Do you wear a protective jacket with your helmet in summer months?

[MMH]

I had to take my jacket off today about halfway through my 100 mile ride, weather is hot and humid in Florida! Short winter !

[TwoBye]

I had to take my jacket off today about halfway through my 100 mile ride, weather is hot and humid in Florida! Short winter !

Well, my intentions are always good. Although I must admit, my summertime wear is more aimed at extreme sun protection rather than road rash protection.

[dougv]

All the time...bought a mesh jacket last year and on Friday picked up one for my better half. Both jackets are day glow so we shouldn't be missed...

[rhino 2]

When I'm on 2 wheels yes.... 3 wheels no...

[cavie]

Well, since I became a trikie I stopped wearing atgatt. I still wear my modular helmet and jeans. I feel much safer now. Traded the boots for sneakers for the summer. I took the padding out of my jacket.

[Golden Dakota]

ATGAT all the time, no exceptions - I am enjoying my retirement and the best years of my life too much not to! In summer wife and I wear mesh jackets with armour in shoulders and elbows (over a t-shirt) and if going on the highway, mesh pants with knee armour over jeans. Proper shoes for riding which cover the ankles, perforated leather gloves and modular 3/4 helmets with full face shield. Some of my riding friends call me a wimp for doing this, but we'll see who is still alive and well to have the last laugh!

[jaxbobg]

I always wear a helmet, even though Florida doesn't require it. It's rare but I have heard of trikers being thrown off their rides by cagers changing lanes or running stop signs. On my trike, I don't wear jackets when temps are over 90 degrees. Almost always wear boots and jeans.

[rmrc51]

Looking at buying the Olympia Airglide 4 Mesh jacket to specifically address this very issue. Hope it works!

[Big Juice]

When it gets real hot here, I will sometimes dump the good bike jacket, but always have on some long sleeves (shirt, windbreaker or real light jacket).

[Shimpy]

Last summer for the first time ever I rode without mesh jacket, only T-shirt. It was much cooler, especially at stop lights. I'll always ride with boots, jeans, full face helmet and full finger mesh gloves. I would have never done this on 2 wheels though. The jacket will protect you from road rash not broken bones.

[rhino 2]

Sometimes riding over heated can be more dangerous than riding without a jacket..
Heat fatigue can sneak up on you and dull your senses.

[msocko3]

Its a mixed bag with me, during the cold weather I wear an FXRG leather jacket. In the spring and most of the summer I wear mesh, at times I do however ditch the mesh and wear just a tee shirt. I always wear jeans and 99% of the time boots, no shorts or flip flops for me. I did have a surprise last year while on one of my trips. One of my mesh jackets is day glow yellow, this sucker is blinding bright. I had a cage almost take me out, the guy was looking and not seeing.

[Golden Dakota]

Looking at buying the Olympia Airglide 4 Mesh jacket to specifically address this very issue. Hope it works!

We have the Olympia Airglide Mesh Jackets, and matching pants - they are fantastic for summer riding! We bought them directly from the N.American distributor, rather than one of the stores or on line stores. None of the on line stores had a very good selection of the Olympia products. They shipped ours out the same day we ordered, same price as the on line stores.
I highly recommend them!

[rayg5102]

in MD I always wear the helmet because we have to. As it warms up I go from leather jacket, to flight jacket to short sleeves and leather vest.
Always long pants and some sort of boot.

never gonna catch me in shorts............pipes get way too hot

[Ret1SG]

The wife and I both believe in ATGATT, both wear mesh jackets in summer. If need be we just stop more often.

[Rick Kay]

ATGATT here! We wear mesh jackets in the summer. I recently bought some "Firehose Jeans" from Duluth Trading. They are supposed to be tougher than denim. I'm not sure how they will be in the warm weather, though.

[skuuter]

Every Ride: (MOST) Full Coverage Fulmer Adventure Helmet, Olympia All-Season Jacket with Full Armor, Speed-n-Strength Leather Race Gloves, Bates Motorcycle Boots, Olympia All-Season Riding Pants, and ICON Knee/Shin Armor.......(LEAST) Full Coverage Fulmer Adventure Helmet, Olympia All-Season Jacket with Full Armor, Speed-n-Strength Leather Race Gloves, Bates Motorcycle Boots, Diamond Gusset Defender Kevlar Jeans, and "sometimes" ICON Knee/Shin Armor (I feel "naked" when I don't).......

I've ridden for 44+ years and well over a million miles on Motorcycles, Trikes, and Scooters. During that time, I've seen several Friends/Folks get killed and/or seriously injured if They weren't wearing "Gear". Yes, two died with Gear, but both body-slammed trees...one seriously injured wearing Gear, also slamming a tree...."but"....all of the Low-sides, High-Sides, Tumbling, and Sliding with Gear, got up with, at the most, tiny bruises and very small spots of road rash (this includes myself)......No Gear almost always resulted in Major Road Rash requiring abrasive Doctor scrubbing, Broken Bones, Hospital Stays, Surgeries, or me being asked to be a Pall Bearer "again".....

One of my Friends, that 75% of the time, wore Full Gear, and had at least 3 wrecks (2 major) with it on, and simply got up each time, died on Monteagle Mountain in the least wreck ever in 2004 wearing just a Denim Jacket, Open Face Helmet, Fingerless Gloves, Jeans, and Work Boots at about 35 mph low-siding in a curve....Face plant broke His jaw, pushing some of it into His soft palate and brain, and His broken knee and femur slashed the main artery in His left leg....both of these injuries were "death-causing" without the other broken fingers, toes, wrist, and massive amounts of removed skin.....

GEAR WORKS......and it's nowhere near as "heat-producing" as a slide down Hot Asphalt......Today's Gear has evolved to the point that You can acclimate to it if You take the time to do it. The Venting Systems in Jackets, Pants, Gloves, Helmets, etc. are like everything else available today...High Tech and User Friendly...The Choice is the choice of each individual Rider, but I cringe when I see Someone riding "Gearless"...

Wear some Gear....PLEASE.....

[Tango]

Wife and I both wear helmets and jackets at all times. As a matter of fact, we both just ordered Aerostitch suits. Their newest design, the "R3". The R3 is unlined, so it is lightest they make, and flows more air through it. Also has military grade, 3 layer gore tex. Aerostitch is the only manufacturer using it. They are on the road with their "Pop Up Store" visiting different areas of the country. We went to the one in Edgewater, N.J.. We were custom fitted as we are not the standard fit size wise. I am a retired LEO, and have seen some really gruesome motorcycle accidents. As well as friends that have been crippled by accidents. I always urge everyone to wear as much as possible when riding. Tom

[skuuter]

Wife and I both wear helmets and jackets at all times. As a matter of fact, we both just ordered Aerostitch suits. Their newest design, the "R3". The R3 is unlined, so it is lightest they make, and flows more air through it. Also has military grade, 3 layer gore tex. Aerostitch is the only manufacturer using it. They are on the road with their "Pop Up Store" visiting different areas of the country. We went to the one in Edgewater, N.J.. We were custom fitted as we are not the standard fit size wise. I am a retired LEO, and have seen some really gruesome motorcycle accidents. As well as friends that have been crippled by accidents. I always urge everyone to wear as much as possible when riding. Tom

I've had one Aerostitch 1pc Suit in the past, and later changed over to Olympia's 1pc Suits (I had two, a Large for wearing over my clothes commuting, and a Medium for Ride Days)....wore them for years until Olympia came out with Their Deluxe All-Season 2pc Jacket and Pants.....Yep, I'm a very firm believer in Full Gear.....

[MDGeorge]

For the most part you all make me feel reckless.
On the trike, I don't wear a helmet unless I have to. No jacket In the summer: 95 degrees and 90% humidity will kill you.