:You are on crack. Just because someone is sunburned doesn't mean they are hotter than you. I have tried both, it's much cooler with just a tshirt on. I still wear my boots, gloves and helmet... but just a tshirt in this heat.

no, you are on the crack my friend!

You must have been, when you missed the part where i said in LOW HUMIDITY area's gear is actually cooler.

Is New Jersey low humidity? It wasnt when i was there last week, unless something changed since then...

ok, fine, I am on crack (or at least 5 Stella's so far), but I still know that when I was wearing my gear I was not hot. When I don't I'm warmer because the sun is blasting on my baby like skin.

Maybe I just have a good thermostat.

ZooTech · #5 Post by **ZooTech** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:32 pm

I was out in 95-degree heat with high humidity during that Grove City Church run I posted about elsewhere, running around the freeways for two days in nothing but a muscle-tee and jeans. All I got out of it was a farmer's tan thanks to Tattoo Goo brand spray-on sunscreen. When a couple bikers from our group tangled and went down on I-71 South, blocking all four lanes with downed bikes and emergency vehicles, I was damn glad to not be wearing anything more than that as we sat motionless next to idling semis. Sunburn can be avoided with a little forethought.

-Holiday · #6 Post by **-Holiday** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:36 pm

sunburn can be avoided, but the sun directly on your skin is still hot.

Maybe its the mesh I wear. it doesnt hold in the heat.

So what would be less hot, standing under a heat lamp, in a wind tunnel, with an umbrella over you, or standing under a heat lamp, in a wind tunnel, with nothing over you?

I'd take the umbrella.

earwig · #7 Post by **earwig** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:46 pm

The mesh jacket covers more than your arms homeslice. What is cooler... a t-shirt that covers your chest back shoulders stomach etc (and actually breathes well)... or a tshirt AND a few pounds of mesh on top of it? More heat escapes your body through your torso than it does through your arms.

ZooTech · #8 Post by **ZooTech** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:51 pm

Hey, how exactly is a rainbow made?

How exactly does the sun set?

How exactly does the posi-trac rear end on a Plymouth work?

It just does.

-Holiday · #9 Post by **-Holiday** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:52 pm

earwig wrote:The mesh jacket covers more than your arms homeslice. What is cooler... a t-shirt that covers your chest back shoulders stomach etc (and actually breathes well)... or a tshirt AND a few pounds of mesh on top of it? More heat escapes your body through your torso than it does through your arms.

wearing just a t shirt

-torso cool, although can still be sunburned depending on the type of fabric, its happened
-arms hot

wearing a t shirt with a mesh jacket over it

arms - cool
torrso - also cool

mesh jacket with t shirt 1
t shirt alone 0

now add to the mesh jacket a synthetic t shirt that wicks moisrute away from your body.

now, get the t shirt wet! yes, submerge your synthetic t shirt in h20, put it on, then put on your mesh jacket.

Now you have a moving air conditioner. Doing this without the jacket would dry out the shirt in about 5 minutes at 90 mph. Doing this under a mesh jacket at 90 mpg provides about 45-60 minutes of cooler air flowing around your body.

But thats just an extra. I didnt even do that today because the dry synthetic t shirt (with no sleeves btw), and mesh jacket which does actually let air flow, were more then enough.

SLAM!!

-Holiday · #10 Post by **-Holiday** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:55 pm

ZooTech wrote:
It just does.

so you just have faith that the mesh over a t shirt is cooler ?