Geared for weather!

Even as I sit here looking out the window at a beautiful sunny morning, I am reminded by the TV weather forecaster guy that it just possibly might not be perfect skies throughout my little 7 week sojourn. For example the nice folks in Calgary, Alberta are today waking up to a balmy 37 degrees and rain. I'll be in Calgary about this time next week, and it's still pretty early in the spring in the Canadian Rockies. Packing the right riding gear for a trip that could see temps from the 20's to possibly 90 or 100 presents a serious challenge. The secret is what my mother always said "layers." (My mother didn't actually say that. What she did say was "eat your vegetables" and "wear sunscreen" but I'm not quite sure how to weave those old saws into this story.) While jeans and a sweatshirt were good enough for Steve McQueen "back in the day," my riding kit is a bit more elaborate.

For what I would call "normal" temperatures my everyday outfit will consist of this stuff. First, my Shoei Multitec helmet. New last season, the Multitec is a flip up helmet that combines the convenience of an open face helmet with the security of a full face design. I've worn it for thousands of miles and find it to be comfortable, sufficiently light, and quiet. A feature I most like is the simple one handed operation of the face shield latch. Additionally, the visors clip on and off in seconds, without tools, to facilitate cleaning. As far as boots, for everyday riding I use Sidi Dohas. The Doha is an ankle height boot with the rigidity, safety features, lace and velcro closures, and gear shifter toe reinforcement that can also be worn as an everyday shoe without clomping around looking like Herman Munster in Engineer Boots. When the air temps get a bit warmer I am prone to riding in just jeans (yeah, I know that denim isn't exactly the optimum safety equipment) but most of the time I'll be wearing a pair of First Gear HT overpants. The HT pants are great for wind blocking, pretty well water repellent, and they are easy to put on and take off over my jeans. My riding jacket for this trip is a new Rev'It Sirocco. This thing is a marvel of technology. It has a zip out liner, pockets and vents everywhere, a removable waterproof membrane, and CE armor in all the appropriate places. I anticipate that may just wear the Sirocco all day, every day, in all weather conditions. The online reviews suggest it's the right choice for temps from the 30s to the 80s (F). This is right in the heart of the conditions I'll face! The Sirocco, introduced last year, was the WebBike World Motorcycle Apparel of the Year Award winner in 2008. Is it just that good? I sure hope so and I'll try to keep track of it's performance over the duration of the trip. The everyday gear also includes a pair of lightweight BMW touring gloves that I have had for years. You just can't kill 'em. When it gets cold enough that the Sirocco jacket and overpants are not enough then I can upgrade to my BMW heated vest. I know from experience that it, in conjunction with heated handlebar grips cranked up to high and heavy winter gloves, can keep me very comfortable down to the mid to low 20's. And when the torrential rains come? That's simple enough too. I do carry a rubberized full coverage rain suit, as well as full height books, that can be deployed over all this other stuff. I may begin to look a bit like the Michelin Man but I'll be (more or less) cozy and dry. Warm/cold, wet or dry I think (hope!) I'm covered but time will tell. The real challenge is to pack all this stuff in the limited storage space I have on the bike. We'll see how that goes when I actually begin packing stuff later today. Thanks for stopping by. More tomorrow.
Jack

The 2009 Ride to Alaska for the Austin Hatcher Foundation is supported by
RevZilla Motorsports at RevZilla.com and by Hermy's Cycles in Port Clinton, PA