So its getting hot and of course my thoughts turn to staying cool, yes i have a sidecar fan for CY!
I do have some dry wicking Tshirts that work well around home etc but wondering what actually works for cool riding?
Some of the cooling vests seem like a lot of money. If something works well then the expense is worth it, so thoughts please.
For some reason i am reminded of the movie Cool Runnings anyone remember it?
Walk with Joy
Steve Ives
I can definitely say that when things get really hot, close up your jacket and insert a 5lb bag of ice while you book it for your hotel room. I did this on the trip home from Washington in 2024 and did not do it on the way to Smith Center KS in 2025. Guess which one caused trouble.
Even better is to get in during the early afternoon before things get beastly hot. This means getting out EARLY before the sun heats it up significantly.
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
Gee, Thane....I wonder where you got that idea of stuffing a 5 lb. bag of ice inside your riding jacket ???
Steve, I do the above, plus I have a couple cooling vests that you soak in cold water, then wear. Don't wring out all the water ..leave it fairly wet, and the air passing over and through the cooling vest will cool you down.
Additionally, I will place one or both of the cooling vests inside the mini fridge in a hotel room, chill it overnight, then place it inside a large ziplock bag, and stuffed inside the rear trunk of the Sidecar, so BEFORE I need it, I'll take it out of the Sidecar trunk, slip it on, then my riding jacket, and good to go.
The cooling vests I have are Hyperkewl...made by Techniche International.
If you don't find what you are looking for, let me know, and I will send you one of mine.
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
I'm with Miles on the cooling vest, I have one and love it. if your on a long trip keep a small cooler with ice water in the trunk or sidecar and just refresh it as needed. it works great if you're wearing a mesh jacket also.
I'll ride up to about 122F, but dont ride when it gets really hot.
I find that about any long sleeve wicking shirt under a riding suit with good back vents works. Open the back vents, leave the sleeve cuffs loose.
Soak shirt every hour or so. Add a neck gaiter and keep it wet.
I'll ride up to about 122F, but dont ride when it gets really hot.
Evidence that Dane's brain is already fried. 
If 122* F is not already "really hot", then...something is wrong with you, mi amigo.
I won't even work outside if it is 90* F +.
VERY happy that the last few days in Western Washington has been basically the same temperature that Bruce @brstr is experiencing in Western Australia....whilst we are in Summer, he is in Winter, but we have been in the low to mid 60's all week.
On the issue of keeping cool, or kewl whilst riding, or piloting a sidecar rig in HOT weather....the # 1 issue is to keep the blood flowing up to the brain as cool as possible, hence the invention of the "cool collars", which do help, and work, if used correctly.
You want to cool down the blood flowing up to the brain, to prevent "heat stroke". Which is why I do, and suggest...especially to anyone that lives in Broken Bow, Nebraska, to stuff a 5 lb. bag of ice inside your riding jacket on hot rides, because you are then cooling the thoracic are of your body, cooling the blood flowing through your heart, for those of you that still have a heart".
My go-to trick is....pull into a gas station that has an ICE box out front, the kind of ICE storage box that has bags of ice inside it, block ice and cubed ice, or crushed ice.
Get off the bike or sidecar rig, immediately remove your "helmet"...and place your helmet inside that ice storage box, close the door to the ice storage box, and walk away.
Then go inside the convenience store, grab a cold drink of your choice (be very smart about your choice of drink), then (pay for the drink)...head back out to the bike or sidecar rig, fill said vehicle with fuel....go back inside the store, use the bathroom....grab a proper snack to nibble on...a proper snack I said...dang it....then grab another cold drink of your choice if you already finished the first one....dilly dally for another 31.4159 seconds (not minutes)...whilst paying for all this at the counter, tell the attendant that you also want a 5 lb. bag of ice from the ice storage box....then go back out to the ice storage box, grab the 5 lb. bag of ice...reclaim your now frozen helmet, don said helmet, feel the chill as it sends cold chills down your spine, stuff all, or most of the 5 lb. bag of ice inside your riding jacket, zip your jacket up, but open the rear vents... get back on your trusted steed, and ride/pilot away.
Riding in adverse weather, whether it is too hot, or too cold, is a matter of THINKING about how your body best survives, to get from Point A to Point B....and NOT doing something so stupid as to sit out in the hot sun at a gas station, drinking beers, to rehydrate thyself. I have seen that scenario far too many times.
All kidding aside, I would write 10,000 words on the science/proper methods of COLD weather riding, and HOT weather riding, so that the rider comes out at the other end not feeling wasted away.
I could also write 3 words on the science/proper method of being struck by lightning whilst riding....DON'T DO IT !
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
Pro Motocross is racing July 4th at the Red Bud Track in Buchanan, MI. Weather will play a role as the heat index is going to be up there. Will be interesting to see what these guys do to stave off heat stroke. They have some pretty high tech cooling vests, and trash cans full of ice water for the racers to soak in, between motos.
Princess Wiggle Butt and I are heading to Owensville, MO next week to pick up some tractor parts. Then will spend a few days hiking in the Mark Twain NF. Will have to be careful with the heat for both of us. We don't do high humidity heat in the desert. It's a dry heat (which doesn't count... lol)
Hold my keyboard and watch this! 🙃
Some advice I got once that made sense when working outdoors in the heat.
Was not to drink chilled liquids as they fool your body into thinking it's cool.
When what it needs is to be hydrated.
If your hydrated then the body does it's own cooling.
Also when I travelled from Perth to Port Hedland to do short term jobs.
( an hour and half North on a jet plane ✈)
Then from the moment I got of the plane I learned to guzzle water and not sip like at home.
Not bagging the ice bagging.
122F?
Open season on that craziness ........
Not even going to translate that nonsense...