Yes they DO work. I put a gel vest in a refrigerator in a big bowl of water and it stays cool for a couple of hours, at least. I wear it over a t-shirt and under a mesh jacket. My helmet stays in the freezer (minus the visor) during the brutal Texas summers when I am not riding.

 

When I was a kid,growing up working in the tobacco fields,all the old timers wore loose fitting overalls,long sleeve denim shirts buttoned up to the neck,ankle length boots,wool socks and a straw hat. They knew what they were doing,could work all day long and never seemed to get hot. Of course,us kids,not wanting to look that goofy would burn up all day while the oldsters worked circles around us. Sweat,evaporating from outer clothing is a natural air conditioner.

Good luck,stay cool.

Tom

 

Wear a neck wrap, bandanna on the face, and on your head or a do rag. Cotton. Soak them all in water before you ride. Stop every so often and re-soak it all. Keeps you cool, and keeps the sun from burning your head and neck.

Leave the black tee shirts at home, and wear a white cotton tee shirt instead.

Sunscreen on any and all exposed skin. Some of the more expensive stuff protects better plus isn't as greasy.

Most of all, don't be too proud to pull over in the shade every so often and relax with a bottle of water. We don't see 107 too often here in SoCal, but we're getting into the 90's now and that's the stuff I do to keep cool.

And yeah, it's tough to find mesh jackets that don't look rice-rockety. I have a mesh TourMaster Air Intake 2 that works well, but I don't really like the way it looks (and it's too big, I bought it when I was 45 pounds heavier)

 

Spent 25 years of my life in Minnesota. Also spent a few years in Vail CO, San Jose, LA, & San Diego CA, Las Vegas NV, Austin TX, and now live in Phoenix AZ. I would still rather live in Phoenix where I can ride all year even though I have to ride in some brutal heat, than give up riding 6 months of the year. I have way too much other things to bitch about besides the heat these days, anyway. Although it WAS really stinkin hot today!!!!!!

 

Great way to keep a "cool head" on the road!

 

Get a detachable windshield so you can take it off in the summer. Unless you're going to do a lot of highway riding, you'll be more comfortable.

 

Like has been said before, ride with a mesh jacket. It is proven to keep you cooler than riding without one. Without one your sweat evaporates immediately, and you lose the cooling effect of the sweat. The jacket allows the sweat to evaporate slower and therefore cooling you better. Plus you don't have the hot air always blasting your skin raising you skin temperature. Another way to keep cool is with a face shield. I always wear a full face helmet, and it dawned on me while ridding in 102 deg temp that with the face shield down I was cooler than with it up. Any time the ambient temperature is greater that 98.6 (your bodies core temperature) any air blowing on your body/face will make you hotter than no air. So it might seem counter productive but full face/ mesh jacketed riders are more comfortable than those with T's and beanie helmets. Also the wet t-shirt trick works only with a mesh jacket. It does work but for only a short while, but it is better than nothing.

 

I tend to disagree with the windshield removal in the heat. A good rule of thumb is that temps under 90 degrees, the wind is cooler. Over 90, its hotter. I ride in the desert 90% of the time and the faring makes a big difference.

Drink a ton of water. I have water bottles rigged up on my bike and fill them every stop. Find a hose and soak yourself. You'll be dry in 20 minutes. Just need to keep the sun and heat off of you as much as you can. Hot wind is part of that.

 

in Ohio, upper 90's is great. had to set thru the south and west folks talkin' bout how bad it must suck in the winter, but I tell ya, not to ride because of the heat has to suck alot worse the the cold. Winter ya know about the ice and snow, but heat and not ride? Well THAT has to be much worse....... sorry gotta ride!!! Have fun sittin' at home!!!

 

I live in the Mojave desert. There are a couple things I do that help:

1. I have one of those "cool" vests (They don't look so cool...but hey it's F@!kin HOT out!). Anyway you get them wet...wring them out...and if you really want a cool shock...put it in the freezer for 15 minutes. It works pretty well.

2. Mesh Jacket over my cool vest- I have an army grey PT jacket with a mesh liner, and zip open armpit vents. This keeps the blazing sun off my arms & still lets air into hit the cool vest.

3. Nomex gloves- I have a pair of (you guessed it) army issue nomex flight gloves. They are still not very comfortable when it's hot...but beats the heat some.

4. Wet your hankee before doing the doo rag thing.

-clutch-
P.S. Anyone know where to get a decent looking cool vest? Mine looks like I escaped from a road gang (BRIGHT florescent yellow/green with reflective strips all over it).