Mesh Riding Pants...

[Cool Runnings]

Tried the old Joe Rocket mesh pants (and jacket) on today. My memories serve me correct, they are horribly uncomfortable in hot weather. These things DON'T breathe and your arse sweats without relief. Put some long cotton pants on instead and at least I was comfortable (upper eighties F). I know, little protection from road rash, but those Joe Rocket mesh pants are going to be tossed.

Are all these 'MESH' pants horribly uncomfortable, if not so, convince me otherwise! 

[bad Chad]

I wear armored mesh pants over cargo shorts on most hot trips.  They are no fun sitting still, but neither are jeans.  Once on the open road they do a pretty good job for me.

[Guzzistajohn]

I like my mesh pants. I wear a pair of cut off sweats under them. No seams no pockets cotton layer. Works for me.

[twowings]

Bohn Under Armor paired with Moto Skiveez under denim or Magellan Camp Pants works good for me...

[LowRyter]

I have JR mesh over pants too.  They are hot, even with swim trunks underneath. 

Don't what is better.  Anything cooler that can protect you?  Don't know of anything else.

[stevet]

Stay tuned, in the coming days my Motoport mesh Kevlar (with stretch Kevlar backside) pants should be arriving.  I bought them for warm and dry summer conditions to replace my Aerostich Darien pants in such conditions.  Big kudos for them at ADVrider.com.  Here, too, to a smaller extent.

Honestly, in the mid-80s and warmer temps, with these tropical humidity levels we've had here in MN recently, I don't bother with the motocycles, just too hot to be comfortable (or safe from heat stress?) in all the gear.  So, I figured try these pants and maybe I'll be riding more in mid-summer.

Steve.

[redrider]

Tourmaster Venture pants over wicking fabric compression shorts. We've been in the triple digits here in SC quite a bit recently. This weekend on the range was not too bad with the cooling neck thingy and long sleeve hydrophilic shirt. Same shorts under tan Proper tactical pants. Lots of water intake and Cal-Mag pills. Himalayan salt sprinkled on the dinner plate. All is well.

[SmithSwede]

I highly recommend LD Comfort microfiber underwear.  Or any microfiber with no seams in the seat area.

And I like a bead seat cover.  For one thing, it keep air circulating under your behind.  Makes a big difference.

Other than that, I figure nothing short of being in an air conditioned box will help.  If its humid and 103, and you are moving, and sitting on a hot bike, well, you are just gonna be hot

[Cool Runnings]

To me MESH pants = polyester pants.  The fabrication does not breathe in the same way that natural fibers do despite its appealing attributes.

[Cool Runnings]

I highly recommend LD Comfort microfiber underwear.  Or any microfiber with no seams in the seat area.

And I like a bead seat cover.  For one thing, it keep air circulating under your behind.  Makes a big difference.

Other than that, I figure nothing short of being in an air conditioned box will help.  If its humid and 103, and you are moving, and sitting on a hot bike, well, you are just gonna be hot

Cotton pants and I was fine, MESH sucked, in the garbage they go.

[charlie b]

Well, at a certain point it is just hot and nothing will help except air conditioning or cold water poured over the body.  :)

Until you get to that point...I like my Tourmaster Venture Air pants.  I just wear a pair of shorts under them.  Jeans are not as cool as they are.  Light cotton pants are the only thing cooler but I won't usually ride in them.

But.....in the old days, when I was at grad school in AZ, I wore shorts and tshirt on the bike to classes.  It was still hot.  :)

[ITSec]

Tried the old Joe Rocket mesh pants (and jacket) on today. My memories serve me correct, they are horribly uncomfortable in hot weather. These things DON'T breathe and your arse sweats without relief. Put some long cotton pants on instead and at least I was comfortable (upper eighties F). I know, little protection from road rash, but those Joe Rocket mesh pants are going to be tossed.

Are all these 'MESH' pants horribly uncomfortable, if not so, convince me otherwise! 

Upper eighties and you think it's hot?!? Come visit me in Las Vegas - it was only 45 or so here today, but that's Celsius    Translated, about 112-115 depending on where in the valley you were.

If I'm going on the highway, I wear Joe Rocket Alter Ego mesh pants with LD Comfort or Cyclegear Heat-Out full length underwear. To deal with the sweaty bum problem, just open the leg zipper from the top down about 3 inches, and the airflow increases substantially. You may have to tug the opening a bit to make it catch the air, but it works. The poly underwear is essential regardless of what pants you wear, since you must wick the moisture away from the skin to get cool.

[Cool Runnings]

I'm thinking MESH is nothing more than a marketing scam.

You think you need MESH when it's HOT, yet the stuff really does not really work that well.

I've baked too many time wearing the stuff.

[Cool Runnings]

Upper eighties and you think it's hot?!? Come visit me in Las Vegas - it was only 45 or so here today, but that's Celsius    Translated, about 112-115 depending on where in the valley you were.

If I'm going on the highway, I wear Joe Rocket Alter Ego mesh pants with LD Comfort or Cyclegear Heat-Out full length underwear. To deal with the sweaty bum problem, just open the leg zipper from the top down about 3 inches, and the airflow increases substantially. You may have to tug the opening a bit to make it catch the air, but it works. The poly underwear is essential regardless of what pants you wear, since you must wick the moisture away from the skin to get cool.

Hu-muggity my friend. Las Vegas is dry as a popcorn fart.

[redrider]

A lot of miles in the SC heat and humidity and the Tourmaster Draft jacket and Venture pants are a welcome piece of kit. (Suspenders are a necessity though) As others have said, hot is hot. Get a CG cooling vest, fitted snug and go riding. It works best with a mesh jacket outer. I remember Nebraska and having to wet my T shirt under the Pilot jacket zipped halfway. So 80's.

[blackcat]

I have some brand of mesh pants along with a Vanson mess jacket.  I hope to never crash while wearing this stuff because I have no confidence in their ability to save my skin but I guess it is better than a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

[Cool Runnings]

Long-Distance Riding in Hot Weather

Now consider what happens when
we move from indoors to a motorcycle.
Assume that we are riding a motorcycle
with no fairing and wearing light clothing
or a mesh riding suit that doesn’t
block the wind, the front surface of our
body (about one square meter) is exposed
to the full effect of the wind. Because
convective heat transfer is a function of
the velocity of the air over the surface
of the skin, the heat transferred into the
body increases significantly. At 103°F air
temperature, the convective heat transfer
increases from just 22 watts under calm
conditions to 550 watts at freeway speeds.
This is the opposite of “wind chill;” a
light breeze can still enhance evaporative
cooling but above 93°F a strong wind is
heating the body.

The secret to avoiding heat stroke
when riding in extremely hot weather is
to cut down the convective heat transfer
by blocking most of the wind. This can
be accomplished by using a fairing and
windscreen and/or by wearing a helmet
and riding suit that blocks the wind and
has vents to allow a lower velocity of air
to pass over your skin. By knocking the
air velocity down to about 10 mph, the
convective heat transfer is reduced by
70% and there is still plenty of air flow
for efficient evaporative cooling.

The magic number is 93. Below 93°F,
it’s fairly easy to stay cool on a motorcycle
as long as you are moving fast enough
to get some wind against your skin for
convective cooling. A mesh riding suit
feels great.
Above 93°F, it’s a different world. The
wind is no longer your friend.
For long distance riding in temperature
higher than 93°F, you need to (1)
minimize your body’s exposure to direct
wind blast; (2) wear wicking undergarments,
including a helmet liner; (3) carry
an adequate supply of cool water and
drink frequently; and (4) insulate any
parts of your body exposed to engine
heat or radiator discharge.

http://www.ironbutt.com/ibmagazine/IronButt_1002_62-66_Hot.pdf

[steven c]

 I found out while riding my Buell you will burn your right thigh on the frame, fuel rails with mesh pants on.

[sturgeon]

That last paragraph of the IBA article has always been the answer for me. On my most recent trip, I experienced everything from 12C and rain to 36C and sun. For my southern friends, that's 54F and 97F. I wore an Aerostich Transit perforated leather suit the whole time, rain or shine. A couple of extra layers underneath the jacket on the cold rainy days, a synthetic wicking t-shirt every day, along with Under Armor boxers. And a cooling bandana. Normally I'd have had my cooling vest as well, but I was in northern Ontario and didn't expect the hotter days. I wear a mesh jacket around town, have for years, but if I'm gonna be out in the heat for more than a couple of hours, at speed, I wear my leathers. I just get too dehydrated with all the air-flow that mesh gives.

[Spuddy]

Anybody ride with mesh over-pants?  I ride with light weight, Wrangler stretch jeans and a mesh over-pant would be a welcome alternative to Roadcrafter lowers.

Spud

[PJPR01]

Long-Distance Riding in Hot Weather

Now consider what happens when
we move from indoors to a motorcycle.
Assume that we are riding a motorcycle
with no fairing and wearing light clothing
or a mesh riding suit that doesn�t
block the wind, the front surface of our
body (about one square meter) is exposed
to the full effect of the wind. Because
convective heat transfer is a function of
the velocity of the air over the surface
of the skin, the heat transferred into the
body increases significantly. At 103�F air
temperature, the convective heat transfer
increases from just 22 watts under calm
conditions to 550 watts at freeway speeds.
This is the opposite of �wind chill;� a
light breeze can still enhance evaporative
cooling but above 93�F a strong wind is
heating the body.

The secret to avoiding heat stroke
when riding in extremely hot weather is
to cut down the convective heat transfer
by blocking most of the wind. This can
be accomplished by using a fairing and
windscreen and/or by wearing a helmet
and riding suit that blocks the wind and
has vents to allow a lower velocity of air
to pass over your skin. By knocking the
air velocity down to about 10 mph, the
convective heat transfer is reduced by
70% and there is still plenty of air flow
for efficient evaporative cooling.

The magic number is 93. Below 93�F,
it�s fairly easy to stay cool on a motorcycle
as long as you are moving fast enough
to get some wind against your skin for
convective cooling. A mesh riding suit
feels great.
Above 93�F, it�s a different world. The
wind is no longer your friend.
For long distance riding in temperature
higher than 93�F, you need to (1)
minimize your body�s exposure to direct
wind blast; (2) wear wicking undergarments,
including a helmet liner; (3) carry
an adequate supply of cool water and
drink frequently; and (4) insulate any
parts of your body exposed to engine
heat or radiator discharge.

http://www.ironbutt.com/ibmagazine/IronButt_1002_62-66_Hot.pdf

Bingo...got to experience this on the way to John Day...put the mesh jacket away and went back to the full non mesh jacket...made a huge difference.

[Cool Runnings]

Bingo...got to experience this on the way to John Day...put the mesh jacket away and went back to the full non mesh jacket...made a huge difference.

Just did a local ride (temp was 87 F) with the old Joe Rocket textile jacket, blue jeans, open-face helmet, summer riding gloves and touring boots, I was comfortable. Carrying MESH gear along on a trip, or even using it period is past history for me. And to think how I used to sweat in the stuff thinking I had the best hot weather gear possible (NOT).

Thinking of ordering Aerostich PROTEKT Jeans (need them quickly). Leaving for Sturgis on the 8th of August. At least cotton breathes... Will use Impact armor from the old crap MESH pants and then throw em out to the garbage. 

Also as a side note, the Agostini exhaust on the Norge 8V with the DB killer removed is music to my ears. Simply lovely. I'm in luv... 

[redrider]

"I wore an Aerostich Transit perforated leather suit the whole time."

I had a road trip to Edisto Island in September a couple of years ago. I wore my W-Frame Dianese 1 piece perf'ed leather suit with temps in the high 90's. Wicking under garments. The suit has a proprietary inner design that uses the speed hump as a type of heat exchanger/air intake and exhaust. I was very comfortable. This was not a lot of inner city stop and go. I did notice the temp rising when stopped coming back into town but as soon as forward motion resumed, coolness returned.