keeping cool
 

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

keeping cool
 

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

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.

Core Cooler - An Exciting Alternative
 

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).

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.