I came across an interesting article today -
http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/ExtremeHeat.html
The gist of this article is that when the outside temperature reaches 95 degrees - the wind - rather than having a cooling effect - actually makes you hotter. According to sources cited in the article, a 33.6 mph breeze actually makes the outside temperature feel almost 6 degrees higher.
So - according to this article - a mesh jacket in high temperatures would actually make you feel warmer than a standard textile jacket with vents. This goes against everything you would think.
I will say that it has always been my experience that riding with a mesh jacket made me feel cooler than riding with no jacket at all. I attributed this to the idea that the constant wind was actually drying my skin out and not letting me cool off. Well, the article mentioned above seems to corroborate that theory. Thus, it would seem that if you wore a textile jacket that let wind in only through vents, then the "breeze" flowing through the jacket would be greatly reduced, the body would sweat normally, and the evaporative cooling effect would be greater.
The real question is - do I have the guts to try this theory out? The answer is - yes - I'm going to try it with the Cortech Accelerator jacket. This jacket is constructed for adventure touring - with a built in hydration pack. The sleeves zip off, and the venting is plentiful. I've always loved this jacket.
I'd be interested in other people's comments on this one. I just spoke with a man in the store who said he wore a full leather jacket during the summer.
http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/ExtremeHeat.html
The gist of this article is that when the outside temperature reaches 95 degrees - the wind - rather than having a cooling effect - actually makes you hotter. According to sources cited in the article, a 33.6 mph breeze actually makes the outside temperature feel almost 6 degrees higher.
So - according to this article - a mesh jacket in high temperatures would actually make you feel warmer than a standard textile jacket with vents. This goes against everything you would think.
I will say that it has always been my experience that riding with a mesh jacket made me feel cooler than riding with no jacket at all. I attributed this to the idea that the constant wind was actually drying my skin out and not letting me cool off. Well, the article mentioned above seems to corroborate that theory. Thus, it would seem that if you wore a textile jacket that let wind in only through vents, then the "breeze" flowing through the jacket would be greatly reduced, the body would sweat normally, and the evaporative cooling effect would be greater.
The real question is - do I have the guts to try this theory out? The answer is - yes - I'm going to try it with the Cortech Accelerator jacket. This jacket is constructed for adventure touring - with a built in hydration pack. The sleeves zip off, and the venting is plentiful. I've always loved this jacket.I'd be interested in other people's comments on this one. I just spoke with a man in the store who said he wore a full leather jacket during the summer.
