The art of layering / best airflow jackets

[Bounce]

Isocool t-shirt + Klim Zephyr (for fresher mornings) + Rukka Forsair (it gets a mention ) + Scott Ergo W-Proofs (for rain obvs) = happy me. The layers aren't bulky = I remain comfortable.

The Scott WP's are 100% waterproof as tested last year in Germany .

Stopping to take the Zephyr off when the temps climb/putting the Scotts on when the rain starts bothers me not as I tend to ride solo alot of the time so it doesn't affect anyone else.

 

[Stevie4scoops]

Do that here and you may well end up with swollen genitals!

I got off my Hornet during a ride in May and under my bollocks on the seat, was a Hornet! I was thankful it was still stunned.

Something like this went up my sleeve and bit me on our Spain/Portugal/France trip. Arm was hugely swollen for several days.

 

[Berin]

Yep, those sales are great. Means buying what you think you’ll want at some point but maybe don’t need right now sometimes.

I bought a pair of the excellent waterproof Rokket jeans in the last sale, to keep for when mine wear out

And even better, I’ve just ordered a Marrakech for £284.39 in this weeks sale!

 

[beemerboy9]

I have an old BMW Airflow (now renamed Aravis) jacket that works very well for me. It is the only-available-in-Germany red colour (since bright red is a girl's colour in the UK) so it is also hi-viz. Result! Also have a BMW Cool-down evaporative jacket.
The BMW Summer Excursion Jacket is also very effective in temps around 30 degrees.

As Arsey says, don't look for Motolegends reviews........

 

[Morety]

I have an old BMW Airflow (now renamed Aravis) jacket that works very well for me. It is the only-available-in-Germany red colour (since bright red is a girl's colour in the UK) so it is also hi-viz. Result! Also have a BMW Cool-down evaporative jacket.
The BMW Summer Excursion Jacket is also very effective in temps around 30 degrees.

As Arsey says, don't look for Motolegends reviews........

Same here. When it's warm, I switch from a Halvarsson's Prime jacket to my BMW Airmesh/airflow jacket and lighter short summer gloves. Summer I wear KLIM Marrakesh trousers (excellent bits of kit over 3 seasons really). Summer or winter, I wear the same highly breathable wicking underlayers for max comfort. Couldn't be arsed stopping to put on overtrousers or overjackets normally but I do pack them if going on a summer(?) long day trip or for a long weekend away somewhere as it's no bother chucking them in the topbox. Winter, the KLIM's get swapped out for Halvarssons trousers which I find excellent, some of the best I've owned.

 

[Daffy]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that you want airflow up to a certain temp at which point it only serves to warm you up at which point you were better off without it, I think the switchover point was somewhere in the mid to high 30’s.

 

[wessie]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that you want airflow up to a certain temp at which point it only serves to warm you up at which point you were better off without it, I think the switchover point was somewhere in the mid to high 30’s.

your body likes to be 37C. Does this give a clue?

 

[Daffy]

your body likes to be 37C. Does this give a clue?

My body might try to maintain 37 C internally but it doesn’t like to be in an environment of 37C, what’s your point apart from sarcasm?

 

[Hatcho]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that you want airflow up to a certain temp at which point it only serves to warm you up at which point you were better off without it, I think the switchover point was somewhere in the mid to high 30’s.

Exactly this. When we were in mainland Europe a few years back we'd douse our t-shirts with water, then tightly zip up our bike jackets to prevent evaporation. Vented gear had you bone dry in no time, so unvented kit actually performed better in this scenario.

 

[John Armstrong]

Exactly this. When we were in mainland Europe a few years back we'd douse our t-shirts with water, then tightly zip up our bike jackets to prevent evaporation. Vented gear had you bone dry in no time, so unvented kit actually performed better in this scenario.

I'll hazard an educated guess that you don't want to prevent evaporation, but want to control it?

Therefore having some escape for the water vapour is needed, and a mesh jacket will do it more quickly, but the careful opening of vents let you get more time from it. Even unvented kit will probably have some means of escape of the water vapour eg the neck, even if it's a full on 100% waterproof rain wear gear.

 

[Hatcho]

I'll hazard an educated guess that you don't want to prevent evaporation, but want to control it?

Therefore having some escape for the water vapour is needed, and a mesh jacket will do it more quickly, but the careful opening of vents let you get more time from it. Even unvented kit will probably have some means of escape of the water vapour eg the neck, even if it's a full on 100% waterproof rain wear gear.

Staying damp is the goal. Any breeze on damp skin, even a warm breeze, will feel cool. In mesh gear you'll go from wet to damp to bone dry in no time, and you're back to square one. Zipped up unvented kit means your underlayer and skin stay wet for longer. They'll still eventually dry out, but the cooling effect will last longer. When you do fully dry out, stop the bike, douse the tshirt again and zip everything up. Rinse and repeat as they say. We used bottled water, roadside streams to soak ourselves - whatever was handy at the time.

 

[Wapping]

My body might try to maintain 37 C internally but it doesn’t like to be in an environment of 37C, what’s your point apart from sarcasm?

I’d suggest that Wessie was not being sarcastic. My reading was that he was expressing an opinion that the crossover point you were unsure about (but thought was in the “mid to high 30’s”) was actually a precise 37 degrees, ie. the body’s natural core temperature.

But hey, I could well be wrong. Wessie could be wrong about the 37 figure, too.

 

[EVskiy]

Isocool t-shirt + Klim Zephyr (for fresher mornings) + Rukka Forsair (it gets a mention ) + Scott Ergo W-Proofs (for rain obvs) = happy me. The layers aren't bulky = I remain comfortable.

The Scott WP's are 100% waterproof as tested last year in Germany .

Stopping to take the Zephyr off when the temps climb/putting the Scotts on when the rain starts bothers me not as I tend to ride solo alot of the time so it doesn't affect anyone else.

Same as. Haven’t yet worn any goretex this year.

For summer riding:

• Same as you Mountain Warehouse isocool t-shirt(s).
• Recently purchased Inuteq cooling vest (will be trialing that on my way to Sid’)
• Rukka AFT RPS (Armoured shirt) meaning I do not have to have any shifting armour in my jacket
• Klim Zephyr for fresher or windy mornings/days
• Klim Marrakesh jacket (no armour)
• Scott Ergo Pro waterproof over jacket for when it is raining or temperatures drop drastically.
• Rokker cargo pants for warm and dry weather and they flow air.
• Rokker Revolution waterproof jeans for wet days and/or in cooler conditions.

For when touring in very early and late seasons, I bring my TOG24 down jacket, it does need to be upgraded though to a larger size. Something to keep an eye out during Christmas/January sales.