Posted by Doug Gellman on August 09, 2000 at 23:26:48:
In Reply to: Riding in HOT Weather? posted by WDO on August 09, 2000 at 05:19:38:
Lisa,
I always ride no matter ho hot it gets (I live in Charlottesville, Va) and I always wear full protection. I know too many people spending years in and out of hospitals getting skin graft after skin graft. I wear a synthetic Motoport Canyon jacket with foam armor. Under it I use a wet bandoo (a bandanna with silica beads that hold onto moisture after you've wetted it down). Studies show that your safer in high heat keeping your jacket on, because you sweat less. Sounds strange, but it's true. Without a jacket, the wind immediately causes convective heat loss, wisking your persperation away, so your body comensates by perspiring even more. Thus you lose H2O faster, making you more susceptable to heat-stroke. With a jacket on, although you are hotter, your perspiration stays on the skin and your overall H2O loss is less.
I also always wear jeans with temperfoam armor underneath. All of it is sometimes uncomfortable in 100+ temperatures when I am stopped, but when I'm over 35mph I do quite fine.
Whatever you do, just remember to drink copious amounts of water and be safe!
-Doug