Today's the first Tuesday in July, so I'll be doing another segment with my pals, Larry and Roy of the Two Wheel Power Hour, at 3pm PT/6pm ET. My segment will be at 3:30pm Pacific. I'm going to recommend cooling baselayers that will help for those of you riding your motorcycles in hot weather. You're probably suffering in the heat and humidity right now, so I hope some of these recommendations, listed in order of price (low to high) will give you some relief. The right combination of baselayers + textile or leather gear can make the Biggest difference in comfort while riding in heat (or cold!).
#1 and #4 are the two options that are Not made for motorcycling. They do have options for bicycling however, which I think comes pretty close. My only problem with most bicycling pants and shorts it that they are padded in the seat. I can't fit that extra layer of material in my leather pants, but if you don't feel like buying some of these products online, I would recommend bicycling shorts or pants as an option.
1. UnderArmour for men and women. HeatGear® is UnderArmour's proprietary technology: "For when it's hot. Keeping athletes cool, dry, and light. Ideal use: Extremely warm weather. Over a decade ago, HeatGear®, the original second skin layer, sparked the revolution of performance apparel." - Under $100 -Tops, bottoms (shorts and pants) and one piece suits. This one piece suit for women for $129.99 looks particularly interesting. The only issue with UnderArmour I find is with the bottoms, as they seat in my shorts is already starting to wear out. I don't think these are ideal for long distance riding, as you'll go through a pair of shorts in a year or so. I've had my current pair for almost 8,000 miles (a little over a year) and they're already starting to wear through.
2. Forcefield Climate Control "Inspired by Geothermic Phenomena observed on Earth the Forcefield Base Layer Shirt has been created using BeCool™ the first polyamide fibre with integrated airflow control a function that maintains body temperature during sports and leisure activities." Tops, bottoms (shorts and pants), balaclavas, neck tubes and gloves. - Shirts and Pants are unisex sizing. - Under $100
3. LD Comfort "Our garments are a base layer (underwear) designed specifically for the long distance motorcycle rider. They are designed to protect the skin. The superior wicking technology of our dual layer fabric keeps your skin drier than any other single layer "wicking" fabric." The videos demonstrate how effective the material is. I've seen it for myself and it's truly an amazing product. The seat of the pants are seamless, which I think makes LDComfort a more optimal for motorcycling. -Under $100 -Tops, bottoms, headwear and more.
4. X-Bionic "X-Bionic athletic apparel is the most advanced performance clothing on the market today. Featuring over 20 international patents for performance-enhancing technologies, X-Bionic apparel helps an athlete maintain a constant core body temperature of 37 degrees centigrade or 98.6 degrees farenheit, so that no energy is wasted in cooling the body and all energy is therefore available to maximize athletic performance. Recent studies have shown that athletes can expend up to 97% of their metabolic energy just to maintain a constant core body temperature. By trapping sweat and maximizing the surface area available for cooling, X-Bionic apparel literally "turns your sweat into energy", maximizing human evolution's cooling mechanism of evaporation, and making more energy available for peak performance." X-Bionic appears to be a high end performance product tailored for professional athletes. I've only read about their products, but it sounds rather convincing to me. A little too expensive for me, but I would love to get my hands on one of their products to try out. - Over $100 ($105 - $400). - Tops, bottoms, socks, armbands, headbands, caps, and more
