Staying cool while riding

[Firepit1x]

So I recently bought my first cooling vest and it paid off yesterday when the temps near St. Louis hit 102 on the way home. My chest, stomach and back stayed reasonably cool...in fact at times I could feel chills going down my arms even though I could also feel the heat of the sun beating them up.

I think having a cool core, but yet hot (not sweaty) head and other warm extremities actually confused my brain at times...but I'm glad I spent the $35.

Today is supposed to hit 108 so I gave in and drove the car to work. The evaporation idea had me thinking about adding/building a portable misting system on the handlebars pointed at the chest and lower body and I thought I was on to something..........sure enough someone is already selling a motorcycle misting system:

https://mistercycle.net/

There are even youtube videos of it in action.

Has anyone here built their own? What are your thoughts on our bike.....especially since every bike seems to have it's own air flow caused by a number of factors? In fact in the 102 heat yesterday my face felt cooler when the windshield was in the full up position instead of down.

 

[Eric L]

I have one - when I soak it, it gains like 10 pounds of water - I find though that the back stays wet (clammy) way longer than the front. Not a deal killer, but kind of slimy.

How about a vest that circulates ice water from a cooler mounted on the bike? It'll keep your beer cold too.

 

[Firepit1x]

Actually the company I bought my vest from has a tubed vest connected to a cooler/pump but the price its crazy at over $500. The company is hyperkewl. Its still not as ugly and bulky as that motorcycle air conditioner being sold online.

On a side note....as I searched I also found misting systems for residential roofs....misters for AC units and of course systems for patios and camping. Winter must kill these misting companies budget.....

 

[Mihalis fjr]

So I recently bought my first cooling vest and it paid off yesterday when the temps near St. Louis hit 102 on the way home. My chest, stomach and back stayed reasonably cool...in fact at times I could feel chills going down my arms even though I could also feel the heat of the sun beating them up.

I think having a cool core, but yet hot (not sweaty) head and other warm extremities actually confused my brain at times...but I'm glad I spent the $35.

Today is supposed to hit 108 so I gave in and drove the car to work. The evaporation idea had me thinking about adding/building a portable misting system on the handlebars pointed at the chest and lower body and I thought I was on to something..........sure enough someone is already selling a motorcycle misting system:

https://mistercycle.net/

There are even youtube videos of it in action.

Has anyone here built their own? What are your thoughts on our bike.....especially since every bike seems to have it's own air flow caused by a number of factors? In fact in the 102 heat yesterday my face felt cooler when the windshield was in the full up position instead of down.

Nice!!!

Which cooling vest have you buying?Brand..model?In 102 and you feel cool..!!I believe it is very good!!

I need one here in Greece..All the summer the temp stays about 90-100-110 the day...

 

[Firepit1x]

I bought the hyperkewl sport by techniche international from one of their resellers on Ebay. Part of me wishes I would have bought the one with removable sleeves but this will do as I have a few long trips planned this summer. Word of advice....buy your exact size...don't go bigger....you want the vest to fit snug...if its loose it won't have the same effect. Also wet it and allow it to dry before first use. I also read comments of wetting it an hour before a ride and placing it in a bag in the fridge for an extreme effect....but I haven't tried that yet. After my hour ride home yesterday I was surprised how cool my chest felt to the touch. Also this is my first cooling vest....there may be other producers with a better our worse product but I'm happy with mine!

 

[Patriot]

I found 2 techniche vests (one replaced under warranty) were only effective for 1 season

bought a Fieldsheer and it's da bomb and was the same price...well actually discounted in the winter of Dec

 

[Mihalis fjr]

I bought the hyperkewl sport by techniche international from one of their resellers on Ebay. Part of me wishes I would have bought the one with removable sleeves but this will do as I have a few long trips planned this summer. Word of advice....buy your exact size...don't go bigger....you want the vest to fit snug...if its loose it won't have the same effect. Also wet it and allow it to dry before first use. I also read comments of wetting it an hour before a ride and placing it in a bag in the fridge for an extreme effect....but I haven't tried that yet. After my hour ride home yesterday I was surprised how cool my chest felt to the touch. Also this is my first cooling vest....there may be other producers with a better our worse product but I'm happy with mine!

Thank you for your info!!

 

[Road_Runner]

Anyone try Cycle Gear's Bilt brand coolign vest?

Bilt Vest

 

[Bungie]

I'll echo the 1 year effective of the Techniche vest.

Mine is do for replacement after about 25 uses over 2 years. It still works, but not as well as it used to.

 

[Knifemaker]

I had actually thought about building a mister system. We had one under our deck and it did lower the perceived tempature.

They sell small battery powered water pumps (for portable fountains) and tubing is cheap. The only hassle seemed where to put the water supply. A nozzle on each handlebar and you'd be set. Doubt it cost more than 40 bucks to build....alot cheaper than the one in the link.

 

[Firepit1x]

The reviews on the bilt are high....and with a 5 year warranty it would be hard to complain about it!

 

[SacramentoMike]

Oh, freakin' MURDER! 108o in St. Louis? And it's HUMID there! Well, you've got my sympathy. And here we are in a fairly cool spell--mid 80's, humidity 51% today (and that's a little high for us). You don't need a cooling vest. You need a space suit!

 

[Firepit1x]

108 for a day is alright but the problem is the Midwest is stuck.....our 5 day forecast is nothing but 100 and above! I'm ready for that rooftop misting device! This is the same hot weather pattern that caused the dryness and fires in Colorado.

 

[Bungie]

Okay,

Time to look like a dumbCanuck.

A few years ago I was in Mississippi and Alabama. Some of the places I stopped at had sprinklers set up on the roof that would spray over the entrance. I'm not complaining, and I'm pretty sure I looked like a tool standing at the front doors waiting for the water to come back on.

... but, like, WTF?

 

[fljab]

How about a vest that circulates ice water from a cooler mounted on the bike? It'll keep your beer cold too.

I met a guy last yr that had just that and he built most of it. He bought a vest off ebay with the tubes in it - can't seem to find an example right now but will edit and put it in if I do - but the rest he built. He had a BMW LT and had one saddlebag dedicated to it with a cooler in there, and "I think" windshield wiper pump with electrical on/off on the handlebars, plastic tubing, and QD's to hook it up. He said it worked great and that the vest was the biggest expense ~$100 iirc. It also used up ice/icewater when hot so not sure how good it would be for LD.

Intriguing idea and being the type that likes to build shit, er, stuff myself I was thinking - what about using one of those 12V coolers that heat/cool - you know the type? You could even just pull the element out of one of those (unless someone here knows where to shop for those things) and put it in something better shaped for your specific purpose. That way you could still load with ice but it would take longer to melt down

Just another crazy idea that I think about sometimes.........

edit: Here it is - and yes someone has got a motorcycle application for $438 and shirt only for $139

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-Cool-Water-Shirt-BCW-Cool-Shirt-/170693322313?pt=Race_Car_Parts&hash=item27be1d6649&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-Cooling-System-Cool-Water-Shirt-Cool-Shirt-/170653544495?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27bbbe702f&vxp=mtr

Great idea but don't know if it's practical enough......

 

[Firepit1x]

This is why I didn't ride....108 my butt!

 

[ekms377]

How about a vest that circulates ice water from a cooler mounted on the bike? It'll keep your beer cold too.

I met a guy last yr that had just that and he built most of it. He bought a vest off ebay with the tubes in it - can't seem to find an example right now but will edit and put it in if I do - but the rest he built. He had a BMW LT and had one saddlebag dedicated to it with a cooler in there, and "I think" windshield wiper pump with electrical on/off on the handlebars, plastic tubing, and QD's to hook it up. He said it worked great and that the vest was the biggest expense ~$100 iirc. It also used up ice/icewater when hot so not sure how good it would be for LD.

Intriguing idea and being the type that likes to build shit, er, stuff myself I was thinking - what about using one of those 12V coolers that heat/cool - you know the type? You could even just pull the element out of one of those (unless someone here knows where to shop for those things) and put it in something better shaped for your specific purpose. That way you could still load with ice but it would take longer to melt down

Just another crazy idea that I think about sometimes.........

edit: Here it is - and yes someone has got a motorcycle application for $438 and shirt only for $139

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-Cool-Water-Shirt-BCW-Cool-Shirt-/170693322313?pt=Race_Car_Parts&hash=item27be1d6649&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-Cooling-System-Cool-Water-Shirt-Cool-Shirt-/170653544495?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27bbbe702f&vxp=mtr

Great idea but don't know if it's practical enough......

Here ya go.....

https://www.veskimo.com/

 

[BikerGeek99]

Last June, Sooze and I met up with RayZerman in SE Ohio for some riding with a group of Honda ST guys.

One of the guys had one of the water circulating rigs on his bike. He had one of the vests with tubes in it that he wore. He had a trailer hitch rig on the bike. In the hitch receiver, he had one of those platform thingies. On the platform thingy, he had a cooler with water and ice. In his trunk (I think; it's been a while now) / Givi / tail bag, he had some kind of a pump to circulate the water. All the piping was insulated, kind of like the Camelback tubes.

Since it was essentially a closed system, as long as the cooler had ice, he could keep the pump running and stay cool.

It did look a bit ungainly, but while we were sweating our collective asses off he was nice and cool.

Being a geek, I thought it was a really cool setup. Maybe a tad over the top, but it seems to me he was an engineer. You know how engineers can be...

 

[fljab]

Being a geek, I thought it was a really cool setup. Maybe a tad over the top, but it seems to me he was an engineer. You know how engineers can be...

Worse yet are the backyard En-gee-nears...file to fit, paint to match.......