Gear for summer riding?

[Omarel]

This is my first summer riding season. It is really hot now. I'm all about the gear but my jacket and leather pants are killing me in this heat.

For the first time, I'm so tempted to ride without gear.

What do you guys do in the summer? Is there any protection that can work in the summer.

[Lazarus]

mesh gear with shoulder/elbow/back padding. Then again the mesh areas offer little abrasion resistance so you are sacrificing protection for comfort. Jeans of some sort are a must imo. You will always sweat a little no matter what gear you choose.

Personally I would rather be a little sweaty than a little broken/bloody.

[dcj13]

What RJ says. While I sometimes ride around in regular jeans, I prefer my Protekt jeans (by Aerostich) with the kneepads installed: heavier-than-normal denim, two layers thick in the right places.

A DOT-rated motocross helmet offers decent face protection and good airflow.

I always wear gloves and boots (regardless of temperature).

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by Omarel

This is my first summer riding season. It is really hot now. I'm all about the gear but my jacket and leather pants are killing me in this heat.

For the first time, I'm so tempted to ride without gear.

What do you guys do in the summer? Is there any protection that can work in the summer.

O, learn to love the heat & sweat... it's part of the game and part of how gear designers use your perspiration to help cool you off. There is NOTHING, that will keep you 100% cool.

[motodancer]

My rev'it jacket and pants have a removable inner liner for warmer weather. It helps a lot! I don't feel hot when riding, only when stopped, but what can ya do?

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Omarel

.......... What do you guys do in the summer? Is there any protection that can work in the summer.

http://www.soundrider.com/archive/sa...youre_hot.aspx

[Ghostt]

I either wear preferred leathers, or mesh textile, gloves, and boots of course.

I also wear Under Armour Heat Gear compression.

My choice is Fieldsheer for gear, Oxtar for boots, now their called TXC? , and Fulmer helmets

[SLOWn60]

I think he meant perforated, not preferred. Darn spellchecks!

[wendyjboss]

Mesh jacket and pants keep you cool while riding. You will be too hot only when stopped ... I have a full face helmet with vents that can be opened or closed. Also been known to visor up and wear sunglasses.

[Ghostt]

Originally Posted by SLOWn60

I think he meant perforated, not preferred. Darn spellchecks!

I hate auto correct

[Ghostt]

I must admit I switch to mesh textile when it start to get to the mid 80s and above. It offers better breathing than my perforated leathers.

The downside to textile is in the event of get off, leathers are always better, slide/abrasion protection.

SIDENOTE:
No matter what you pick make sure the armour is CE rated, especially the back protector, some jackets only come with a piece of foam, if that's the case upgrade to a CE Level 2 or at least Level 1.

Buy quality gear no matter what, spend to money right the first time, it's your skin, and life, and remember ER visits are expensive, not to mention lost time at work, your family, loved ones, etc.....



I feel the need to share this posting from the EX-500.COM that happened back in 2009, but it's a timeless story,


the lessons from my mistake (somewhat graphic, be careful)

It's a simple enough story, that went totally wrong, by a fellow forum member by the name of mgbenny

Here is his first post in the long thread, which has over 30,000 views.

So. I'm going to try to be direct and straightforward in hopes that anyone who reads this will learn better than I seem to have learned. I made many, many mistakes in the course of this story and I'm aware of them all. If you want to flame, flame away, but I'm already sick over what happened and just don't want it to happen to anyone else.

I had my first wreck Thursday night. I had a passenger, which changed the handling of the bike, and I wasn't careful enough. A turn snuck up on us in the dark, and I ran out of lean and lowsided at about 35 mph. We were just going around the corner for a burrito; no gear, no helmets. (not even going to begin to rationalize any of this. Like I said, this was all a result of many bad decisions on my part, and I completely accept that).

I'm sure we only slid for a second or so but I remember it vividly. The bike threw up a storm of sparks, she landed on me and we went over and over. I remember every time she came over me, I was trying to keep her off the asphalt. Then everything stopped and was silent, and the sickest single moment of my life occurred as I thought "I've killed a person. I've killed her." Then time started up again and she started crying. I called my friend from around the corner who took us to the hospital, where I sat with her for 8 hours while she got checked out.

The damages: I've lost lots of skin. I mean, lots. I've never hurt this badly in my life. It was just skin and I'm uninsured, so I thought "I'll take care of it myself." and declined admission to the ER. Scrubbing it out without morphine is the single most painful 30 minutes I've ever felt.

As far as she goes: she's pretty damn rashed up. Probably worse than me. She split her head open over her eyebrow, and it's swelled her eye shut. Two inches to the left and she would have died instantly. She came down hard on her hip and knee, and can't bend them for the swelling. Her x-rays came back clean, so no broken bones. She's medicated, safe at home, and never wants to see me again. I wouldn't either.

Listen up kids. When you ride 2-up, you take somebody's life in your hands. You had damn well better be prepared for that responsibility. I've spend quite a bit of time today sitting on the floor of my room sobbing that I'm such a jackass that I almost took a life. I took responsibility for another person and failed miserably. It's the sickest feeling in the world and I want to spare you all from it. I would give anything in my entire life for the last two days to have never happened.

Pictures below for the strong of stomach, in hopes of scaring you all into being wise. I would accept this unblinkingly as a damn good warning, had I been alone. But someone I care about is in even worse shape, and I am 100% responsible. I never wanted to know what that feels like.

All but the last photo were taken in the hospital bathroom while she was being x-rayed.

Right arm:



Left arm. This one bled for 10 hours:



Left hand. Note the missing skin. By now, 2 days later, it's peeled back about another half-inch around the abrasion:


Left leg. These were my good, heavy pants. They lasted about 6 inches:



Shoulder to waist. If you look closely, you can see all the buttons ripped out of the shirt and I dragged on that side. There's gravel so deep on my pec that I'll never get it out:


At home:


The nurse sent extra stuff with Catie so I could get cleaned up too. What she didn't send was the several vials of morphine that Catie had in her when then scrubbed her out. Tylenol isn't the same. I screamed, threw up, and passed out cleaning these. And the whole time I'm dealing with the fact that I knew better and was in control, and I did this to somebody else who did NOT have control. Day 2, and it's not any easier to live with.

I tried to be completely frank about how I'm feeling in an effort to make the truth set in on you guys. I was a literal 2 inches away from killing her, because I thought we didn't need gear to go 5 blocks, and because she liked the thrill of leaning and I wanted to impress her. Nobody's impressed now.
« Last Edit: August 30, 2009, 12:54:14 AM by mgbenny »

I consider MGBENNY, my close forum friend, and that is why I'm sharing this, along with my other personal friend Britney "QUEEN B" Morrow's story and website (www.rockthegear.org) on all my post as part of my signature.

And why I'm such a strong supporter of her cause, and A.T.G.A.T.T.

If this post saves just one person, it is worth it, and makes one think before riding with no gear.

[Alex]

/moved to gear area

[Ghostt]

With regards to jeans, I do wear jeans, or dress pants, when in going out date, etc.. and it's convenient for full gear pants, when I do I wear Bohn Bodyguard Adventure Armored Pants Hip, thigh, knee/shin & tailbone protection.
These are ideal for those who really want to be protected, but still ride in jeans.

These are for impact protection, and fit under your regular jeans or pants. While not 100% ideal, the offer great protection from the initial fall/impact.

I do have few pairs of Kevlar reinforced jeans, and with the Bohn Bodyguard System I feel safe.

https://www.bohn.com



The most overlooked gear is the boots, I wear Oxtar because it's one of few the are CE rated.

If your looking for great gear reviews try http://www.webbikeworld.com/, and Revzilla.com, is Anthony still doing the YouTube videos?

Link to original page on YouTube.

Link to original page on YouTube.

[ZeroGravity360]

http://www.gogogearla.com/

^kevlar leggings with knee armor and a pocket to upgrade hip armor.

[Ghostt]

Some of my favorite videos

Link to original page on YouTube.

Link to original page on YouTube.

Link to original page on YouTube.

And for course a fails video

Link to original page on YouTube.

Link to original page on YouTube.

[ZeroGravity360]

Men have is so much easier than women as far as finding gear goes.. These are all good suggestions but I dont wanna look like a box :-/ guess I'll just be hot.

[Ghostt]

Originally Posted by ZeroGravity360

Men have is so much easier than women as far as finding gear goes.. These are all good suggestions but I dont wanna look like a box :-/ guess I'll just be hot.

That's sexist

But seriously, gear for the ladies is getting better, but still not equal to gentlemen.

[ZeroGravity360]

Originally Posted by Ghostt

That's sexist

But seriously, gear for the ladies is getting better, but still not equal to gentlemen.

LOL maybe a little, but I've watched so many reviews by revzilla on ladies version of mens gear and its always the same line. "The ladies version is missing some of the protection that you get with them mens version" like why? and its always higher priced than the mens stuff yet lacks the protection the mens versions offer!

[adouglas]

For me, there is only one right answer. Perforated leather.

Here's a short blog with some food for thought:

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/blog.php?b=8330

Apologies to those who've heard this one before, but I'm not sure if O or Z have.

If you go down you're probably going to hit the ground from a height of about two or three feet, going about 40 mph. Maybe faster, maybe slower, but that's a reasonable guesstimate.

Imagine you're riding in a van going 40 mph, and you're wearing your gear. Picture yourself going to the side door and sliding it open. Crouch in the doorway. Watch the pavement go by. Get a feel for it.

Now roll out.

Ask yourself just one question: Will your choice of gear allow you to get up and walk away unharmed?

Will that mesh jacket's seams hold together? Will that material hold up when exposed to what, in effect, is a belt sander? Is your gear snug enough to keep the armor in place? When you instinctively throw your hands out to protect yourself, will your gloves cover all exposed skin?

If the answer is no, then why in God's name aren't you wearing gear that will protect you? Insert gruesome road rash photo here. Or just go Google Brittany Morrow. http://www.rockthegear.org/

Enough with the dope-slap rant about protecting yourself. Bottom line: Dress for the crash, not for the ride.

Here are some tips to keep cool when wearing proper gear:

- Get a skull cap or balaclava. Run it under cold water, wring it out and wear it. Will keep you frosty for quite a while. Re-wet it when you stop.
- Wear long-sleeved, long-legged wicking base layer garments under your gear, not street clothes. Both tops and bottoms... bare skin against your jacket or pants will grab. It won't make you hotter... it'll wick the sweat and let it evaporate, which cools you. Also, wet the top as noted above. That will keep you REALLY cool for a good long while. If you need street clothes, put 'em in a backpack.
- Carry a sports bottle full of water and when you feel hot, unzip your jacket a bit and shoot some down your chest.
- If you have room, get one of those magic cooling towels and drape it over your neck when you stop.
- Maybe consider a cooling vest. I get good results from the wet-base-layer, so generally don't use mine.

[ZeroGravity360]

http://www.cyclegear.com/BILT-Predat...otorcycle-Suit

getting this soon and getting it sized to my liking only down side is no back protector, I wonder if i can sew one in...

[adouglas]

That's meant for track days. The idea is that you wear a separate back protector under it.

A two-piece is far more practical, because you can take the jacket off when you stop.

I have a onesie race suit for the track, and separate jacket and pants for the street. Theory was that the zip around the waist would add bulk, and it does... but comfort is a big deal in the summer and there are times I wish I could just lose the upper half. Wish I'd gotten a two-piece race suit, or just worn my street gear.

My personal gear is an Alpinestars perforated leather jacket (GP-something, maybe GP-Pro... I can never keep A* naming straight) and AGV Sport Willow perforated leather pants. The zippers didn't match but that's a trivial sewing job.

Jacket was bought used. The Willow pants are a great bargain. Not expensive and they've held up quite well. I'm getting wear from squeezing the Stomp Grips on my tank, but no biggie.

[ZeroGravity360]

Originally Posted by adouglas

That's meant for track days. The idea is that you wear a separate back protector under it.

A two-piece is far more practical, because you can take the jacket off when you stop.

I have a onesie race suit for the track, and separate jacket and pants for the street. Theory was that the zip around the waist would add bulk, and it does... but comfort is a big deal in the summer and there are times I wish I could just lose the upper half. Wish I'd gotten a two-piece race suit, or just worn my street gear.

My personal gear is an Alpinestars perforated leather jacket (GP-something, maybe GP-Pro... I can never keep A* naming straight) and AGV Sport Willow perforated leather pants. The zippers didn't match but that's a trivial sewing job.

Jacket was bought used. The Willow pants are a great bargain. Not expensive and they've held up quite well. I'm getting wear from squeezing the Stomp Grips on my tank, but no biggie.

lol I dont know... its really cheap, however the sizing is still iffy for me, I might just buy leather pants http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...-leather-pants (try to squeez into a 40) and then worry about a leather jacket later, I have one with CE armor in the eblows shoulders and back

[Panda]

Armored leather offers the best protection. If you choose to wear less than that you're making a decision to be less protected.

That being said if you have a one piece track suit that you never wear to commute to work because you find it too hot, too heavy, too difficult etc it's not going to do you any good if you go down and it's in your closet.

Sometimes the "best" gear is the gear that you'll wear all the time. Find gear that fits well, that's comfortable, and offers a level of protection that you're comfortable with.

[CaliGrrl]

Originally Posted by Panda

Armored leather offers the best protection. If you choose to wear less than that you're making a decision to be less protected.

That being said if you have a once piece track suit that you never wear to commute to work because you find it too hot, too heavy, too difficult etc it's not going to do you any good if you go down and it's in your closet.

Sometimes the "best" gear is the gear that you'll wear all the time. Find gear that fits well, that's comfortable, and offers a level of protection that you're comfortable with.

That's been my feeling, too. I'm good wearing a leather jacket or the armored textile one, but pants? Not for erranding and commuting to work. Still looking for a great solution.

[Omarel]

I'm convinced. I'm sticking with my gear even in this hot weather.

So do the Bohn pants offer any slide protection or just impact?

[RacinNinja]

Nothing more than impact.

[ZeroGravity360]

I found a nice pair of leathers for around the same price as the Bohn. The more I look, the more i am finding in my price range.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...-leather-pants

These are perforated. Are yours perforated @Omarel?

Edit: I found a good review video

Link to original page on YouTube.

[Omarel]

Originally Posted by ZeroGravity360

I found a nice pair of leathers for around the same price as the Bohn. The more I look, the more i am finding in my price range.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...-leather-pants

These are perforated. Are yours perforated @Omarel?

I actually have these. I LOVE them. They seem very protective. They get hot, but I can deal with it.

Someone was wearing these lowsiding at 70mph and reported being unscathed (luckily of course)!

[ZeroGravity360]

Originally Posted by Omarel

I actually have these. I LOVE them. They seem very protective. They get hot, but I can deal with it.

Someone were wearing these lowsiding at 70mph and reported being unscathed (luckily of course)!

Are they stretchy at the hips? I can fit them at the waist part but its the hips im worried about.

[Omarel]

Originally Posted by ZeroGravity360

Are they stretchy at the hips? I can fit them at the waist part but its the hips im worried about.

To be honest, yes they are a little tighter up by the hips and much looser by the thighs and knees. Also, the knee guard falls a little lower than where it should, but it could be different for you. It depends on your height as they only have several sizes.

But they still fit good. And they are a little stretchy.

I would try them and aim for an exchange or refund in case they don't fit right.

One of the most annoying things about ordering gear online is finding a good fit. I found this the case no matter what gear I ordered

[Ghostt]

Originally Posted by Omarel

I'm convinced. I'm sticking with my gear even in this hot weather.

So do the Bohn pants offer any slide protection or just impact?

Just impact, as I mentioned above I wear then under my jeans, dress pants, or Kevlar pants as well.

Better than just pants, but not as good as leathers of course, they are a compromise.

I have yet to have mine tested, and hopefully never will.

[adouglas]

Why you want abrasion protection, not just impact.

"Woah, it's getting warm around the crotch area... whoo!"

Link to original page on YouTube.

AGV Sport Willow perforated pants are what I've got. Great pants for the money.

No, they're not stretchy at the hips, but they do stretch at the waist. Think about it... to get stretch at the hips you'd be putting elastic where you want solid leather.

As a follow-on to all this leather fanboi-ism... Chris got it right. You're going to sweat. Get used to it, or make a deliberate decision to reduce your level of protection. It's the price of keeping your skin intact if you go down. Just don't fall into the trap of believing that a mesh jacket, even one with leather panels, is going to do the same job as real leathers.

We all have our own personal view of risk, and our own willingness to trade comfort and convenience for protection. My views are my own, and I would never presume to impose them on others. I believe my choices are based on thoughtful and well-reasoned arguments and the balance works for me. Anything I write should be considered in that light. That doesn't mean it'll work for you.

A crash might change your perspective and recalibrate the comfort/protection balance.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by Omarel

To be honest, yes they are a little tighter up by the hips and much looser by the thighs and knees. Also, the knee guard falls a little lower than where it should, but it could be different for you. It depends on your height as they only have several sizes.

But they still fit good. And they are a little stretchy.

I would try them and aim for an exchange or refund in case they don't fit right.

One of the most annoying things about ordering gear online is finding a good fit. I found this the case no matter what gear I ordered

O, since you're in NJ you're within striking distance of the Revzilla retail store. Same prices as online and you get to try stuff. That's how I bought my race suit and I'm glad I made the trip... wound up with a different one than the one I went there to get.

Re the knee armor... I'm a short guy and therefore have short legs relative to my waist, so I'm right there with you. This is why you also should wear proper riding boots. When I gear up I slide the lower legs up, then fasten my boots. This puts everything from the sole of my foot to the knee in the proper place. The thighs are a bit loose.

Z, the stretchiness comes from elastic panels on the inside of the legs and at the crotch. That means you'll get stretch to accommodate the circumference of your thighs and lower leg, but not around the hips. The waist also has elastic and a velcro tab.

Also note that these are designed to fit inside your boots, and are short and snug at the ankle for that reason. There is NO WAY they'll fit over your boots.