There may be some regional variation in this but commenting on it from a UK perspective I've read (and heard) time and time again people saying they wear the full protective ensemble everywhere they go, all the time, and that anyone who doesn't is foolhardy, shortsighted and irresponsible. And in the middle of a UK winter I have some sympathy with wearing clothing appropriate for the conditions.

It's when the snow finally melts and the thermometer emerges from a block of ice that the problems arise. On a hot day is it safer to keep wearing winter grade clothing for its protective value and raise the risk of having an accident through heatstroke or "strip off" to maintain mental functioning and hope you don't have an accident ?

When I've spoken to many of the "safety first - keep it on" advocates hardly any of them have ever ridden outside the UK. They have no idea how hot it can get in eg southern Spain / Italy. You might be able to survive 20 /25C of the UK summer ok but 40C is a different matter. I have seen someone (a pillion) fall off the bike through passing out while wearing a full set of protective clothing in 40C heat. That's not the risk of an accident, that an actual accident. Back in my early biking days I had (mild) heatstroke the first time I ever went to Spain on a bike through continuing to wear UK appropriate clothing (black waxed cotton Barbour in those days). It took me three days lying in a tent to recover.

So what do I do these days? I strip down to a minimal safety level that I think balances the risks of overheating and the resultant risks from an accident. Very occasionally (I can only think of one occasion atm -freak day over 50C) it has been to shorts and t shirt. Anyone who says think of the gravel rash would get the reply of lets see how far you get dressed up in full armoured black riding jacket and trousers in 50C temperatures before you either colapse or hit something through impaired judgement.

I am riding around Northern Thailand now and I am sweating my perverbials off but I am wearing all my kit because you never know, dogs running in to the middle of the road, mad kids and adults on scooters which just pull out when they want, no road sense, getting over excited on the twistys, the list is endless. Wear the kit, better to be safe than think...I wish I had worn it!

Wayne

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Your post fall's in the appropriate time and the appropriate place. I think I would do the same. Only from what I have seen of some of the You Tube video's of them places.
John933

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To buy petrol in Europe. Pull up at station. Wait. Get out a 20 Euro note, then ask someone to fill up the bike. Give person money. Ride away. Simple.

A common sight in France in high summer.

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Dave

Hopefully wearing appropriate riding gear for Thailand? ... not UK Winterized gear? Good HOT weather gear exists. No need for flip flops and shorts. Many Farang end up in emergency there. Nasty. (seen it in person!)

We see a few RTW travelers come through California & run into them in Mexico wearing gear suited for N. EU and UK climes. Thick, heavy WP jackets/ pants, don't vent well. Good down to below freezing but over 27C (80F) they are miserable.

ALL W R O N G for Summer or the Tropical South! Heat stroke is real. Dehydration, exhaustion ... misery.

Why not do what racers do? I'm sure our Oz brothers know about this too.
In my racing days I rode a few Enduros in Hot weather, did Desert racing in the Mojave too.

You had to have protection ... but needed to stay cool. Used those tips from back then in current hot weather riding kit. Not perfect, but much better than flip/flops and shorts.

Part of this kit includes mesh dirt bike riding pants. Very strong, yet flow a TON of air, even moving 15 mph. If it turns cold ... you MUST stop, change, or ...slip rain pants OVER the dirt riding pants for warmth.

I always wear my independent KNEE and HIP guard armor under the dirt pants.

Up top it's a compromise ... risky.
No armored riding jacket (w/built in back protector). But there are now so many GOOD Fully armored FULL mesh jackets out there that work very well in heat and humidity. Light colors helps too. That is my recommendation ... perfect for Thailand.

But when going without Mesh jacket I wear long sleeved dirt bike Jersey but with independent Elbow/forearm strap-on guards. So ... NO back protector. But one could wear one. ... or get a Mesh jacket ... many for under $100 USD.

ALWAYS wear Boots & Gloves ... no matter temps. (unless just popping out for dinner, short distance) Almost always wear my Flip-Up helmet (UP position in slow going) but ride with it down at speed.
In SUPER-HOT heat, it's cooler to run shield DOWN. (IE: Death Valley in 118F/47C)

Toughest heat, IMO, is places like Asia/India where you've got 95F/35C with 90% humidity. Very tough, no matter what you wear. After time and acclimation, you may be able to ZEN your way through this ... like the locals do. Takes practice. Most fight it ... and end up hating life and whinging.

If you can avoid super hot weather, do it. If not, try to ride smart. Ride EARLY AM or at night. Knock off early, get drunk! Not much fun riding a bike, stuck in traffic, going 10 mph, sat at traffic lights in mid day Sun.

I am wearing off road gear, meshed off road trousers and thin off road top, vented gloves, got the knee protection, meshed body armour, off road boots and an off road helmet with goggles as is let's a bit more air on to the face.

Wayne


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After a slide down the road wearing boardies & T shirt, I had the gravel scrubbed out of what was left of my raw bleeding skin with a nylon brush under a saline shower

Answer's easy, or what?

similar experience but dropped it twice, icy side of the mountain-dry on the other-inner side of the knee cap had no skin or flesh ,right past those protective denim jeans .

I think my internal thermostat must be broken. I love warmth, once it gets to 30-35C I start to become really alive. Above 45C I have to take things quietly.

To see me you would think I always wear the same gear, but not so. The outer layer is usually the same except when very cold or wet on go the windproof waterproofs. It is what’s underneath that changes. and also how things are arranged, For instance in hot weather have the cuffs and trouser bottoms open. not many layers.

A week ago I went for a little bimble about in 2-3C after 24 miles I was feeling a bit chilly. another 10 and I would have been chilled. That is about my limit for cold weather.

In hot weather you do really need to drink often because riding then is very drying from both sweat and breathing. Stop often ideally to sit in the shade, drink a little even take a rest. My chair is off with just two bungees, and water can be slid up out of my luggage.

I would label that as heat exhaustion; heat stroke can kill the human body within as little as 1/2 an hour.
I am reminded of the two unfortunates who died of this condition in Morocco while trying to dig their bikes out of the sand; temperatures were about those that you mention IIRC.
There is a post some where in here about that incident - probably in "the safety on the road" bit. It should have been made a sticky but I don't think that ever happened.

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Dave

You may well be right but I've had "exhaustion" a number of times - particularly in the early days of my running "career" where I pushed for too long in too high temperatures and fell over. Usually with a bit of shade, maybe some oral rehydration and about an hour I've been ok.

The incident in Spain was different. The stuff I remember from it -

"dry skin, vertigo, confusion, headache, thirst, nausea, rapid shallow breathing (hyperventilation) and muscle cramps."

is pretty much the same as the NHS website symptoms for "stroke" above -
apart from muscle cramps. I don't remember having those.

Either way, HE or HS, it laid me up for three days and it's probably why I don't over dress in hot climate rides.

The other factor that's relevent is acclimatisation. From a UK perspective it's going from a cold and wet July into the full heat of a Med summer virtually overnight. On a flight no one would get off the plane still wearing an overcoat, scarf, gloves etc and keep them on in the midday heat but that's what bikers are doing and then riding for hours without a drink. Give it a week or two and your body adjusts but by then many are heading for home.

I pretty much wear the same gear all year round trail-riding in the UK. Thin HH baselayer, waterproof enduro trousers and a Hein Gericke waterproof cordura jacket. In the winter I might add a thin fleece and a snood.

If riding from UK to Spain in the summer, I loose the waterproof jacket and trousers and wear a codura suit that used to have a removeable waterproof lining and has loads of vents. I carry army surplus goretex waterproofs just in case.

Yes, when trailriding, it can get bloody warm but it beats getting gravel rash WHEN I bin it or ripped to bits by shrubbery. The secret is to only stop in the shade and loose your jacket straight away.

Road riding I've never been dangerously too warm.

Oh, yeah, hydrate constantly. A camelbac is a must for me.

Yes, certainly it was your experience so I am not bothered how the cut line is defined between the symptoms.
The whole lot is hyperthermia.
Hyperthermia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and it is ignored at our peril.

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Dave

Those are regular temps here in the Oz outback in summer & still plenty comfortable with the right gear.
The more skin you expose, the faster you dehydrate.
I run a wet vest under a mesh jacket & sip regularly to maintain hydration

I rode back from Alice Springs recently with a mate whose idea of keeping cool was to take off more clothing. It was him that I was drip feeding pain pills to at night, while I went for a feed and a
He was supposedly a teacher & sure as shit, wouldn't listen

Dehydration & headache was his constant companion due to stupidity.
I have several outfits for different conditions & pray that you pick the correct gear for longhaul runs

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You can always make your summer kit warm enough for winter temperatures by layering under and over, but you can't really do the same and make a 3-seasons or winter kit more suitable for warmer climates.


For my trip in South America I was facing that problem, I was going to face all sort of weather extremes. I figured I would go with a kit I could use in the warmest temperatures and add layers to make it work in colder temperatures. It worked very well.

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