What are you wearing?

What are you wearing?

Author
Discussion

CAPP0

Original Poster:

19,533 posts

202 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
quotequote all
What are we all wearing for the commute, in these few days of summer? Clearly Fleegle has dug out the carbon/kevlar mankini, but I just haven't got the physique for that.

Resorted to an old leather jacket which is fully-perforated on the front and the arms, but all of my trousers are heavy, except my enduro pants which don't really have any armour. Jacket has a weird zip too, really coarse, which won't join to anything I own, have to get that changed.

Even my thinnest race gloves are too hot. May have to resort to offroad jobbies if this keeps up.

This isn't a knock thread for the shorts and havaianas brigade, although there are plenty of those around. In any case, my commute is over 30 miles inc motorway, so no kit is not an option.

kiethton

13,883 posts

179 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
quotequote all
Only low-speed off-peak commuting so I'm in my normal kit minus the jacket

Armoured jeans
Racer gloves
AGV K3 SV lid
and my work shirt half un-buttoned....

Do have my jacket (frank thomas gortex textile thing) in my backpack though

Wildfire

9,774 posts

251 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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For the daily schlep when it's dry:

Hornee/Draggin jeans with D30 Armour
A* jacket with D30
Held Gloves
Sidi ST Boots
Kreiga R30

Wet

Hein Gericke GoreTex Performance Shell suit
A* Web GoreTex boots
Held GoreTex gloves
Kreiga R30 (love my Kreiga)


black-k1

11,889 posts

228 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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I’m currently sweating like a rapist in my full 2 piece BKS leathers. As my commute is 75 miles each way, with town, motorway and country roads, I wouldn’t be happy doing it all in tee shirt and flip flops.

I have been very impressed with the new Outlast lining http://www.bksleather.co.uk/products/accessories/b... in my new suit as I didn’t get as hot as I expected and riding home yesterday afternoon when the thermometer was saying 35, was just about bearable.

tom_e

346 posts

98 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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Only thing I've change from my usual kit is my jacket to a crap cheap Buffalo mesh job that I had lying around, it's ballistic nylon and armoured but I still reckon it'd be as much use as tissue paper if I actually had an off.

Apart from that I'm in my usual A* GP Plus gloves, Hood kevlar jeans and Dainese fulcrum boots.

Dakkon

7,826 posts

252 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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I did skip wearing my over trousers today and yesterday, so just boots, jacket, gloves and helmet.

sjtscott

4,215 posts

230 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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I've deleted the boil in the bag goretex trousers - leg vents do nothing to help, so just jeans this week as I'm just riding in London - however hot it gets I always wear proper biking boots though. Fully vented summer gloves, my goretex jacket all vents open. New GT Air helmet in top gun internal sunvisor down main visor up - which works very well. As long as your moving its not too bad in 30deg plus heat. However at traffic lights the engine gives my legs a nice toasting.
Even given this its better than the tube I had to endure yesterday peak time.

creampuff

6,511 posts

142 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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black-k1 said:
I’m currently sweating like a rapist...
That's a good one. Not as good as "sweating like a pedophile on a school bus" though.

IMHO if your gear is too hot, you will make mistakes. Hot days I use mesh gear which is full of tiny holes. Lets the air through.

Moulder

1,463 posts

211 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
quotequote all
I am wearing the same as usual, but out of 33 miles only 1 at the start and maybe the last 2 are urban which is where you tend to get hot. Also there is no engine heat from a maxi-scooter which I notice on my other bikes.

Richa textile jacket with the inner padded liner out but the other one in, textile trousers (no liner) over my work trousers, usual boots and gloves. Writing that it sounds like I should be roasting, but it is fine.

Flip side is Monday evening I rode my Vespa around for an hour in jeans, t-shirt, and an open facer which was absolutely fantastic, though feel I should get a stick on beard for such occasions...

spookly

4,011 posts

94 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
quotequote all
T-shirt, flip flops and shorts + Lid.

But I do work from home and was only popping to the local shop for fags and coffee.

RizzoTheRat

25,085 posts

191 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
quotequote all
My current commuting kit is shorts, t-shirt and trainers, but then again I'm not on the bike. I take the trainers off for the last couple of km jog/wade down the beach biggrin

My hot weather kit is Draggin Zipoffs with Knoxx Crossguard knee armour (straps to my leg so much more secure than armour attached to the trousers) and a Hein Gerike Air 2 jacket. If it's below about 25 degrees I need to wear a fleece under the jacket though biggrin Can't remember what make my vented gloves are but even with handguards fitted to the bike they get plenty of airflow.

I really need to get some summer boots though, goretex ones get a bit sweaty...

ETA: re. the OP's jacket zip comment, my Air 2 has a groin strap to stop it riding up (I had to lengthen it a couple of inches though as I'm quite long in the back), but to wear my other jacket (HG Master IV) with draggins I sewed some loops on to the other half of the zip that came with the jacket, and feed the belt of the trousers through the loops.

Edited by RizzoTheRat on Wednesday 20th July 09:37

SAS Tom

3,398 posts

173 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
quotequote all
Mesh kit for me too but it was still too hot. A black bike isn't such a good idea in this heat, neither is having a V4 where the rear cylinders/exhaust do a good job of heating everything up underneath you.

Fleegle

16,688 posts

175 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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Replaced leather jeans with normal jeans and swapped my all weather alpinestar touring jacket with a BKS retro jacket

The only protection I have conceded really is my knees. It will all be back to normal by the weekend I expect

Mr OCD

6,388 posts

210 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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Same as I wear any other time of year on the commute minus the linings... if I get hot it's merely for 10-15 mins. ... rest is motorway / dual carriageway so not an issue.

Rawwr

22,722 posts

233 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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A Ford Focus.

lindrup119

1,228 posts

142 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
quotequote all
A colleague told me I was going to literally die wearing my jacket in the heat yesterday afternoon.

I said I'd rather literally die than lose the skin off my back.

black-k1

11,889 posts

228 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
quotequote all
creampuff said:
black-k1 said:
I’m currently sweating like a rapist...
That's a good one. Not as good as "sweating like a pedophile on a school bus" though.

IMHO if your gear is too hot, you will make mistakes. Hot days I use mesh gear which is full of tiny holes. Lets the air through.
I agree completely. The leathers are fine once I can get over 20 to 30mph but for the in town part of my commute, they’re not ideal.

Biker 1

7,694 posts

118 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
quotequote all
Dainese Shotgun mesh jacket - like wearing a T shirt. Excellent kit.
Work trousers - slightly harder wearing than denim, but not kevlar....
Alpinestars Wind Stopper gloves - a bit clammy when it was 33C yesterday, but bearable.
Shark Vancore lid - lots of ventilation, but properly noisy & not a great fit.
Over ankle work boots

bennyboysvuk

3,491 posts

247 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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Only a shortish commute for me, I still just go with the usual gear, but with the vents open.

Dainese Laguna Seca Estiva 1 piece
Alpinestars GP Plus gloves
Black Arai Axcess 2 lid
Sidi Roarr boots

Sadly, the whole lot's black and I'm kinda thinking that a white crash helmet would probably have been a better choice.

I'm pretty sure that the 22 degrees this morning is the hottest weather I've ever experienced at that time of day in the UK.

308mate

13,757 posts

221 months

Wednesday 20th July 2016
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Boots by alpine stars, jeans by diesel and business shirt by TM Lewin. biggrin

I'm no ATGATTer at the best of times, let alone when its 34 degrees in central London traffic on an aircooled 1200.