What to wear in hot, humid, sticky, sweaty weather?

[BMWST?]

I'm up from Wellington, visiting family in Auckland and have been riding round here all week. Wow - different experience up here thats for sure. This humid weather is something that is just unheard of in Welly and takes some getting used to. Yesterday I cam through from Albany to Mission Bay. Got stuck in rush hour traffic and am too hopeless to filter (nearly got taken out by a 4 wheel drive that wanted my lane anyway she could take it!). So.. downtown, stopped in traffic in leather jacket, draggin slicks, gloves and boots - was a cooking! Vents all open, zip on jacket half undone, bike over heating from idling for so long and roasting my leg near the pipes. HOT STUFF!

Have seen sooooo many riders round Auckland wearing just their shorts and t-shirts with a helmet. and now I can understand why they are so tempted by this. Wouldn't do it myself, but couldn't help but be rather jealous of them in their cooler attire. I'm on the bike all day at the moment in and out of town, and I'm a sticky sweaty mess at each destination I get too (haha my lucky family and friend who are not bikers and look at me in disgust like I've made no effort in their presence).

Looking forward to perhaps the Coro loop today and getting some pace to get the wind going through. Weeeeee

welly is actually very humid but the lower temps and wind make it more ageeable

[pritch]

My touring kit has vents in both jacket and trousers. The leather jacket is vented too and that would be my preference tomorrow, but if there is rain around it'll have to be the touring gear.

Whatever, it's best to keep moving.

[Pussy]

I can HIGHLY recommend this stuff.... works VERY well!

http://vm.net.nz/crownkiwi/catalogue...ustomlistNum=1

http://vm.net.nz/crownkiwi/catalogue...ustomlistNum=1

[jrandom]

T-shirt, shorts, slip-on shoes, helmet and gloves.

Seriously, folks. Are you really that uncertain about whether you can avoid falling off your motorbikes?

Harden the fuck up.

Yesterday I cam through from Albany to Mission Bay. Got stuck in rush hour traffic and am too hopeless to filter... stopped in traffic in leather jacket, draggin slicks, gloves and boots - was a cooking! Vents all open, zip on jacket half undone, bike over heating from idling for so long...

I am trying, and failing, to figure out why you don't just buy a Corolla with air conditioning.

[st00ji]

I can HIGHLY recommend this stuff.... works VERY well!

http://vm.net.nz/crownkiwi/catalogue...ustomlistNum=1

http://vm.net.nz/crownkiwi/catalogue...ustomlistNum=1

whats it do then?

Seriously, folks. Are you really that uncertain about whether you can avoid falling off your motorbikes?

why the helmet then? surely sunglasses will suffice :P

[Pussy]

whats it do then?

Wear this stuff as an under garment. It serves several purposes. Wicks sweat away from you (feel noticeably cooler when wearing it). Also ensures your jacket, trou etc don't stick to you. Also helps with freedom of movement. I bought a set at the tail end of last summer. The ONLY thing that pisses me of about these under-garments is that I didn't have them years ago. Get some, you won't regret it

[SPman]

get your t shirt, and soak it in water. wring it out and putit on wet.

go ride.

as the water evaporates it cools you down.

Peter Egan wrote that so it must be true.

It is true. The missus tried that out a coupla weeks ago - under a mesh cordura jacket. had to keep wetting down every 30km though......

Over here most people have mesh Cordura or leather jackets. Once the temps get up over 36-37 though, it makes sod all difference - water cooled leathers would be good.

[st00ji]

under a mesh cordura jacket.

boooooooo!

[Little Miss Trouble]

I Yesterday I cam through from Albany to Mission Bay. Got stuck in rush hour traffic and am too hopeless to filter...

Have you met Madduck? I've seen her do some pretty impressive filtering on her tractor, perhaps she can give you a lesson.

[Gone Burger]

Have you met Madduck? I've seen her do some pretty impressive filtering on her tractor, perhaps she can give you a lesson.

I have met her, down in Wellington. Have heard she is pretty ace at filtering. But I have come to accept that its something I 100% suck at, and that's no ones fault but my own. I do it a bit back home, but am a little overhwhelmed with the traffic up here and became too chicken on my first day to cut through. Soft - I know I know - HTFU. Ahhh.... one day

[vifferman]

I bought a four-seasons jacket. There are very few on the market; the Spidi Gran Turismo comes close, but my Macna Summit is better. While the Teknic Hurricane jacket I used to have had more vents (a total of 8, with two on each sleeve, two on the chest, and two on the back), the Macna goes one better. It has only two long sleeve vents, which are a little ineffectual as the fairing on the VFR directs air away from my lower arms. However, it has a lether panel on the front and up around the neck that zips off, leaving mesh underneath. The airflow through this is phenomenal, even at 50 km/h with the waterproof lining in. Even with the winter lining in (I forgot it was still in place ) it's cool, but with both linings out, it's heavenly to ride in.
My pants (Spidi Gran Turismo) aren't so good, as they have only two thigh vents that are pretty ineffectual, and the goretex lining isn't removable. Even so, they're OK when moving, but suck in stop/start traffic, so if I'm going to the shops for example, I wear jeans. My Held gloves have vents in the fingers, which are only effective on the highway, which isn't really a big deal unless it's very hot.

[brett7777]

I got the Rev'it Air Jacket (thanks for the recommendation). It's brilliant. I went for a ride today in the scorching heat & really enjoyed the ride, no more sauna inside my jacket! Saw a couple of other riders with T shirts on. Didn't envy them at all haha!
Indicentally, I tried the wet t shirt thing at home the other day, just to stave off the heat. It works, to cool you down, but...once it's dry it reeks ! (you know, that smell your clean washing gets if you leave it wet for too long without hanging it out or drying it...yuk). So that could be a big downside to that method.