ATGATT or compromise?

[Little_Brit]

Riding with all the gear all the time makes perfect sense for most of the time here in the UK, because on a glorious day like today (bright sun but only 10C and cold north wind)the warmth/weatherproofing is much appreciated.

 

But! What do you do when you're on tour and it gets hot? Do you compromise on ATGATT? Do you pack alternative gear? Or do you just stew?

 

I'd appreciate any thoughts on this one as my good lady wife and I shall be off to the south of France in July and hopefully we'll need plenty of cool clothing! Unfortunately with European weather you never know until the day.

 

Derek

 

R1200GS

R850r

[Bob Palin]

I compromise, when it gets really hot I take off my jacket and ride in a T shirt, I know the risk and I'm willing to take it. I enjoy riding this way more than I do with ATG and think motorcycling is not worthwhile if I have to suffer to participate.

[EffBee]

I don't know about your gear choices in the UK. I imagine waterproof is of the essence. But there are several quality jacket/pant combos that will breathe well, yet still offer outstanding impact/abrasion protection. BMW's Santiago and their Rally Pro lines come to mind.

 

It's just my opinion, but NEVER compromise on the quality of protection you wear. No one expects to go down, but in the .2 seconds between OH $#IT! and impact, you can't call a "time out" to run home and put your good gear on before commencing with the crunch/slide/tumble. You are either prepared, or you are not. Given all that, sweat is not your enemy, and if you keep moving, it can even help cool you.

[russell_bynum]

I wear my Roadcrafter all the time on the street. When it is hot, vents get opened, and the front might get unzipped a bit. When it is really hot, I use my HoonCooler to keep my shirt wet.

 

I wear the same boots, gloves and helmet regardless of temp. Well...I go to heaver gloves when it gets colder or when it rains. But I don't use lighter gloves when it is hot.

 

For the most part, I ride in the desert southwest. Temps can get well into the triple-digits, but it is dry...which means that evaporative cooling works very well.

 

If I lived Georgia or something, I'd probably make different choices since the high humidity makes evaporative cooling less effective. In that case, something mesh would probably be a better choice.

 

Fernando said: "Given all that, sweat is not your enemy, and if you keep moving, it can even help cool you. " That's generally true, but if you're going to be out in it all day long, you MUST stay adequately cooled or you run the risk of heat exhaustion or worse: Heat stroke.

 

Other stuff that is of critical importantce when riding in the heat: Hydrate. I ride with a CamelBack and try to sip from it continuously. If I don't have to jump off my bike and RUN to see a guy about a horse at every gas stop, I'm not drinking enough. And you can't just drink water...you need to replace those electrolytes that you're sweating away too, or your body will just start shutting down. You can take salt and potassium tablets, but I generally just buy a gatorade at each stop and drink it while I'm resting and planning my next leg.

[Ken H.]

I think at least part of the solution is to have gear with functional changes. A jacket that has a removable liner, and vents. Pants with a liner that can be removed. Meshed armored jacket, but several layers of conventional clothing that can be shead. Etc. Personally if I start out over dressed and the day warms, I'll slowly convert down to naked underneath if forced to before I'll give up my armored outer layer. Conversely, if I goof the other way and it rains, well I'm not sweet enough to melt when wet. And if it gets too cold, at some point stopping is always an option.

 

Short answer, I never compromise the protection of my gear, sometimes though the comfort.

[KDeline]

The least I will wear is air flow jacket and pants, boots, gloves, helmut. I have been down to many times to compromise. And they were slow get offs.

[Mike05]

The key for me is Layers, plus I try never give up the basics: helmet, gloves, boots, armored pants & jacket.

 

This mornings ride is starting out in the 50's with an expected high of 83 degrees. Two "T" shirts under a (extremely well vented) armored jacket with a removeable liner, levi's under mesh armored pants with shorts in the saddlebag if it gets too warm.

 

Yeah, I want to be comfortable when I ride, but I also want to be reasonably protected if I ever go down again.

 

"Balance comfort with common sense" is what I was taught. Still holds true all these years later .

[wilsons]

Light colored mesh jacket for hot hot stuff. In Cinci we often deal with the lower scale of triple digit's and nasty humidity. I can say it works well enough to enjoy the ride. And with temps already being 30 degree's warmer for alot of march, I wonder what summer will really bring.

 

I've been skimping out on the boots and just wearing shoes unless im in a group ride or a long ride for the day. short trips I just don't care until I find a boot that's to my true liking.

[dyvking]

I tour a lot as well here in the West of the USA. In the summer, I ride through rain, heat and sometimes snow (at least cold enough to snow!).

My gear consists of waterproof riding boots, levi's with First Hear HT overpants (removed only in extreme heat) on the bottom half. Covering my 'top half', I use technical fabrics such as smartwool, or poly/merino wool blends. These wick well, warm in the cold weather and comfortable in heat. I start with a T-shirt of this fabric. Over that goes a long-sleeved version. Over that is my Gerbing's electric jacket liner. My riding jacket is a BMW Savanna II jacket WITHOUT their weird liner. If it rains, I have a rain jacket that goes over the Savanna. The HT pants are already waterproof.

 

In the Rockies, if I start out before sunup, all that stuff is on me. As the day warms up, I start removing it, layer by layer. The Savanna jacket is not very warm alone anyway, so it is also not too hot in the heat. It has a LOT of great ventilation. That jacket opens up like a church on Sunday morning! With the jacket vents all open and a good T-shirt underneath.. I can handle the heat just fine. I've ridden all over Death Valley in 110° heat with that set up. Hot, but not un-doable.

 

My biggest sin in the whole kit is to take off the HT pants if it gets real hot, and just ride in Levi's. I have a pair of mesh riding pants, but I seldom stay in an area that is really hot long enough to warrant taking them along.

[PhysicsWinz]

I never compromise; seen too many mishaps. I don't need a protruding tibia or a closed head injury or road rash more than I need to ride.

 

The South of France in July/August can be very hot and humid, but if in the shade will be very tolerable. If overcast or raining, will be cool--prob low 70's hi 60's, and at night a light jacket might be useful. In New Orleans, we NEVER have "dry" heat; we only have wet heat and in the heat of the summer it is pretty unpleasant to ride between 10a and 5p. And we do not cool off at night. Pretty miserable sometimes. However, as you know, you guys at the far northerly latitudes keep sunlight much later/earlier, so you could plan your riding then?

 

There is a US company--Bohn Armor that makes mesh armored under shirts and pants that deserve a look. I have a mesh/aromored shirt that I like a lot.

 

I am looking into firstgear meshtex 2.o pants--lots of good recs on them, for hot weather riding, but cannot give a report on them.

 

And if you're riding the Corniche roads w/o armor, you will feel very vulnerable.

 

Finally, (pardon if I am preaching to the choir) get the Michelin maps for the areas and go for the white and yellow roads.

 

John

[Lineareagle]

ATGATT

Aerostich.

Yep gets mighty warm sometimes,but I look at it like a friend once expounded, on sleeping in the same tent with me for a week, I can be a HEAVY snorer!

"Its all a mental game, sure you snore, I just make it a soothing reminder that all is well and we are having a great time!"

I use ear plugs!

When it gets warm and I start to sweat and I am down to t-shirt and shorts inside my stich I am having a GREAT time. Hydrate, sweating is good for the system and I am secure and comfy against the unexpected!

[gfountain]

I can't stand the heat. And this nonsense about dry heat is just that, nonsense. But I like the ATGATT way of thinking. I switch to my Olmpia Airglide mesh pants and jacket during the summer. I carry the liners in case it gets cool. I went with the silver color rather than black to stay cooler. An evaporative vest works great in the dry air of Colorado when the temps really rise but is useless in high humidity climates. I also have a BMW one piece rain suit that comes out in heavy rain. This combination works well from May to September.

[ratfink]

I like mesh gear with armor when it's hot. Cooling vest is great. (in dry heat). Vented jackets don't work that well for me on my RT. Not enough airflow behind that fairing I guess.

 

I have had road rash before and the thought of it still makes my skin crawl. Mesh is not the best but it is my minimum.

[NoHeat]

mesh jacket, with foam armor.

 

it flows tons of air.

[Geraldh]

ATGATT or cage.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Just a quick comment here, evaporative cooling works in high humidity environments as well. I use it under my Roadcrafter one piece. It may be more effective in the dry air of the Nevada desert but it still works at 95% RH here in Florida. It won't work if you're not moving though.

 

Mitch could probably explain it all.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Just a quick comment here, evaporative cooling works in high humidity environments as well. I use it under my Roadcrafter one piece. It may be more effective in the dry air of the Nevada desert but it still works at 95% RH here in Florida. It won't work if you're not moving though.

 

Mitch could probably explain it all.

 

? Not much to explain. Once you've evaporate some of the water from your skin, you're inside a high-humidity blanket; you need to breeze to move that saturated air away from you so you can evaporate more water and continue the cooling effect. And yes, for a given forward speed, the more humid the ambient air is, the less evaporation you'll get from your skin. But you'll still get at least a little bit.

 

For me, it's boots/gloves/helmet and Draggin' Jeans w/knee+hip armor all the time. Jacket is a Gericke when cool out, a JR Phoenix when hot. Camelbak while touring. When it gets really hot, I'll blow into my Camelbak to pressurize it a bit, then drizzle water down the front of my jacket and onto my DJ's. This works really well in dry areas like the desert southwest. People may look at you funny when you stop for gas with wet pants, but at least you'll be relatively comforable while riding. (note that this works well with a mesh jacket, but not so well with something that's waterproof/windproof. )

[Albert]

I compromise, when it gets really hot I take off my jacket and ride in a T shirt, I know the risk and I'm willing to take it. I enjoy riding this way more than I do with ATG and think motorcycling is not worthwhile if I have to suffer to participate.

 

My feelings exactly. I'm an adult, I know the risk.

[Mike]

I compromise . . . sort of. My usual gear is either head-to-toe leather or a Darien suit. But in my part of the world, the summers can get pretty hot and humid, and traffic can be an issue. So, my compromise is a FirstGear MeshTex suit. I know that it offers quite a bit less protection than my other gear, but I think it's a reasonable compromise. Ultimately, I'd like to get a better quality hot weather suit.

[Geraldh]

I compromise, when it gets really hot I take off my jacket and ride in a T shirt, I know the risk and I'm willing to take it. I enjoy riding this way more than I do with ATG and think motorcycling is not worthwhile if I have to suffer to participate.

 

My feelings exactly. I'm an adult, I know the risk.

 

I realize you're an adult and know the risks but if you get into an accident and are hospitalized we're the ones who end up paying for it in the long run (in Canada anyways). I cringe when I see guys on crotch rockets in shorts and their girl-friends in a bikini with only a helmet as mandatory protection. Our hospitals are full enough with having to cater to these yahoos who want to feel the fresh air when they ride.

[Albert]

I realize you're an adult and know the risks but if you get into an accident and are hospitalized we're the ones who end up paying for it in the long run (in Canada anyways). I cringe when I see guys on crotch rockets in shorts and their girl-friends in a bikini with only a helmet as mandatory protection. Our hospitals are full enough with having to cater to these yahoos who want to feel the fresh air when they ride.

 

Without debating the merits or shortcomings of socialized medical programs, this argument will ultimately be used against you too even using ATGATT. When the general public perceives that our "sport" is too dangerous, thus expensive, for the masses, we'll all be legistlated out of existence. They won't care a witt whether your wearing Aerostitch or Gucci.