Black or Grey Riding Gear?

[AKjitsu]

Originally Posted by Xeraux

Sure. The black is hotter when you're sitting still in the sun, but when you're moving? There's virtually no difference because of evaporative cooling.

So, if you're not planning on sitting still in the sun with the gear, I wouldn't worry about the color and just get what you like and what's readily available.

Here in AZ, the situation is somewhat different. We have very little humidity and enough sunlight to jump start a nuclear reactor. Black is one hell of a lot hotter than any other color, even when underway. Particularly on the thighs and shoulders, which take the direct sunlight hit. YMMV in the more humid climes.

[Xeraux]

Originally Posted by AKjitsu

Here in AZ, the situation is somewhat different. We have very little humidity and enough sunlight to jump start a nuclear reactor. Black is one hell of a lot hotter than any other color, even when underway. Particularly on the thighs and shoulders, which take the direct sunlight hit. YMMV in the more humid climes.

You've got it backwards. Evaporative cooling works better in your climate. With less humidity, the water can actually evaporate into the dryer air. It's less effective in the more humid climates.

Oh, and the sun is every bit as hot in Georgia as it is in AZ. We're basically on the same parallel geographically speaking. We just get the added benefit of extremely high humidity to go with it.

[TimothyCaseTimothy]

I've had both in Colorado and I can't tell the difference...I've baked in both types...if you hold out for the 2013 Adventure gear it looks like they're making a mesh/liner combo Adventure kit that sounds pretty sweet... Time to refinance the house, though...big $$$$.

[groop]

I have a black/gray motorcycle and black/gray/silver gear (including helmet). I bought all the gear not really thinking about it, but just because I like the colors. Friends that ride with me say that I kind of blend in with the asphalt. If I were do do it again, I would have at least a splash of contrasting color.

[RememberTheFallen]

Gave in and bought a grey latitude jacket off of the flea market for a good deal! Thanks for all of the replays and help!

[RememberTheFallen]

*replies

[AKjitsu]

Originally Posted by Xeraux

You've got it backwards. Evaporative cooling works better in your climate. With less humidity, the water can actually evaporate into the dryer air. It's less effective in the more humid climates.

Oh, and the sun is every bit as hot in Georgia as it is in AZ. We're basically on the same parallel geographically speaking. We just get the added benefit of extremely high humidity to go with it.

Thanks for sharing. Were it not for your vastly superior knowledge of the desert, no doubt garned in Atlanta, I would have no idea what the evap cooler sitting on the top of my house for the last fifteen years was for.

And you believe that the sun has the same surface effect in a humid climate as in the desert? Tell you what. Go take a basic physics course and get back to us when you have some idea what the hell you're talking about.

[Xeraux]

Originally Posted by AKjitsu

Thanks for sharing. Were it not for your vastly superior knowledge of the desert, no doubt garned in Atlanta, I would have no idea what the evap cooler sitting on the top of my house for the last fifteen years was for.

And you believe that the sun has the same surface effect in a humid climate as in the desert? Tell you what. Go take a basic physics course and get back to us when you have some idea what the hell you're talking about.

Ventilated clothing or evaporative vests do not work as well in humid climates as it does in arid. That's why we don't use evaporative coolers on top of our houses, here. We use air conditioners to dehumidify.

On a motorcycle at speed with the airflow, that black jacket's temp is going to be inconsequentially different than the grey one.

[GSDonovan]

Originally Posted by Xeraux

You've got it backwards. Evaporative cooling works better in your climate. With less humidity, the water can actually evaporate into the dryer air. It's less effective in the more humid climates.

Oh, and the sun is every bit as hot in Georgia as it is in AZ. We're basically on the same parallel geographically speaking. We just get the added benefit of extremely high humidity to go with it.

+1 evap cooling is more effective in dry heat.

[syzygy9]

I

Originally Posted by Xeraux

Ventilated clothing or evaporative vests do not work as well in humid climates as it does in arid. That's why we don't use evaporative coolers on top of our houses, here. We use air conditioners to dehumidify.

On a motorcycle at speed with the airflow, that black jacket's temp is going to be inconsequentially different than the grey one.

The connection between an evaporative air conditioner and a jacket is a lot of codswallop; evaporative A/Cs work by pulling lots of air through wetted pads. True - the cooling effect comes from the ability of the air to evaporate the water which works well in dry climates where the air is not already saturated. However, this requires a lot of water! So, wrt jackets, unless you are spraying yourself with water or sweating profusely, 'evaporation' will hardly have any 'cooling' effect.

Well vented jackets 'cool' you by purging warm/hot air trapped inside your jacket making you feel cooler. A dark jacket (or helmet for that matter) is always much hotter than a light jacket BUT this can be partially ameliorated by good venting enabling you to expel the hot air from inside your jacket. The hot air inside your jacket comes from your own body heat as well as heat absorbed from the outside environment . . . and a dark jacket sucks in a lot more heat than a light jacket (feel the temp difference on the body of a light coloured vs dark coloured car when both have been on the sun for awhile).

My advice for what it is worth; if most of your riding is in hotter climes use light coloured gear, for colder climes dark coloured (and keep it zipped up).

Living in Australia (and I have 2 evap aircon units on the roof of my house) I have a white helmet and use light coloured AStars Durban jacket and pants which work well for these warmer temps.

[Xeraux]

Originally Posted by syzygy9

I

The connection between an evaporative air conditioner and a jacket is a lot of codswallop; evaporative A/Cs work by pulling lots of air through wetted pads. True - the cooling effect comes from the ability of the air to evaporate the water which works well in dry climates where the air is not already saturated. However, this requires a lot of water! So, wrt jackets, unless you are spraying yourself with water or sweating profusely, 'evaporation' will hardly have any 'cooling' effect.

Well vented jackets 'cool' you by purging warm/hot air trapped inside your jacket making you feel cooler. A dark jacket (or helmet for that matter) is always much hotter than a light jacket BUT this can be partially ameliorated by good venting enabling you to expel the hot air from inside your jacket. The hot air inside your jacket comes from your own body heat as well as heat absorbed from the outside environment . . . and a dark jacket sucks in a lot more heat than a light jacket (feel the temp difference on the body of a light coloured vs dark coloured car when both have been on the sun for awhile).

My advice for what it is worth; if most of your riding is in hotter climes use light coloured gear, for colder climes dark coloured (and keep it zipped up).

Living in Australia (and I have 2 evap aircon units on the roof of my house) I have a white helmet and use light coloured AStars Durban jacket and pants which work well for these warmer temps.

http://leatt-brace.com/blog/coolit-e...ng-vests-tees/

Originally Posted by Leatt

The Coolit vest and tee can make you feel up to 15 – 20°F (8 – 11°C) cooler

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...chAutoComplete

[AKjitsu]

Originally Posted by Xeraux

Ventilated clothing or evaporative vests do not work as well in humid climates as it does in arid. That's why we don't use evaporative coolers on top of our houses, here. We use air conditioners to dehumidify.

On a motorcycle at speed with the airflow, that black jacket's temp is going to be inconsequentially different than the grey one.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more ridiculous…… now we have a guy from Georgia lecturing a guy from southern Arizona about how things work in the desert. You sound exactly like the tourists we get out here every year; the ones who read a few things in a book regarding dry climates, completely confuse what they’ve read, then come out here thinking they know everything. And then we have to get out the horses and helicopters and go fish their corpses out of the desert. It’s a tedious undertaking but we do derive some joy from the knowledge that they’ve removed themselves from the gene pool.

[Xeraux]

Originally Posted by AKjitsu

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more ridiculous…… now we have a guy from Georgia lecturing a guy from southern Arizona about how things work in the desert. You sound exactly like the tourists we get out here every year; the ones who read a few things in a book regarding dry climates, completely confuse what they’ve read, then come out here thinking they know everything. And then we have to get out the horses and helicopters and go fish their corpses out of the desert. It’s a tedious undertaking but we do derive some joy from the knowledge that they’ve removed themselves from the gene pool.

Why don't you explain it to us? I want details of how my statement that "Ventilated clothing or evaporative vests do not work as well in humid climates as it does in arid." is incorrect and not just a rant about how stupid you think everyone in this thread is.

[FLARider1]

so......back to the original post.

You will be happy that you got lighter colored gear. I started of with black gear down here in south FLA and roasted my ass even with removable panels to add a ton of air flow. I have now switched to all light colors and experienced a huge difference of how hot I feel in the gear riding in hot weather. I have mesh gear in lighter colors, Joe Rocket UFO 2.0 jacket and Olympic Airglide 3 pants, for summer riding. I have the grey with blue trim BMW Rallye Pro 3 for cooler/cold riding. I really have felt the difference on the bike, to heck with all physics arguments going on, I feel the difference on the bike and thats what really matters!!!!

[RememberTheFallen]

Originally Posted by FLARider1

so......back to the original post.

You will be happy that you got lighter colored gear. I started of with black gear down here in south FLA and roasted my ass even with removable panels to add a ton of air flow. I have now switched to all light colors and experienced a huge difference of how hot I feel in the gear riding in hot weather. I have mesh gear in lighter colors, Joe Rocket UFO 2.0 jacket and Olympic Airglide 3 pants, for summer riding. I have the grey with blue trim BMW Rallye Pro 3 for cooler/cold riding. I really have felt the difference on the bike, to heck with all physics arguments going on, I feel the difference on the bike and thats what really matters!!!!

Ya, kinda getting a little crazy there.

Hope to get the jacket in the next few days. Unfortunately I won't be able to test it for hot riding for 6 more months. Thanks for the reply!