Olympia Airglide Mesh Jacket and Pants

[wfooshee]

What, somebody from Florida replying to this???!?!?!!

Hey, it gets cold here, too! Just not cold enough to have to pack the bike in storage!!!

I have a couple of Cortech mesh jackets, Tour Master's "upscale" line. They have a windbreaker/waterproof liner and then a quilted thermal liner. I have a fleece jacket that I wear under it and leave it just the mesh, and that's good down to 50 or so around town, but I'll add the windbreaker liner on the road. In town, the windbreaker's good down into the 40s or even high 30s. On the road I'll put in the quilted for those temps.

I've ridden down to 25 to get to work with the fleece inside the fully lined jacket and was comfortable. (My Tour Master Venture Air pants have the same 2-stage liner system, too.) I've not ridden steady highway speeds below freezing, but I'd want some neck protection and maybe another layer under the jacket, like a sweatshirt or long johns.

I've never even considered heated gear. The applicability of it would be too limited down here.

 

[RaYzerman19]

I use my Airglide jacket and pants for all seasons. Heated jacket liner, gloves and socks for the cold stuff, don't turn it on for the not quite so cold stuff, insulated pant liner, OK in light drizzle as long as you're moving (also helps to have a Rifle windshield), FroggToggs over top if you want to just block wind or rain in the cooler stuff and still not sweat....

Lots of options. The Rifle windshield does block a lot of air in the hot stuff, so Baker Air Wings will bring in more air to your torso (or block some of the cold breeze too). Wear something light and moisture wicking underneath regardless of season, nothing like midweight merino wool if it's less than 70.

I like the hi-viz jacket, if you want something in a different colour, the Ranger jacket is an Airglide only mostly black instead of yellow.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks...wifey and I are going HiViz.

Plus I have a helmet that is Old Michael Yellow.

 

[wingshot]

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.

I have ridden in the teens a few times too and the most I added was an extra layer of thermal clothing. For me, it was great in heavy rains. For example, I rode in 10 days of rain to and from Vancouver Island to attend WCR. The worst of it was on the return in a downpour (raining so hard water was standing on the road and rain was bouncing off road surface) all day and stayed dry and warm.

As for heat, the hotest was 112 and no cooling vest and as long as I kept moving it was great for air flow. I will add that I was consuming a large amount of fluids and the sweat/air flow combo was what actually was keeping me cool.

After four years and 80,000 miles, the velcro, snaps, and zippers will start to fail, but otherwise no complaints. Actually, this year I am looking to purchase a new set if I have any money left after the tank upgrade (thanks dirttracker30).