Riding in hot weather can sometimes be a bit of a struggle, especially with
the current spate of hot weather.
One approach wa all know is to drink sufficiently in order to prevent
dehydration and also allow for evaporative cooling through sweating.
But prolonged sweating represents a stressor on our system and adds to
fatigue over time. Water only represents the fuel that allows sweating.
Our body has to mobilize its resources in order to produce the continued
sweat.
There are some gear options that can make this much more bearable.
One option is to wear an evaporative cooling vest. Though cooling vests are at their best in hot and dry climates, they can also offer benefit in
humid climates. There are quite a few on the market to choose from.
I have a review up on my website for the Joe Rocket Sahara vest.
http://pages.videotron.com/mcrides/product_evals/joe_rocket/sahara.htmThough the review deals with one model in particular, the concepts and
comments can be applied to most quality evaporative vests.
A good cooling vest will lower your level of body heat stress and fatigue.
It will even make sitting in traffic more bearable. Something to consider.
Another option is a good pair of mesh or breathable pants that don't
significantly compromise on safety.
You can definitely be stewing in your own juices when wearing regular riding pants in more extreme weather. Again, a good pair of vented pants will lower your heat stress. IF the mesh is well positioned, it limits the amount of engine heat exposure.
As example, I have a review and comments up on the Teknic Supervent pants.
http://pages.videotron.com/mcrides/product_evals/teknic/supervent.htmCheers!
Bruno
Montreal, Canada
http://pages.videotron.com/mcrides
Topic: Keeping cool in the Dog Days of summer (Read 4577 times)