Tips for riding a motorcycle in the heat
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- Опубликовано: 12 июл 2018
- This week on MCrider we look at a common mistake riders make trying to stay cool on a motorcycle. We also look at some options to help you beat the heat and stay on 2 wheels.
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Thanks for watching,
Kevin 
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Riding isn't so bad, it's the red stop lights where things start to cook.
As opposed to green stop lights?
G Murf Iv never seen a green stop light tbh
Jay B, True that. On the road can get hot, but stopped at a red light for too long can start to feel like you are parked up in an oven while wearing a tin suit filled with cooking oil 😂
Jay B Especially when you have an air cooled engine.
Spot the Harley?
I struggled believing that to stay cooler I needed to cover up my skin. But I had to do something in this Texas heat so my first experience was with a long sleeved shirt. I couldn't believe how much cooler I was. Now I put on my tourmaster jacket with the liners out leaving me with just the mesh jacket. I do sweat and then I feel the cool breeze over my skin. I'm cooler and more protected. Good video reminder Kevin!
This seems funny, but you can pay attention to what the people who live in deserts wear, Egyptians, Mongolians and others... When they go out on journey through deserts they always wear a very thick robe or even a cotton-wool jacket and thick pants that cover up the maximum area of the skin. You have to remember that your clothes are not warming you up actually, they act like a temperature insulation layer so they rather help you maintain your natural body temperature. The only requirement is that the clothes shouldn't be dark as they will tend to warm up themselves in the direct sunlight and will start warming up your skin.
Correct. The "take home message" to stay covered in extreme heat as per MC Rider is true, but the mechanisms are a bit off. The reason that being covered is useful is to insulate against radiant heat gain and to reduce convective heat gain. Turning a fan on, when the air temperature is warmer than the body temperature will hasten heat gain (like the opposite of wind chill). It's not the "lack of evaporative cooling" that makes you warmer while you are wearing shorts and a t-shirt in these very hot, dry environments. In a hot, humid environment heat loss via sweating / evaporation is obviously impeded. Fortunately, there are few environments on earth where the humidity is > 80 % and the temperature is > 38 deg C.
I worked two years in Saudi Arabia. The laborers working outdoors wore long sleeved shirts and hats with ski masks to keep the sun off. The air was so dry perspiration didn't seem to exist it evaporated so quickly.
Hydration is so important. One warning is when you suddenly stop sweating.
Advice from the Paramedic: When you stop sweating it’s too late, it’s the textbook definition of heatstroke. Without treatment you will Die, If you get there; stop and take it all off! Ice; fans, shade! 911
Kevin, Thank You For Your Service.
Along with drinking water one should actually eat their water. Fruits and vegetables are mostly water and also come with a host of other great things. Just drinking plain water isn't as effective because if you notice when you drink lots of water you will pee lots while if say you eat a whole watermelon at once you'll retain so much more of that water because it takes longer for us to break the water away from that food and absorb it. Another issue with drinking to much water is it can flush out vitamins and minerals. So I'd say the day before eat lots of fresh fruits and veg and the day of bring along water. Great video.
F9 and also my MSF instructor put ice cubes in their hydration packs, which gives them a cold pack up against their back. F9 says he also puts ice cubes in his pockets to keep him cool for an hour or so.
Great thing about youtube is that videos are never old to the new subscribers. Thank you sir!
Very pertinent here in Australia, where temps in Summer are regularly well North of 40+ degrees. Thanks for the great tips Kevin, love all your videos.
When riding in heat, I 3/4 fill my tank bag mounted Camel Bak the night before and put it in the freezer overnight. Before setting off, I top it up with tap water and have it covered in my tank bag. With a flip up helmet, I can easily have access the lovely cool water all day long while on the move as the ice slowly melts throughout the day. And just keep topping it up during the ride. On a ride Sydney to Melbourne (about 1,000 kms), I could not believe how much better I felt at the end of the long day's ride. And yes, I was fully covered in my Aerostich jacket and pants. The combination of the two was truly, a game changer for me.
Great tip, thanks! I live in Thailand, almost as hot.
Thank you, Kevin. I appreciate the fact that you create videos from multiple angles of riding safety. The riding techniques are crucial, of course, but, topics such as this one are also very important. Keep up the good work. See you on the road!
Hi, I had a chastening experience with this a few months ago. I live in Thailand and went out for the day on my bike. Shade temps were 38 deg C so would have been 40+ in the sun. I had a proper armoured jacket and FF helmet on but was wearing shorts. I was coming back home and on the highway, my vision started to blur and everything became bright. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to pull over (just in time) as I passed out even before I could get the kickstand down. In hindsight, I realise things could have been much worse and I could have ended up in a wooden box. Lesson learned now, I keep well hydrated. To back up your advice, the Thai people tend to cover up more the hotter it gets!
Ian Wheldale ...too true. When I went through Kazakhstan I used a camelback type of arrangement. It made the difference. In Australia last January we had a few days 46c/116F, one day 118F, and I still did a 2 hour hike with long pants, long sleeves...and a camelback in my light duty daypack.
Great video and great advice Kevin, managing heat stress is essential for riders.
The video covered a lot of good material about the effects on the rider and the dangerous outcome of becoming heat stressed, but one point I would like to add is that heat stress can effect your concentration levels too, which can have a serious impact on your overall safety on the road (and the safety of others). Lack of concentration, as you well know, is a major contributor in many of the accidents on our roads, it effects your decision making skills, can cause you to miss key details and information on the road, and can effectively render you a distracted rider.
Stay safe out there everyone, and thanks again Kevin for another great video 👍
Great topic Kevin, I have had heat exhaustion before, it is no fun. Ride on and be safe everybody.
I am a Marine and was stationed in 29 Palms CA and I know all about water intake . I will be riding from west Texas ,Alpine, down to Rio Grand Valley thursday and the first time I rode down I wore a black helmet dark brown jacket and brown gloves and got a little fatigued so I bought all white gear for this ride. I also drink water at every gas stop about every hour and a half . Be cool be safe and may God be with you.
COMMON SENSE a
Semper Fi Marine....you are head on....
Thank you for your service, Common Sense. I'm a retired Corpsman, I was in 29 stumps way back when, and I loved my time with the Marines!
Good common sense solution to a common problem this time of year. I've made some of those mistakes while riding cross country during the summer. Whenever i stopped to take a break i would eat a small bag of potato chips while hydrating to replace the salt i lost. It would also help to keep me going between meals. Thank you for the advice sir. It is much appreciated.
Ft. Hood 198th Inf, training for Vietnam. We did village recon in the same temps, I got a bloody nose so bad I was hospitalised. Heat is very dangerous
We just toured your great state of Texas, Kevin. And it was fairly toasty! Dallas to San Anton in route to Corpus Christi. Currently on our last stop in Oden AR. LOTS OF WATER! Frequent stops. Boots, jeans and a Leather, ALWAYS. Oh yea, and a helmet😉. Ride on and be safe!
Great and informative video which I will refer to again and again and suggest to my buddies.
A short story: an old biker in a fully zipped up leather jacket I met at a stop on a smoking hot day was smiling and looking at me in a bit of distress sweating bullets in a mesh jacket. He came over to me, unzipped his jacket, put his hand inside it like he was pulling out a holstered hand gun and pulled out a small ice pack. He said he had put them in the freezer the night before and puts them in all his pockets including the outside pockets just before he goes out for a ride. Great idea, and reusable too.
I've been trying to follow ATGAT and wearing a black mesh padded jacket with a reflective vest on top in 95 degree heat in SC. Turns out that I'm not that hot. In fact, when I sweat at a stop and the take off, the sweat and mesh act like a swamp cooler an it's not bad at all.
Thank you so much for sharing 13 minutes of wisdom. You really help me with that knowledge. Even though I’m a cross country rider for years I learned a lot from this clip .
All good stuff. Just yesterday I was on my Super Tenere for 450 miles in +90 weather. I was all "geared up" and had one of the "cooling towels" as you mentioned. Drenched it at a gas stop, then didn't stop for 225 miles with several towns of stop lights but just wanted to get home! It was hot but I was able to stay away from the heat induced "symptoms" you spoke of. Won't ride again without a cooling towel.. only draw back is getting the interior of the riding jacket damp.. but, it will dry.
Great video. Heat can be the silent danger on a motorcycle. It does not always seem so hot when riding until you stop and the sweat just falls. Dehydration can sneak up on a rider. Great tips. Thanks for sharing.
I ride all the time with gear, use light jacket in the summer, but always a helmet and gloves. I get warm but not to the point where I'm near heat exhaustion. I have an ice bottle and water bottle on me all the time. Many times I won't ride if it's just too hot and humid just not comfortable for me.
Terri Sargent ice water heats your body up as your core tries warming it up
Joker is right!
Enigma McC it's just like taking a warm shower instead of a cold one the cooler the water is the more your body is going to trying to keep your vital organs warm & protected & just the same in winter cooler water will warm your hands better than warm water will.
Correct me if I’m wrong but if you’re having heatstroke they don’t immerse your body in warm water.
Love your vids, Kevin! Great reminder! Fellow north Texas rider here, too. We got some welcome summer rain this week, but next week we’ll be back to 100 and higher.
I’m an ATGATT guy, and in the Texas summer, I’m in a long-sleeve UA HeatGear shirt and Klīm Apex Air jacket. They work well together, giving me air conditioning and shade everywhere I go!
Be safe, brother!
Thanks for the excellent videos! They are a great help especially to someone like me who’s returning to the riding scene after a 10 year break...
Thanks for the great tips, Kevin. Going on a ride tomorrow morning. Just the info I needed.
Kevin,
I agree with this video, i used to roof in South Carolina and long sleeves and pants really does work much better than anything else.
Awesome information thank you Sir. Thank you for your service. Have a great week
Kevin, what you shared is spot on! Keep up the great work of accurate information on the topic here!🤓. Doug
Thank you so much for your videos sir. I rode when I was in my 20s (I'm 45 now) and I just bought a goldwing from a good friend of mine.(yeah, I know. What was I thinking??!) I can't tell you how much your videos have helped me focus on safety as I've relearned how to ride these last few months. Especially since it is such a big bike! Every time I watch a video of yours , I learn something to put into practice on my next ride. Here in Alabama (Roll Tide) we are having heat indexes of close to 110 right now and humidity levels of nearly 3 feet below sea level. I'm excited to learn that proper safety gear isn't a pipe dream down here after all. I couldn't imagine being cooler in more clothing, but it makes sense. Next ride! Thanks again!
Hi Kevin, I am a farely new subscriber to MCrider and I am very thankful I decided to be a supporter. Its is one of the best investments I've made in bettering myself as a rider and helping others in our community become more skillful and aware. Your tips and insight on your Friday videos are invaluable. I live in the NYC area and we've had a spell of above 90 temperatures with high humidity. I try and compensate with riding early in the day or later in the evening. But most times I get caught out in the midst of the hottest point of the day in stop and go traffic and not having the understanding you've imparted to us today, I was about to make a critical mistake and shed off some gear. The only advantage I have is that I love to drink water and usually drink a couple of gallons a day. Thank you Kevin, your videos are the best part of my Friday mornings.
My name is James and I'll see you on the road.
Great video Kevin. I'm an Emergency Medicine physician, and your tips are spot on. I live in a very hot part of California, and have found that using the long sleeved t-shirt from LDComfort, wetting the garment down, then closing all the vents on my textile jacket, and loosening the cuffs to allow air to enter while moving, creates a layer of cool air within the jacket. Very effective and I re-wet when necessary just by pouring water down the jacket sleeves and onto the shirt.(hose works better if you can find one at the gas station) If you open all the vents, (or wear a mesh jacket) evaporation dries out the shirt too quickly. I get about an hour of bliss, and an hour of tolerable riding before needing to re-wet in 100+ degrees. In my experience, the various "cooling" neck bandannas are pretty useless. As you said, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Drink at least a pint or more of water at every stop and drink before you feel thirsty.
Kevin, Love your Channel!! I'm retired Army National Guard. While in MOPP 4 on Pelham Range - Ft McClellan, AL I had to take two bags of IV from the Medics after falling out. Fast forward in Death Valley, CA 118 degrees on my Indian Roadmaster I had to drink 2 gallons of water in that first store back into Nevada. I thought I was well hydrated going into each case. Great video!! Reminds me of a lot to do!! Thank You!!
I live and ride in the Philippines. Long sleeves are common for the reasons that you state. Great advice. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent reminders and new info. I usually read down the comments a bit and was glad to read someone else noticed and mentioned about the amount of salt needed in water, I also thought the amount "1 tablespoon" was a LOT.
Turns out it's just a small amount is needed, but it is important when hydration levels become stressed.
Thanks Kevin, your videos are a must for my riding re-start.
Cheers Always
Thank you for this very informative video. You are absolutely correct in your comments. But one of the biggest things you forgot to mention is the color of the clothing. Avoid black or dark colors. More heat is absorbed with darker materials, lighter colors tend to reflect some of the heat. One should also try to wear materials that wick the sweat off ones body and evaporate them as a cooling layer. So try the newer synthetics vs cotton. If the conditions are just too risky, avoid mid-day travel, or just use an air-conditioned vehicle on those dangerous days. It all boils down to good judgement.
This works for me:
1. Camelback loaded with ice and water and a touch of gatorade. My passenger takes charge and makes sure we drink every 15 minutes or so.
2. A long sleeve white t-shirt worked until I discovered a mesh jacket. Not only is it cooler, but offers padded protection. The air blows right through it.
3. A small wet hand towel rolled with ice cubes around my neck works wonders. As the ice melts, it wets and cools my t-shirt under the mesh jacket.
4. When you take a break, always park in the shade. It keeps your motorcycle and your equipment cooler.
5. Sunscreen on any exposed skin.
6. Check your route for traffic jams. I use my smart phone with google maps to check traffic conditions often. Heat building up in an air cooled motor is not good.
7. If you experience any of the heat exhaustion symptoms, find somewhere to cool down. Crossing Kansas once at 107 degrees, I became overheated so I spend 15 minutes in a walk in cooler at a convenience store. It seems like there are no shade trees in Kansas.(At least on my route).
Excellent session. An ounce of prevention of course is always worth a pound of cure.
Great Video, Kevin! I had a heat stroke in my back yard several years ago and learned the hard way that it takes 4 to 6 years before you can take the heat again. I was back out about 2 years later and thought would be fine now and had another stroke! After about 4 or 5 years, I could ease out it the heat and start getting used to it again.
Wow, Kevin, this is your best article yet. We were on a long ride couple of weeks ago, almost 300 miles and nine hours with stops in between and lunch, none the less, 9 hours. The heat was horrible. The result, this is my opinion. We lost one of our buddies at the end of the ride in a bad crash. He simply missed the last exit turn as he was existing towards home. No one saw the wreck because we had all split up in seperata ways at this point. I'm convinced he had "a medical moment" of some type. It was reported that he had been acting unsual thrui out the day. He waa 69. I am 65 and was completely exhasted. I had on a short sleve shirt and so did he. I had a full face helmet he was wearing a shorty. We are heartbroken over the loss. Your article speaks to the care of riding in this stuff in Oklahoma when it is over 100 degree's. Blessings to you, Kevin and keep up the good work.
Kevin, first let me thank you for putting together MCrider. The homework you've done really shows in the great quality of the videos ! From my perspective, a key value is that it causes the viewer to think...about safety, logistics of good cycling, and just how fun it can be. Thanks for producing The Field Guide and the patron program....nicely done !
As a rider since the early '70s (first baby was a Triumph TR6R (single-carb) babe magnet....always needing to keep your advice in mind !
As a pharmacist, I can't sign off with your NaCL in H20 recommendation, but let's just assume it was a blooper...but a bit salty let's say...
Living in Atlanta, we have all been trained that PowerAde with its electrolytes is the way to go to prevent dehydration and heat exhaustion.
Congratulations on a great site for bikers !
Color matters, white or light colors are much cooler than dark when in the sun
I agree; a white perforated jacket, wetted with cold water.
Thanks Kevin for the valuable informations on the topic
Big thing is you got people talking and thinking about it. I am an RN and you can't say enough when it comes to heat. People often have compromised cognitive abitity when the temp goes up, something to consider while riding. Job well done and another fine video.
Very good and very educational video! Thanks!
Living in Florida, so this video is right up my aisle. Thanks for the info concerning evaporative cooling vest, definitely going to give that a try.
When I was much younger I worked as a roofer for one summer. I wore thin material with long sleeves, but the work is hard, hot, potentially dangerous and the company didn't pay well enough to risk getting hurt. The owner liked to take short cuts and would often expect us to do something that should have required two people. Near the end of the summer he tried to pick up a 4x8 sheet of plywood by himself and a gust of wind hit that panel like a sail and off the roof and to the hospital he went. That was it for me. Nice vid and valuable information. Well done, Kevin.
Excellent video and great advice. Thanks!!
Great video Kevin. I live in myrtle beach south carolina. It gets brutual here 106 at times. What really helped me is a vented helmet keeps you cooler. We ride in evening when its really really hot. Ride safe....
Good advice. And thank you for your service!
Excellent video Kevin. Thank you!
Good information Kevin. I live in Las Vegas and the summers here can get brutal. Since I'm retired I don't have to ride in the extreme heat (over 100 f). But when I'm in the heat I always wear the gear. I use a textile jacket and also have breathable leather gloves. The neck water gator works really well. I carry two metal thermos bottles with water and drink them throughout the ride. Good tip about hydrating the day before. The tough part is waiting at the long lights.
I also took training at Ft McClellan in the dead of summer (July 77) and you are right, the heat was brutal. Also did the same exercise you described in the field maneuvers. Many folks dropped out due to the heat.
Did a two week cross country trip to Cali from Ga in May. Wore light colored long sleeve shirts and khaki pants. No issues.
Great advice!! I am here in Sac, where you once visited. The one time I took a spin around the neighborhood without full gear, on a 90+ degree day, I was surprised it wasn't much cooler. But I ride with a Dianese City Guard vented and armored jacket. Only other thoughts on cooling: I have a spray bottle with battery powered fan built in. That can help in cooling. And when super hot, ice packs or super cold wet towels under the arms cools super fast. These tactics are used in medical situations. We are going to have 95 degree days at the track this weekend. I always bring a large cooler full of ice water.
Nice message. I like the reference to the roofers. Makes sense!
The wind on your bare skin also accelerates dehydration because it dries your skin out fast so your body is constantly pushing water to your skin (largest organ) in attempts to keep it hydrated.
Not even close.
Um...yes? Hence why long sleeves to retain your sweat longer before aids in evaporation of heat. The slower skin dries out, the slower it needs to use up the water in your system. Trust me...I'm a webMD doctor.
Thanks for another great video Kevin. I use one of the mesh jackets with armor at the shoulders, elbows, and back and it works great. If it's really hot, I can remove my windshield and the jacket almost feels like air conditioning! (Almost!!!!) The jacket is also safety yellow and reflective and has a removable liner for use in cooler weather. The light color helps quite a bit. Thanks again and ride safe.
Amazing tips! Thanks from Texas.
Hi Kevin,
Another great video thanks. When riding long distances I find it very helpful to carry a camel back, so you can easily top up your fluids on the go. I find particularly when your feeling a little tired a good hit of cool water really helps with your concentration.
Priceless knowledge! Thank you so much sir!
Thanks, Kevin. Good, simple advice.
Good video buddy. A+ I live in south AZ where it gets to hot to ride a motor cycle. I see a lot of guys who are not helping their passenger. Some wet the take out part of their ridding jacket and that helps some. All good ideas and thanks again.
I ride in the Phoenix area year round. All your tips are right on. The cooling vests last about an hour when it's hot, so stopping every hour to get out of the heat, hydrate and re-soak the vest and helmet liner make it possible.
Thanks for making this video.
I will be riding in Colombia where it is quite warm. Very informative and valuable tips. :)
Guilty as charged, Kevin. I do need to pull on that jacket. I do wear gloves, thick jeans and boots, but obviously not enough! Thx again, and have a great week. 🏍👍🏍
I noticed you eventually say, "This works in dry heat." The humidity down here in Houston is bad. When the humidity is up, the sweat does not evaporate as well, thus limiting the cooling.
I have two different sets of riding gear for winter and summer. The summer gear consists of mesh pants and mesh jacket. I also ride with my visor completely down with all vents open on my helmet and my windshield completely lowered. Hot wind to the face is definitely a problem when riding especially since the air is super heating your head.
I went through basic and AIT at Ft. McClellan Oct84-Feb85. Loved that place, especially getting away from there!
It's July in Oklahoma. Thanks for the tips.
Awesome piece of advice.Thanks.
FYI there was a professional rugby player who died from heatstroke in January (I think) while he was doing preseason conditioning in New Guinea...he was already a super fit guy, but you really can’t exert yourself during hot weather without taking precautions...hydration, clothing, and rest at required times
the cooling towels which were mentioned in the video - "called the rags" really do work. I use in Middle East for riding and golfing. trick is to soak in cool water, squeeze out lightly the excess water and then put the towel around the neck, on the head (under the helmet) or whatever you wish. Thanks for the video - really applicable for temps of greater than 40degrees!
Your the Best
I was riding today practicing braking and swerving
Practice Practice Practice!!!
I'm a roofer in Illinois we wear basketball shorts and socks and shoes and that's basically it. But we also have jugs and jugs of water and Gatorade and take shade breaks but when I'm on my bike I wear full gear and stop often to hydrate. Great video as usual.
I like a gatorade cocktail 1/3 gatorade and 2/3 water gives you some salt and sugar and the water you need works like a charm.
another great video Kevin thanks.
Following you from Bangladesh.. lots of skill learn from you .. specially cornering and turning... thanks...
I was always wondering why wearing the same normal winter jacket during the summer my body is feeling a lot cooler by sweating since i drink a lot of water. Sometimes colleagues lough at me for that reason but that jacket saves me from a lot stuff including skins burns. Thank you for creating this channel and keep up the great work.
Very timely video. I live down the road from you in Louisiana so I know about the heat too! What I do once it gets above 100 is wear a long sleeve hi vis t-shirt with sports elbow pads underneath. Of course long jeans, boots and gloves. I know the t-shirt and elbow pads isn't ideal but I cannot wear my Airglide jacket when it's that hot as I got overheated wearing it recenlty.
Ice cubes in the internal mesh pockets of your summer riding jacket. All those storage areas are made for ice cubes on intense heat days . They melt fairly fast here in East Texas but then they turn into water! Humidity does play a big part of which way to go. Thanks for bringing this up.
Thank you for such a valuable information
Hey Kevin. In Summer I use a Furygan Mistral Evo jacket. Fantastic. Full protection, light but most importantly, loads of ventilation. They're available in several colours, but I got a tan one to reflect direct sunlight. Works a treat with my Ixon ventilated trousers! 😎
Thanks for your service
I'm assiduous about sleeves (denim jacket in heat) and pants, but mainly because I have severe psoriasis and any abrasion, no matter how small, causes an outbreak. Glad to know it's providing other benefits, because I'm in Louisiana and it's hot as balls here in the summer. Thanks for the info!
Appropriate topic for practically the entire continental United states right now. Thanks Kevin!
For sweat evaporation and air flow bare skin is best, but clothing takes the radiation, which can keep skin cooler in direct sunlight. On a motorcycle you get so much air flow that you really don't need to worry about that, so no point in bare skin. And while asphalt is softer when it's hot, it's still harder than elbows and knees.
esa062 Actually, no. Better than bare skin is a tight fitting, light colored, long sleeve, moisture wicking (eg, thin merino wool, or micro-fiber) shirt. Sounds wrong, but try it. You'll actually feel the cool. It's because that shirt takes your sweat and SPREADS it evenly and ENCOURAGES evaporation (surface tension of the water molecules is lower on the surface of such a shirt than as droplets on the surface of your skin). Note: this won't happen with cotton! It holds onto water.
Yes, that may be right. But on motorcycle the airflow is so strong, that evaporating the sweat is no problem, as long as the gear doesn't block the airflow too much. Blocking heat radiation, while letting air through and protecting from injury is what hot weather gear needs to do.
The temp. and humidity matter on skin or clothing. If the sweat drips off your skin, it does very little cooling of your body. The sweat has to evaporate in place to cool. Clothing helps the sweat stay on your body.
Hello Kevin, As I mention to you months back that my Grandson and I were holding up a family tradition of crossing the country on our bikes. Well we did just that and when we got to the Mojave and Death Valley the temps were 120 plus. The local motorcycle shop in Las Vegas gave us a great tip, drink Pedialyte first thing in the AM, drink the entire bottle not just a glass. We had replaced the air in the tires with nitrogen before we started so bikes and riders made the hot ride just fine, but that pool at the end of the day was sure welcome.
Ed Boutwell, Mendon, Vt.
Excellent advice. Thank you
Once a person has a heat stroke (a true heat stroke, not just heat exhaustion). They will never be able to handle the heat again. They have to be very mindful of the heat they are in , because of the damage their system has already suffered. I had a heat stroke in 2008 that put me in the ER. I have to watch it very close when the temp outside are, in the mid to upper 80's and above. The heat can sneak up on you before you know it. And then it's to late. Just be careful and drink lots of liquids and take plenty of breaks and get inside and cool off. Been There and its not pleasant.
Good to know you'll never be same after heat stroke. That's the best warning anyone could give.
Thank you
This is a really important subject. I wonder how many people have been riding all day and at the end of the day they are starting to suffer from the heat and they are riding impaired.
In South Ga we had a doctor ride with us, he made sure we stayed hydrated, and before rides and if a long ride, at lunch, he would try to get us to do stretching exercises.
Stay hydrated and at the end of the ride you will feel a lot better.
Very instructive, thanks
Good morning Kevin great advice me and my wife do that all the time when we go out.We live in S.C it can get ass kicking at time's when we go out have a great weekend see you next fri Al.
All the gear, all the time! As a sport touring rider (2013 Yamaha FJR), on hot, long-distance rides I always carry my Camelback with a "Koolkit" frozen pack in it. The pack usually lasts about 3 hours. I'll also keep a couple of bottles of water in my tailcase to refill it if need be. And the cheap cooling towel I bought at Walmart works great too!
Hi Kevin. First.... I love your channel.. I'm new back to riding, after 30 plus years off a bike. Just waiting on getting scheduled to take the beginner's safety course. Second..... I live about an hour way in Alabama from Ft McClellon so I understand how heat and humidity are here !!! Keep up the great work sir! quick idea that I see on another channel, maybe you could incorporate into your videos,, this particular channel showcases the owner riding bikes that he sells and just before the actual ride you quotes a Bible verse. I believe if God rides with you then your odds certainly exponentially increase in staying safe.
Mesh jackets and the new cool out underware work very well for staying cooler.. the wet shirt method works well also but when it's 106 degrees they dry out quickly.
I also ride in SC I bought the fly hydration vest for 35 bucks wet it in the sink and it keeps my cool for a hour and a half. It keeps me much cooler.I wear a water bag on my back.
Sorry for my late entry. A similar issue I experienced was working or standing in high heat, my foot gear and my feet would feel a burning sensation; 100/110+ degrees in Arizona low country. After trying many possible remedies, I found that my above ankle or higher, boots that were insulated were the coolest! I took grief from coworkers but I also made a believer of a few. My riding boots now days are always waterproof and insulated with great protection and no burning. Good Riding
I live in Las Vegas and ride every day in 100+ degree heat (sometimes 118!!!). Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!! I also use “Cool-danas” soaked and wrapped around my neck. Keeps me comfortable and added bonus, keeps the sun off my neck. I still have a bikers tan though, neck and wrists.... unavoidable! LOL awesome video, thank you for sharing.
Midland, Texas here and yes, riding can be a real bear in the area when the weather tops 100. Stay hydrated, carry some water and keep covered. The sun is not your friend, lol. My gear in summer is a mostly white mesh jacket (armored) black/ white helmet and white black gloves. No need to wear dark colors that absorb heat. By pants are armored jeans but not really a huge issue. Evap vests are great in low humidity areas like our area. Great video. No need to look like a pirate, be smart and wear gear that actually does something. We ride Motorcycles for fun, for the image for a lot of things. We are the last rebels, do your thing and be awesome.
I had melanoma 13 years ago so I’ve covered up ever since. One thing that makes a big difference in staying cool is wearing compression t shirts under your vented long sleeve skirt. Those t shirts wick up the sweat and have a cooling effect as the water evaporates. If sweat is running down your bare skin and puddling in your shorts it’s not cooling your body as well as it should be.