Olympia Airglide Mesh Jacket and Pants

[wheatonFJR]

Since I have lost weight, I need different size gear, and since my wife is going on extended trips with me this year, she needs to get some gear as well. We are going to be moving to upstate SC in a few years, so we need gear for real hot weather...however I want something protective. This Olympia gear has been suggested as a good route to go...

Oly Airglide jacket

Oly Airglide overpants

My question to YOU is this: How cold a temperature have you travelled in wearing Olympia Airglide gear?? We still live in the northern climate and will be travelling 3 seasons in it...Louanne mainly in the summer...but me as early as I can go. We are both getting heated gear as well, but with my Gen I...who knows how much draw the gloves and liner will take?

So back to the question: How cold a temperature have you travelled in wearing Olympia Airglide gear?? (or other mesh gear setup?)

 

[TouringRider]

Since I have lost weight, I need different size gear, and since my wife is going on extended trips with me this year, she needs to get some gear as well. We are going to be moving to upstate SC in a few years, so we need gear for real hot weather...how ever I want something protective. This Olympia gear has been suggested as a good route to go...

Oly Airglide jacket

Oly Airglide overpants

My question to YOU is this: How cold a temperature have you travelled in wearing Olympia Airglide gear?? We still live in the northern climate and will be travelling 3 seasons in it...Louanne mainly in the summer...but me as early as I can go. We are both getting heated gear as well, but with my Gen I...who knows how much draw the gloves and liner will take?

So back to the question: How cold a temperature have you travelled in wearing Olympia Airglide gear?? (or other mesh gear setup?)

Since I have gain weight, I order this Firstgear Mesh Tex Jacket from Motorcycle Superstore a month ago and I ride with the liner starting the day at 60 ºF if I know the temperature will rise to above 80 ºF in the afternoon.

 

[Panman]

I did a 550 mile day after Nakusp with my Mesh gear at 45 degrees and about the last 150 in rain, knowing it was going to be cool I started the day with my rain gear on also to help keep the wind out. I did OK even though I didn't have my heated gear with me either. I think the liners are OK for a little drizzle but not much more. When I travel in summer the rain gear goes with me. Here in the north wet two sets of gear is the way to go.

 

[Road_Runner]

I have Tour Master Intake. Have not tried Olympia but guess they would be comparable. For short trips, say back from restaurant back home after dark mid 50's would be OK with liner installed. For touring where you are in the saddle for many hours, the vented home would only be good down in the mid to low 60's. Realistically, I only wear the vented jacket/pants when I know I will be riding in temps over 75.

I had a pair of combo pants for a while with shell/liner/mesh layer but found them to be too bulky. They tried to do it all, but failed. Two sets one Summer and one Winter is better than one that is a compromise.

 

[Tyler]

So back to the question: How cold a temperature have you travelled in wearing Olympia Airglide gear?? (or other mesh gear setup?)

I have the Olympia Airglide women's jacket (looking to get the pants sometime soon). I absolutely LOVE the flexibility of the jacket in all kinds of weather and it looks nice on too. I've worn it down to 28 degrees (added a rain jacket over it for a little more wind protection) withOUT heated gear and been very comfortable. I've also worn it in 111 degree heat in Death Valley and the mesh jacket allows great airflow (especially when coupled with a cooling vest... did you ever get to use yours??).

Two big thumbs up for this gear.

 

[CAJW]

Mark,

Good choice in gear IMHO. I've used a Roadcrafter for years, but after hearing my better half rave about how versatile her AirGlide gear is, I finally got some pants this year and a GT all seasons jacket GT jacket which is working well for me. She and I both use Warm N Safe heated liners and gloves on my Gen I with no issues. I use a Escort 8500 RD in volt meter mode to monitor our usage, but unless we both crank them on high with high beams, heated grips, Clearwater Glendas and GPS running, there are no issues at all. When I turn on the Solteks, all bets are off!

 

[HaulinAshe]

24-F, 0% precip, 90 errrr... 70 mph, 2.0 hour legs, is my limit for Olympia AirGlide mesh with Gerbings liner and gloves. That includes a moisture-wicking hunter's style undergarments, along with a long sleeve medium-weight shirt under the liner. Some type of lightweight sweat pants or wind-blocking athletic sweats over the undergarment pants.

I even use mesh/ventilated boots almost year round. A medium weight pair of winter socks with disposable toe warmers stuck to the bottom of the socks, makes for very comfortable feet well into lunch time each day. By then it's typically warmed up to the mid-40s wherever I'm riding or my happy little ass is headed for shelter.

I'm good with mesh and heated in most any weather that I consider riding in, EXCEPT wet below 45F for longer than one hour. Evaporative cooling takes it's toll on mesh gear because that's exactly what it's designed to do, COOL you off using your own moisture and wind.

Overall, I find the combination of MESH and HEATED to be the most versatile, and it requires less room on the bike than heavy layers. For backup, I pack blue Frogg Toggs and dress up like Papa Smurf on the outside if precipitation is unavoidable. It makes all the short and cute blue girls very nervous.

 

[HaulinAshe]

... We are both getting heated gear as well, but with my Gen I...who knows how much draw the gloves and liner will take?

I did a stator and regulator/rectifier upgrade on Grumpy's Gen-I that worked extremely well. It costs about $500 in parts to do everything 1st class, but the end result produced a charging system that rivals any Gen-II.

Traveling two-up presents special challenges that many do not understand. The GF and I have done several trips of more than 2,000 miles each, including one that was over 9,000 miles with nearly 5,000 of that below 50F in mesh. The 2,000 mile legs on each side frequently approached 90F. IMHO, Mesh & Heated is the only answer (besides a hotel).

 

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks everybody for your answers. They were all very well thought out and helpful. Living in the northern climes, I'm not used to thinking of a mesh setup as my only setup. However, when Louanne is on the bike with me...we will be generally riding in warmer temperatures except in the mountains at elevation.

Thanks to your answers here, I feel more confident that we can purchase this gear-which combined with the heated gear, should do the trick for us.

THANKS.

(Tyler- the cooling vest is still packed in it's original condition unused...68 degrees when Karl and I went through Death Valley. I'm sure I'll use it sometime. )

 

[bbdig]

... We are both getting heated gear as well, but with my Gen I...who knows how much draw the gloves and liner will take?

I did a stator and regulator/rectifier upgrade on Grumpy's Gen-I that worked extremely well. It costs about $500 in parts to do everything 1st class, but the end result produced a charging system that rivals any Gen-II.

Traveling two-up presents special challenges that many do not understand. The GF and I have done several trips of more than 2,000 miles each, including one that was over 9,000 miles with nearly 5,000 of that below 50F in mesh. The 2,000 mile legs on each side frequently approached 90F. IMHO, Mesh & Heated is the only answer (besides a hotel).

Any details on the upgrade available?

Thanks, jack

 

[TomInPA]

Mark, I have the Olympia Airglide jacket and pants and have traveled in the teens with this outfit, and could have gone colder. It is basically unlimited if you wear a heated jacket under the Olympia inner wind/rain layer. The pants are plenty warm without electrical assistance. I would say without electrics, the gear is good down to the mid-30s. I have the Gen4 Warm N Safe jacket and it puts out plenty of heat.

The trip we took the other day over Ebbetts Pass ranged from the upper 30s to low 50s and I never used the electrics with the Olympia and liner.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks Tom! That's impressive. :clapping:

So yeah, warm and safe liners and rain gear for over it to cut the wind when it's really cold.

I'm new to this heated gear stuff...

So maybe, as far as layers are concerned (when it's really cold):

• wicking undergarment
• (t-shirt ??needed??)
• electric liner
• (sweatshirt ??needed??)
• Airglide
• raingear

So maybe, as far as layers are concerned (when it's really hot):

• wicking undergarment
• Airglide
• (packing t-shirt?, sweatshirt?, electric liner, raingear)

So if I don't need the t-shirt or sweatshirt, I would just be packing the electric liner and raingear. Whoa...talk about a saving on space.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I did a stator and regulator/rectifier upgrade on Grumpy's Gen-I that worked extremely well. It costs about $500 in parts to do everything 1st class, but the end result produced a charging system that rivals any Gen-II...

That's impressive there Jeff!

I'll keep that info in my back pocket...I may knock on your door sometime to talk to you about it.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I had a pair of combo pants for a while with shell/liner/mesh layer but found them to be too bulky. They tried to do it all, but failed. Two sets one Summer and one Winter is better than one that is a compromise.

I have been all over the map with gear...and have the dents in the wallet to prove it. I have had the all in one setup, then I went to the spring/fall...and separate one for really hot weather.

I'm thinking that, especially after reading Ashes and Tom's comments that I can make the new setup work for the trips Louanne and I take.

I'll certainly post up my thoughts in this thread after I do my first cold trip up to Cheeseland in the spring. :yahoo:

 

[Tyler]

So maybe, as far as layers are concerned (when it's really cold):

• wicking undergarment
• (t-shirt ??needed??)
• electric liner
• (sweatshirt ??needed??)
• Airglide
• raingear

If you have a heated liner (recommend the full jacket v. just the vest), you will not need the sweatshirt for sure!

 

[petey]

So maybe, as far as layers are concerned (when it's really cold):

• wicking undergarment
• (t-shirt ??needed??)
• electric liner
• (sweatshirt ??needed??)
• Airglide
• raingear

If you have a heated liner (recommend the full jacket v. just the vest), you will not need the sweatshirt for sure!

+1 what Tyler said, and the heated jackets usually have a heated (high) coller as well, which is nice....

 

[escapefjrtist]

Mark -- Mesh gear will serve you well in all but the most extreme conditions. Heated liners provide the warmth and rain gear will add another 10 - 15F of comfort with lower temps. For your watt challenged GEN I ( ) consider these liners / gloves from MobileWarming for the SO. Recently saw this gear at one of the local shops, it's worth checking out.

For base layers, don't forget our friends at LDComfort. They're great for both warm and cold weather...PNW tested!

--G

 

[wheatonFJR]

If you have a heated liner (recommend the full jacket v. just the vest), you will not need the sweatshirt for sure!

Thanks Tyler and petey. :clapping:

(Yes, getting the full warm and safe liner)

 

[juniorfjr]

Mark, reach out to wingshot. Brian has worn the olympia airglide several years now and that's all I've seen him wear. In temps as low as the 20's, no electrics or rain gear. Always with the liners in the cold though. I too have tried many different options and have yet to find the right combo yet. Good luck.