What Gear Do You Wear When...?

[JeffOlson]

What gear do you wear when:

• It is 42 degrees in the morning but it will be 90 degrees during your afternoon commute home?
• It is 115 degrees and traffic is barely moving, not even at a first-gear pace?
• It is raining cats and dogs and you need to arrive at, say, a courthouse in a suit and tie but the parking lot at your destination is uncovered, so you have to change standing out in the rain next to your bike?

I find it very easy to dress for one temperature and type of weather, but it is much harder to dress for changing weather or changing clothes upon arrival.

[Mark West]

In California, dealing with a wide temp range is very common. I've seen temps from the low 40's to 100 in the same day. I can't say I've found anything that would keep you comfortable for a 50 degree swing. You just have to stop and remove/add layers from time to time.

Heater liners with adjustable thermostat will allow you to go a long time before having to remove layers.

Don't worry about the traffic cause we lane split and I guess if it was raining and I was headed to court in a suit, I'd take a car.

[Nic in Western NYS]

Same outerwear all the time, varying number of underlayers depending on low temp.  I wear leather overpants and a neck 'warmer' even in hot weather.  Regarding underlayers, can always take more off but can't put more on if you haven't packed them.  I keep a range of gloves in the topcase and so the only prep is to keep the batteries charged for the heated gloves if they'll be useful. When I need to 'make an entrance' in business attire, I generally don't ride for the exact reason you've stated.  If I can enter in riding gear and change on site, then an umbrella and nice looking pannier liners help. 

[Red Dog]

Saddle bags or a cargo net to haul different gear.

At some jobs I used to keep a change of clothes/rain gear.

For rain I mostly use the leathers, I make my own waterproofing.  The vinyl rain suits are too noisy & heat up too quick for me.

[canuguzzi]

When it's a 115 degrees outside I wear a jacket.

That makes up for the air conditioned cafe I'm sitting in because the idea of riding the Norge when it's 115 is hard to take.

[Wayne Orwig]

What gear do you wear when:

• It is 42 degrees in the morning but it will be 90 degrees during your afternoon commute home?
• It is 115 degrees and traffic is barely moving, not even at a first-gear pace?
• It is raining cats and dogs and you need to arrive at, say, a courthouse in a suit and tie but the parking lot at your destination is uncovered, so you have to change standing out in the rain next to your bike?

I find it very easy to dress for one temperature and type of weather, but it is much harder to dress for changing weather or changing clothes upon arrival.

1. Aerostich and a liner
2. Mesh jacket.
3. Aerostich.

[PJPR01]

When it's a 115 degrees outside I wear a jacket.

That makes up for the air conditioned cafe I'm sitting in because the idea of riding the Norge when it's 115 is hard to take.

Try 115 and 99% humidity...  Welcome to Houston summers!

[Dilliw]

1. Olympia Transition jacket.  I'd like the Transition pants as well (Motoquest I think) and might add them this fall but right now I just have non vented overpants.

2. Avoid that situation like the plague.  Mesh if you must.

3. Olympia Transition.

[JeffOlson]

Layers seem to be the key to dealing with wide temperature swings during the day. The only trouble with layers is they require storage space on the bike or in a back pack. (Fortunately, the Norge has storage space.)

When it is 115 degrees out and traffic is slower than a walking pace, perhaps I should not worry too much about protective gear (or just take my car with its A/C blasting).

[Toecutter]

I always wear the same gear, but layer differently under it.

Boots, riding pants, jacket, helmet, wool neck wrap thingy (brand name "Buff"), gloves.

if it's cold, wool under. If it's really cold, a couple of layers of wool.

If it's hot, I soak the neck wrap in ice water, and wear a t-shirt under my jacket. Yeah, I sweat, so I pack water.

I feel naked in anything less, honestly. I can't do it.

And, I worry more about cold weather than *really hot* weather where I live. It does get hot, but a scorcher is only about 33 degrees C for us.

[drlapo]

I "wear" an automobile

[JeffOlson]

^ Ha!

I just checked the outside temperature. It is 90 degrees here in LA, er, Portland! I will probably stuff my leather jacket in a saddle bag and ride home in my shirt sleeves...

[rocker59]

Same outerwear all the time, varying number of underlayers depending on low temp. 

 :1:

[not-fishing]

40 degrees I wear my extra layer of natural insulation and a mesh jacket.  does that make me look fat?

90-100 degrees I wear my extra layer of natural insulation and a mesh jacket. 

My problem is I can't take off my natural insulation.

[charlie b]

The suit and tie case?  I take the car.  If I need to look 'good' enough for a suit and tie then the bike is not an option, it rumples the suit too much.

For the other cases I have the Tourmaster Flex III jacket and pants.  The jacket is good enough for 20F to 100F which is why I bought it.  When cold the exterior part is worn and sometimes a fleece jacket under it.  As it warms up I unzip the vents, then when hot I take off the outer part, which leaves me with a full mesh jacket.

Others will swear by a suit like a stich and just use vents to control, but, when there is no airflow it can create issues as well.

When temps are over 100F it is just hot and you need to take careful measures to keep from getting overheated no matter what you wear or don't wear.

[jacksonracingcomau]

Takes a minute to put top layer on, for cold or rain, I choose my jacket for trip I'm on but perforated or mesh every bit as warm as anything else if you cover it with windproof / waterproof. Off and packed in same time
I've never understood stopping to put layers underneath, layer up not down

http://jacksonracing.com.au/videos/Won-Z%20-Large%20/Won-Z%20-Large%20-desktop.m4v

[charlie b]

Which is why a lot of people swear by the Motoport armored underlayer.  Then wear whatever you want over it.

[sturgeon]

Aerostich Transit suit in all temps from below freezing to about 28C. Heated jacket liner and gloves below 5C. Above 28C I add a cooling vest (the kind you soak in water). I've tried mesh gear, just dehydrates the hell out of me. The 'Stich is waterproof.

[toaster404]

Starting out cold, disposable.  Newspapers stuffed in jacket.  Wind barrier from garbage bag.  Can find replacements with coming evening or gain in altitude.

Suit?  Put it in a suit bag and roll it up!

[rocker59]

What gear do you wear when:

• It is 42 degrees in the morning but it will be 90 degrees during your afternoon commute home?
• It is 115 degrees and traffic is barely moving, not even at a first-gear pace?
• It is raining cats and dogs and you need to arrive at, say, a courthouse in a suit and tie but the parking lot at your destination is uncovered, so you have to change standing out in the rain next to your bike?

I find it very easy to dress for one temperature and type of weather, but it is much harder to dress for changing weather or changing clothes upon arrival.

Jeff,

Last year I had this same dilemma.  I was going to ride in the Colorado Classic 1000.  A 24 hours / 1000 mile ride on 2-lane highways in Colorado.  It has a reputation for cold, hot, rain, sleet, and whatever else The Rockies can throw at you.

My answer was to buy an Olympia Odyssey Vent Tech suit.  Waterproof, vented 1-piece textile suit with armor.  I wanted to do away with carrying a separate rain suit, and do away with at least one layer of clothing, and still handle the potential 50-degree temperature swing.

It worked. 

When we left Denver at 5am it was in the 50s.  By the time we crested Kenosha Pass, it was 35-degrees.  Later in the day at Grand Junction, it was about 90-degrees, and was warm all the way down to Dove Creek.  During this time all I had on under the suit was two lightweight layers.  When it was hot, I had all the vents open and it was tolerable, while moving.

Later that night, around midnight, I added a turtle neck and my silk glove liners.  All vents closed hours earlier, when the sun went down.

It was around 40 degrees in Cripple Creek when we arrived at the finish and I had been feeling cool for the past hour.  Not "cold", but beginning to get that way.  No rain, but the suit held up well to the temperature extremes and the 22.5 hour ride.

I stil haven't tested it in the rain, but I've used it a few more times commuting to work in the winter, and riding to a few Guzzi events.  I'm not a 1-piece suit kind of guy.  I've never owned one before, but it has worked pretty well for me.  The only gripe I have is that the arms are huge and catch a lot of wind, which can be annoying on a windy day.

You might give the Olympia Odyssey a look.

[JeffOlson]

^ That looks pretty nice!

I have been thinking about a one-piece textile suit that is better than the Scorpion suit that I already have, something like yours or maybe even the BMW Coverall suit that is made for year-round commuting in work clothes underneath.

I would definitely need something vented yet waterproof and something with very, very long leg zippers (like the BMW Coverall) so I wouldn't need to remove my boots to take it off or put it on. (I wear nice-looking Danner boots with my suit and tie.)

[Farmer Dan]

I wear a jacket from Milwaukee Performance that has reflecting trim and piping and a zip out liner.  For them cold trips home (I work second shift so ride at midnight alot) I keep a down vest rolled up in one of the saddlebags.  When it rains I get wet, I gave up on rains suites 25 years ago because none of them keep me dry.

[rocker59]

^ That looks pretty nice!

I have been thinking about a one-piece textile suit that is better than the Scorpion suit that I already have, something like yours or maybe even the BMW Coverall suit that is made for year-round commuting in work clothes underneath.

I would definitely need something vented yet waterproof and something with very, very long leg zippers (like the BMW Coverall) so I wouldn't need to remove my boots to take it off or put it on. (I wear nice-looking Danner boots with my suit and tie.)

This one of mine has chest and back vents.  Also the sleeves are vented full length.

The leg zippers come all the way up to hip, so no problem stepping in and out with business casual office clothes.

Zippers are waterproof type with rubber.  Plus, there is a flap with velcro over every zipper.

Works well.

Only niggle is that the legs are one way zippers.  Only up from the bottom.  No down from the top, for venting, like on some suits...

[sturgeon]

What is this 'suit and tie' of which you speak? 

[charlie b]

It's what you wear to funerals and weddings :)

I like that Olympia suit.

[sturgeon]

It's what you wear to funerals and weddings :)

Ah, that explains my mystification. According to my wife, I ain't ever gettin' married, and when I die there are strict instructions as to how I'm to be 'dressed'.

[groundhog105]

Vanson perforated leather pants and jacket. Warm n safe electric liner until it's warm enough not to need it.  This set up works great only I have to carry rain gear when traveling.

[guzzipete]

I live the Pacific Northwest and in 50+ years of riding I have found this works best for me.

Summer I wear a t-shirt, yellow mesh jacket, 40 year old Langlitz leather pants, waterproof riding boots. If it is cool, I add the rain liner that came with the jacket and a Freeze Out neck wrap. Gloves are short mesh gloves if the temps are hot or unlined and uninsulated gauntlet gloves if the temps are cold.

Winter I wear a thermal turtle neck, a hi-viz 3/4 waterproof  fabric jacket, unlined and uninsulated gauntlet gloves, the Langlitz leather pants and waterproof riding boots. If it gets really cold, I add a heated jacket liner, Freeze Out neck wrap and Freeze Out glove liners. If I think my hands might get cold even with the glove liners, I ride the bike with the heated grips.

I wear jeans under the leather pants and Costco tube socks. Helmet is a modular.

I am toying with the idea of getting a pair of Bohn Armored Pants to replace the jeans. However because I own a Guzzi the price gives me pause.

[lucydad]

Exactly the situation when I rent and ride in my home town of Durango in about ten days.  Taking my Aerostich leathers, that is what.  Also remembering glove liners.