Modern Vespa

Well said, Paladin.

"How many of you ALWAYS wear FULL protective clothing?"

Not I. The further it gets over 90ºF, the more stuff comes off. Same reason marathoners don't wear parkas......

wow paladin you sorta scare me, but doing what i do, I understand you. Everybody needs to do what they feel comfortable with and I do believe as we get more experienced we will likely wear less, although the climate where you live likely has a lot to do with it. The best thing is be as safe as you can and always enjoy as life unfortunately is too short.


larry

Nope and Grandma Tust wired me to never start off w/o clean undies too.

Corazzo Ventata makes me feel like I am taking a cold shower even if it's 90oF. It's amazing jacket.

Cool, first I've heard of adding clothing to make oneself cooler.....

Not I. The further it gets over 90ºF, the more stuff comes off. Same reason marathoners don't wear parkas.....


"Tequila make her clothes fall off...." works at temps less than 90 deg.

That was suppose to be a quote from a prior post..... who's screwing with this stuff I am trying to screw with.....

I just wear goggles that go over my eyeglases , and hearing protection....since I live in a semi-free state and don't take a 150cc on the highway.

For me I wear: 1 a FF helmet. When it warms up and I get uncomfortable and switch to a 1/2 helmet with earplugs.

2. Always wear gloves; light armored in warm weather and warmer armored gloves in cooler weather.

3. Always wear long pants and leather chaps (yes bear ass type) as the weather cools. I don't have armored jeans yet and I am looking for some.

4. Always wear heavy leather shoes or boots. Looking for an over the ankle
boot that actually offers ankle support and is reasonably good for walking.

5. Always wear a mesh armored jacket. Below 40 it is a winter coat without armor.....looking to fix that also

Ah, you probably skipped that physics class in middle school Have you heard that evaporation cools off the surface? Get outside with shirt off and then put a wet shirt on to see a difference. The meshed jacket adds hundreds of small streams of air on your sweaty shirt/body and also create a constantly refreshing lining which enhances the effect. See, you've learn something today.

And why are you sweating? Because you got all that clothing/gear on.

I used to work outdoors in 90º-100ºF. Due to the job (welding/cutting), I had to wear long sleeves for protection from sparks. Most days, it was very hot till my shirt got soaking wet and then it was bearable. Why was I sweating? Because I had a long sleeve shirt on. I would have preferred wearing a T-shirt or a tank top but my bare skin would take the brunt of the sun and sparks. Clothing (of any kind) is an insulator - the closer you are to naked, the cooler you are.

If someone wants to wear the gear for protection from UV or concrete - fine. Just be prepared to sweat in hot, hot weather.....

Well-said. Describes me (95% of the time). When it's very hot, or a quick run, I
may eliminate the overpants and go with long pants only, but I feel a bit naked.

This is actually not true. If you look at old photos of troops in Vietnam in the sixties they all had their sleeves rolled up. In the eighties the Army did some research and found that keeping sleeves rolled down with an accompanying T-shirt actually kept you cooler.

Fast forward to today and you will notice that the troops stationed in hot weather climates abroad all have their sleeves rolled down.

If you look at Saudi men or Bedouins who spend every day in a hot climate they don't wear shorts and tank tops and never have. That's not a religious thing, for the men anyway, it's because loose fitting natural fiber clothing keeps you cooler.

Knowing all that my summertime scooter wear consists of sandals, shorts and a T-shirt. Ear plugs and a helmet always and as it gets cooler long pants, long sleeve shirt and a leather jacket. I stop riding when it gets below 60 degrees.

Modular helmet, mesh armored jacket, riding shoes and riding gloves 100% of the time. I contend with NYC taxis everyday, so protection is important to me.

I don't think I've ever worn ALL the gear (never owned armored or friction-resistant pants).

I occasionally wear most of the gear, often wear some of the gear, and on a few occasions have worn none of the gear.

Brendan

Clothing (of any kind) is an insulator .[/quote]

..insulation doesn't mean heating up. Insulation prevents faster heat transfer, which is described in the second law of thermodynamics- movement of two isolated systems toward thermal equilibrium. Therefore the insulation inside walls helps (not makes) to keep a house cool when it's hot outside and warm when it's cold outside. Jimf41 gave you perfect example, mentioned saudi and other Arab nations who wear fur hats and thick robes when it's 110F.

I'd love to have a link to the Army research. I'm afraid you won't convince me clothing is *not* an insulator. Saudis, Bedouins, soldiers, whomever.... they are all using the wicking/evaporation thing. I'm saying there's no need to sweat in the first place.....

Earlier I took a 12-mile round trip to the store and back in 93ºF heat (several stop lights along the way). Jeans, T-shirt, helmet. Didn't sweat a drop except a little on the forehead (from the helmet) and some dampness in the armpits.....

Here is the basic physical and physiological principles of heat transfer in human body (copy paste)
Heat transfer in the human body

The principles of heat transfer in engineering systems can be applied to the human body in order to determine how the body transfers heat. Heat is produced in the body by the continuous metabolism of nutrients which provides energy for the systems of the body. The human body must maintain a consistent internal temperature in order to maintain healthy bodily functions. Therefore, excess heat must be dissipated from the body to keep it from overheating. When a person engages in elevated levels of physical activity, the body requires additional fuel which increases the metabolic rate and the rate of heat production. The body must then use additional methods to remove the additional heat produced in order to keep the internal temperature at a healthy level.

Heat transfer by convection is driven by the movement of fluids over the surface of the body. This convective fluid can be either a liquid or a gas. For heat transfer from the outer surface of the body, the convection mechanism is dependent on the surface area of the body, the velocity of the air, and the temperature gradient between the surface of the skin and the ambient air. The normal temperature of the body is approximately 37°C. Heat transfer occurs more readily when the temperature of the surroundings is significantly less than the normal body temperature. This concept explains why a person feels "cold" when not enough covering is worn when exposed to a cold environment. Clothing can be considered an insulator which provides thermal resistance to heat flow over the covered portion of the body. This thermal resistance causes the temperature on the surface of the clothing to be less than the temperature on the surface of the skin. This smaller temperature gradient between the surface temperature and the ambient temperature will cause a lower rate of heat transfer than if the skin were not covered.

In order to ensure that one portion of the body is not significantly hotter than another portion, heat must be distributed evenly through the bodily tissues. Blood flowing through blood vessels acts as a convective fluid and helps to prevent any buildup of excess heat inside the tissues of the body. This flow of blood through the vessels can be modeled as pipe flow in an engineering system. The heat carried by the blood is determined by the temperature of the surrounding tissue, the diameter of the blood vessel, the thickness of the fluid, velocity of the flow, and the heat transfer coefficient of the blood. The velocity, blood vessel diameter, and the fluid thickness can all be related with the Reynolds Number, a dimensionless number used in fluid mechanics to characterize the flow of fluids.

Latent heat loss, also known as evaporative heat loss, accounts for a large fraction of heat loss from the body. When the core temperature of the body increases, the body triggers sweat glands in the skin to bring additional moisture to the surface of the skin. The liquid is then transformed into vapor which removes heat from the surface of the body. The rate of evaporation heat loss is directly related to the vapor pressure at the skin surface and the amount of moisture present on the skin. Therefore, the maximum of heat transfer will occur when the skin is completely wet. The body continuously loses water by evaporation but the most significant amount of heat loss occurs during periods of increased physical activity.

It doesn't prove your point. here is the example: French foreign legion, the main fighting french unit in Africa since XIX century, has very strict rules of minimal hydration compare to other armies. A legionnaire is constantly dehydrated, balancing between severe dehydration which can lead to a collapse and dehydration which allows human body to maintain self regulated balance. The purpose of this "controlled dehydration" is prevention of excessive sweating which causes more dehydration, then excessive thirst and , as a result, requires significant supply of drinking water which is not easy to get in Sahara desert.
Not sweating in 95-100 F environment is caused by dehydration. The first symptom of dehydration is thirst. Therefore, when you are a little thirsty and just a little sweaty, you are, in fact, already dehydrated. If you manage to maintain such level of dehydration you can prevent excessive sweating. However it doesn't help to cool your body off and put you at risk of heat stroke. Legionnaires carry IV saline bags for those who collapsed. Do you carry one?

Just couldn't resist the snarky comment, eh?

No, I wasn't dehydrated. Most of the time I was traveling 65 mph in 93ºF heat. I was riding a scooter - not exactly digging ditches in the Sahara. My core temp did not hardly break a sweat..

Do the calculations or just try to think scientifically- your body was air cooled like vespa engine BUT still you were losing water other ways- evaporation, breathing, normal filtration etc. Mild dehydration is normal state. Your core temperature can't 'break a sweat', elevation of body core temperature is equal to overheating of an engine. A body collapses, it's horisontal orientation requires less operational blood pressure, easier to preserve vital functions and consciousness etc etc etc till the body is artificially hydrated and cooled; a Vespa engine can seize if you fail to manage the temperature balance.
Laws of physics are equal for humans and Vespa
G'night.

Well, I think it's a good thing that my Vespa motor doesn't sweat.

Yep, G'night.

This (and much of the rest of your post) was the equivalent to bumping someone in a bar to see if they would take the bait. Some of them did. Shame on them.

But you still tried to pick a fight for no good reason. And that makes you the antagonist here. The OP started with an innocent assumption that was likely true in his world. Being snippy about it serves no purpose except to antagonize others. This is not the first time I've seen you do so.

I suggest an apology to the OP.

WOW

I didn't mean to spark such a big debate!! My original question was just a curiosity, It doesnt mean that because 10 guys on a forum have said they don't wear helmets that I am going to change what I do, it was just a question.

Chill

I think it was a legitimate question. I don't think Paladin's response was appropriate, though.

My life in pictures.

That is the campest knight I have ever seen!

To the original poster,

in the UK Id recomend all the gear all the time,

the mrs kicks about in Bike gloves, Bike leather jacket, proper bike boots and jeans (Im going to get her some kevlar ones though)

for me gloves, armoured jacket, armourd kevlar jeans and proper bike boots.

Even at 10-25 mph you can do damage, both of us learned the "burny road rash and impact with tarmac and scoot land on top of you" way

I just broke a toe last week by slamming it on the toilet while changing into pajamas.

Since I am a chronic klutz (see above) I wear most of my gear 99% of the time. I don't wear armored pants...but will wear my kevlar jeans if I'm going long distance. I rode without my jacket once because it was so sweltering I was afraid I was going to pass out, a new lighter mesh in white was in the mail a week later.

My husband wears a 1/2 helmet and his work boots on his cruiser (we make a strange pair riding together). I don't badger him about it. It's a personal choice except for my son. When he gets old enough to ride he will have to be an all gear rider because he inherited his mother's grace.

Hi MikeyL, I've got a website for ya, I believe a size 15 = 51 (according to an online chart) and although I'm not your size, I ordered a pair of boots (with sizing discussion) over the phone with Helimot himself and his wife (both very nice). It's one of the best purchases I ever made. Super Quality plus big protection! They are located in CA. Here's their website: Good luck in finding the boot that fits ya....here or anywhere (o;
https://shop.helimot.com/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=25&cat=2+%2D+Motorcycle+Boots

Oh, and back on topic I do wear all the stuff, and yes it do get mighty hot sometimes

Mikey,

In addition to the other suggestions, I've used Revzilla for a lot of my gear.... I wear size 15 too, which for me translates to size 50. They've got Alpinestars for around $150-200 in that size.

Can't help you with pants, though-I suspect you'd put my overpants in the VP category. Just checked out Draggin Jeans which will get you Kevlar at least. Haven't sprung for that yet, but they do have a great range of sizing.

Count me as someone who always wears full gear. Full gear being full face helmet, gloves, riding boots, armoured riding jacket and riding pants with armour.

I always wear a half shell helmet

I always wear shoes, sometimes in boot form.

I almost always wear gloves.

I almost always wear a jacket, usually mesh with armor.

I almost always wear long pants but don't own any with armor.

Occasionally I will ride with shorts and a tee shirt, sometimes on long rides across the state.

I am quite sure that I have never told anyone else what to wear when they ride.

RAIDER yes i always wear shorts. I was in a preppy mode yesterday. A pair of normal Jams shorts (i have some wild ones and a RL tee). Hotter than hell yesterday. PALADIN i had a bee sting right below my helmet line on the back of my neck last week so shorts really have nothing to do with bee stings. He clocked off my helmet and i guess got pissed and nailed me. I used to be allergic and of course no epi pen in the scoot or benadryl. Was riding with 76zap and SwimCoach. Thankfully we weren't far from his house so we went there for a benadryl. I now have benadryl in my pet carrier. Edited to say that i never do freeway riding. Just secondary roads. When i live here in the late 80's i commuted too work via the freeway. Had a windscreen and wore full gear and a FF.

Late to this interesting thread.

FF Helmet, Riding Gloves, Mesh Jacket except when it hits 100 F with 70% Humidity and Jeans (no armor) but never shorts.

This season I have been wearing Sneakers rather than my boots. Got tired of switching shoes...Been thinking about a 3/4 Helmet but I like my Face...

To each his/her own...

Cheers,

Gianni

I tend not to wear protective gear.. but recently got a jacket with some armour for winter riding.. and quite like it..

bought a ff helmet for the first time in 30yrs of riding as i have heard all the war stories.. but i cannot get to grips with the impaired vision.. i much prefer an open face so i can see whats about me.. and for me.. thats important..

I have stopped wearing flip flops.. but shorts n tee shirt in summer yes..

Safe scootering everyone 8)

wait, wair, wait...
most wear the usual armor jacket (elbows, shoulder, spine armor), boots (ankle, foot armor) some riding pants (hip, knees armor) but for the most part BO ONE PROTECTS THEIR KNEES?!...

Having recently come out of an 8 month hospital/rehab stay for a shattered knee from a riding accident (cruiser bike then, scooter rider now) who wore all the leathers, I learned THAT (KNEES) are vital, when you come off knees lead the way....

so for me, modular helmet, armor jacket jeans and articulated knees under jeans, boots.

I wore regular army cargo pants with reinforced knees when I had the accident. Only couple stitches popped, I still wear them at times, but my skin had some "road rash" anyway.
Do motorcycle pants with knee pockets for armor exist?
it could make sense for those who riding twisty roads.

Based on the responses, and non-responses, I'd stop well short of saying that most wear the usual armored jacket, boots, and riding pants.

By the way, welcome to the world of scooters.

Brendan

I had on armored pants with knee pads when I dropped a couple years ago. Did get some friction burns on my knees but I would hate to think of what I would have looked like with just jeans on.

Almost *all* motorcycle legwear has provision for knee armour, even if not included directly.