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Cooling Vest - Does anyone use/have one?

AngelFZ

AngelFZ

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Do you guys have any experience with them?

When I ride the bike to work is not that bad, early in the morning is just fine, then later in the afternoon you can feel the heat but since I'm lucky that there is no traffic here, as long as you're moving it is ok.

Different story if you're riding during the day (weekend ride), at one point the heat starts taking the pleasure of the ride and makes it more of an inconvenience.

I saw in Cycle Gear a sale for a cooling vest and I started looking for more information about it. I found out there are different types or technologies, and the one Cycle Gear sales is an evaporative "soak-in-water" type vest.
Well, if I'm on a pleasure ride and I'll end up sweating, I could get my shirt wet initially and maybe be cooler. But for women this might not be comfortable (to say the least). Also, if there would be the case I should use the bike during the day as I'm working, I would not like to go back to work soaking wet (either in sweat or from a "soak-in-water" vest.

This last weekend I found this website: RiteTemp Athletics and their products seem to be very interesting, they use a Phase Change Material that won't get you wet and seem to hold up comfortable temperatures for over 4 hours.

Even for work (when we need to work outdoors) I would be very interested on it.

I'm planing on stopping by (their website list a Melbourne, Fl address - pretty close to me) and checking it out. I'm seriously considering getting one of those units but before I wanted to inquire here in the forum about cooling vests in general.

Thanks,
 
I got a soak in water type for when it was hot in the afternoon when riding home from work. I used it for 2 or 3 days before giving up on it. I do not think it is all that practical to use that kind, especially if you are using it for a coming home from work situation, here is why:
Soaking it at work - I used a large zip lock and filled it with water toward the end of the day, so not that inconvenient, but when you are ready to leave it was a bit annoying to actually pour out the water and then put the vest on. I did this outside, because there is no way to do it inside without making a mess. Then, when you first put it on, it is a little drippy, but not so bad.
Riding home - it helped on the highway when air was flowing through my mesh jacket, but when I got off the highway for the last 15 mins of my commute, it started to heat up more than it was giving off through evaporation because I was not moving enough, so by the time I got home the vest was pretty much holding in heat, so I was pretty hot by the time I got home, not to mention I now was wearing a 10lb vest that was still mostly full of warm water.

For those reasons, I would suggest one of the better phase change ones. If you put $150-$200 into it, I would imagine it will end up getting used more and be more practical for a work situation (you will need a fridge at work of course). The phase change may not be as good on rides where you are out longer than the 4 or so hours and have no way to "recharge" it.
 
I have one, and haven't had a need to use it this year as our temps have been consistently in the low hundreds. I think our hottest day was 108 and that was borderline if I was going to use it or not.

It's too cold to wear it. Remember, you have to have gear that will breath, meaning mesh so that the air can work with the vest. The objective here is trying to simulate a wet body, like you would when you get out of a swimming pool and have that breeze hit your skin, kind of chilly huh! Especially if you soak it in ice cold water.

Expect to get wet initially, whether you put if on directly onto your skin or over a shirt. It will be good for the ride home, since it doesn't matter what condition you get home in. Would not recommend it wearing to work.
 
pulverizer said:
I got a soak in water type for when it was hot in the afternoon when riding home from work. I used it for 2 or 3 days before giving up on it. I do not think it is all that practical to use that kind, especially if you are using it for a coming home from work situation, here is why:
Soaking it at work - I used a large zip lock and filled it with water toward the end of the day, so not that inconvenient, but when you are ready to leave it was a bit annoying to actually pour out the water and then put the vest on. I did this outside, because there is no way to do it inside without making a mess. Then, when you first put it on, it is a little drippy, but not so bad.
Riding home - it helped on the highway when air was flowing through my mesh jacket, but when I got off the highway for the last 15 mins of my commute, it started to heat up more than it was giving off through evaporation because I was not moving enough, so by the time I got home the vest was pretty much holding in heat, so I was pretty hot by the time I got home, not to mention I now was wearing a 10lb vest that was still mostly full of warm water.

For those reasons, I would suggest one of the better phase change ones. If you put $150-$200 into it, I would imagine it will end up getting used more and be more practical for a work situation (you will need a fridge at work of course). The phase change may not be as good on rides where you are out longer than the 4 or so hours and have no way to "recharge" it.
Click to expand...

Great info :thumbup:
Initially I was interested on trying one of them, but after I realized every time you use the vest you'll require water and then you'll end up soaking wet I did not like too much the idea.
Yes the price difference is marked but I'd rather buying something more expensive and use it more than buying something less expensive and end up not really using it.

Thanks a lot,
 
VEGASRIDER said:
I have one, and haven't had a need to use it this year as our temps have been consistently in the low hundreds. I think our hottest day was 108 and that was borderline if I was going to use it or not.

It's too cold to wear it. Remember, you have to have gear that will breath, meaning mesh so that the air can work with the vest. The objective here is trying to simulate a wet body, like you would when you get out of a swimming pool and have that breeze hit your skin, kind of chilly huh! Especially if you soak it in ice cold water.

Expect to get wet initially, whether you put if on directly onto your skin or over a shirt. It will be good for the ride home, since it doesn't matter what condition you get home in. Would not recommend it wearing to work.
Click to expand...

Well, I don't know if my tolerance level is getting limited, but with the humidity here in Florida, whenever the temperatures hit the 90's it becomes very uncomfortable.
I do have 2 jackets, a mesh one and a "perforated" leather one (which I only use around "winter" time).
Now, from what I have read, the PCM vest would not rely on wind circulation, it will absorb heat and lock it inside the cooling cells.

I do like the idea that, in the case of the PCM vest, I could use it also for work whenever I need to do work outdoors. And in case it works, this would be an option for my female friend, which would not have to be concerned about the "wet T-shirt" option offered by the "soak-in-water" vests.
 
I've not purchased an evap. vest, but on some hot days I've just taken off my t-shirt, soaked it in a sink, rung it out a bit, put it and my mesh on, and rode. It works great until the t-shirt dries out, then you can feel just how effective it really is.
Price is right, and the only hard part is pulling the t-shirt on at first... :eek:
AeroStich sells an evap scarf; I coulda swore I bought one once but I'll be damned if I can find it... :confused:
 
I have a "Silver Eagle" vest given to me (from a friend that it wouldn't fit). I used it in conjuction with a vented black jacket (with crash pads).

We did a ride to Tampa (about 2.5 hours interstate each way), in summer time for lunch, I was on my old 2004 Goldwing. Rode up without it (no jacket), it was very, very warm (great wind protection doesn't help). We had lunch and headed home about noon, hotter than going up, obviously.

Upon leaving the restaurant, I soaked the vest as directed and used my mesh jacket. It was probably in the low 90's, the sun is very strong as well.

There was very noticable difference, it felt, to me at least 10 degrees (F) cooler. Between not having the sun actually beating down on your arms/back and the vest, I was very impressed with how well it worked. You just put it over a t-shirt and use a perforated jacket

I can say that that you'l probably re-soak it at either every gas stop, or every other gas stop at the least......

Mine does indeed work and am very happy with it... Highly recommended
 
TownsendsFJR1300 said:
There was very noticable difference, it felt, to me at least 10 degrees (F) cooler. Between not having the sun actually beating down on your arms/back and the vest, I was very impressed with how well it worked. You just put it over a t-shirt and use a perforated jacket

I can say that that you'l probably re-soak it at either every gas stop, or every other gas stop at the least......

Mine does indeed work and am very happy with it... Highly recommended
Click to expand...

Indeed not to have the sun beating down on you alone makes a difference, of course, the perforated jacket will help more (temperature-wise) as long as there is airflow.

I won't mind using this type of vest on a day I dedicate to take the bike for a ride since my shirt will get wet (either way it will end up wet because of sweat).

I'd also like to consider the option where I could actually use the bike as mean of transportation, for example going to a different city and meeting a relative of friend to have lunch. It would be nice not to get there with my shirt soaking wet - of course the most clear option is not use the bike instead, I'm trying to het feasible options.

Thank you very much for your information.



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- Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I was looking around online and doing some research, the evap. vests sound great and all for a dedicated motorcycle day. But I would rather do the phase change cooling vests. Rode in 90+ weather up here in NJ and was okay with mesh jacket, but I guess the sun is 2x as strong down south. This website called "Ms.Cooling" has a chilled-water circulating cooling vest with a backpack attachment that seemed kinda cool, but it sounds like more stuff to lug around. :rolleyes:
 
I would like to add that yes, with the jacket on, the sun is off your skin and does helps with that but is still warmer being black in color (its a Hein Gerick-full mesh with pads).. I lived in NY many years ago (1979), the sun is not nearly as strong, the farther south you go, the stronger the effects of the sun...

As stated earlier, that was with riding a Goldwing, (lots of air protection, no air re-directionals-friggin hot).

It definitly DOES WORK BETTER WITH THE COOLING VEST. I had my doubts before trying it but was very surprised with how well it worked..

With short trips around town, I wouldn't mess with it, but for a 3+ hours ride in the middle of summer, a definite yes.

As stated above, your shirt's going to wet anyway from sweating, why not at least be more comfortable?

IMHO... :)

If you have room to store a fresh shirt once you arrive, that would alliviate that issue as well...
 
Last edited:
I just did a 2400 mile trip to Deal's Gap and back during the hottest part of the summer. The second day I was dealing with a 105 degree heat index. Here's what I did.

First I was in full gear.

Scorpion EXO-1000 Helmet
Joe Rocket Atomic 4.0 jacket (non mesh mind you)
Frank Thomas Leather gloves. (they are starting to fall apart, don't buy them)
Joe Rocket mesh riding pants (wore jeans under them the whole time)
Cheap thin balaclava that I wore just around my neck.
Sidi Vertigo Air boots.

I started out the ride with just the vents opened on the jacket and the helmet. This helped a little bit, but it was still hot. I started taking off my shirt at rest areas and gas stops (about every two hrs) and completely soaking it just wringing it out a little so it was not totally hanging off me. I did this for awhile with the vents open and found that the water evaporated quite quickly. I remember reading on a forum a couple of years ago that a guy from the Phoenix area said that he actually closed all his vents when the temps would get above 100 as to minimize the evaporation of sweat. So I kept soaking the shirt and balaclava and closed all the vents on the helmet and jacket. Much to my surprise the cooling effect was greatly improved and I was fairly comfortable for the remainder of the trip. It's nice to experiment and see what actually works. I think the vest would be a great investment now and I'm looking at getting one. A couple of Harley riders looked at me one time and asked me how I could stand to wear all that stuff. I told them that I was probably more comfortable than they were. They just looked at me like I had leprosy or something. Lol.
 
Guitar Man said:
A couple of Harley riders looked at me one time and asked me how I could stand to wear all that stuff. I told them that I was probably more comfortable than they were. They just looked at me like I had leprosy or something. Lol.
Click to expand...

I've asked the same questions and I've seen those looks.

For a poker run I went last Saturday, at the end many riders were showing their arms (probably not even paying attention to their faces) in what looked to be more of a competition of who ended up more burned by the sun, it was pretty bad.


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- Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Nelly said:
Well I think that they sound like a good idea. What do the GP guys do for the hot tracks?
I would love the opportunity to ride in hot weather. We have the coldest summer since 1956. Thermometer reads 11C today:eek:.
Application Areas - [ventilationVest] - Personal Cooling Systems
Cooling Vest - Cooling for People
Beijing Olympic Athletes Using Arctic Heat Cooling Vests to Stay Cool | PRLog

Nelly
Click to expand...

I was actually thinking it those guys would use something like this in the helmets!!!!!

Thanks for the links


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- Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
AngelFZ said:
This last weekend I found this website: RiteTemp Athletics and their products seem to be very interesting, they use a Phase Change Material that won't get you wet and seem to hold up comfortable temperatures for over 4 hours.
Click to expand...

For about a year and a half, I was HTFx's creative director, and I was very involved in the development of the RiteTemp Athletics line. I left the company last summer, so I've got no horse in the race of whether you buy their products, I just happened across this post while studying how effective my search engine ranking was on their web site, as research for some search engine ranking projects I'm working on now.

In comparison to a soak in water product, in my (albiet arguably biased) opinion there is no comparison. I've tried a few of them out while doing market research. Evaporative cooling products are basically artificial sweat. They can't cool you more than sweat can, and face the same limitations. I always ride in a leather jacket (ever since I high-sided my XV750 at 40mph in Melbourne a few years back) and evaporative cooling won't work under that because you just get a layer of hot humid air trapped under the jacket. You've got to have lower humidity air for the sweat or soaked in water to evaporate into.

I've used both of the RiteTemp vests, and their performance is very different. I started using a RiteTemp Medical Surgeon's vest (functionally the same as the RTA Performance Vest). In the middle of summer, in Central Florida, it is nothing short of amazing. Under my leather jacket, it feels like riding in a cold air conditioned car. The downside - for me, under those conditions, it lasts about 45 minutes. How long it lasts will vary with how hot it is, how well insulated you are and how much body heat you put out (ironically if it's hotter than body temp outside, bundling up helps you stay cooler until the vest loses its charge). The other downside is it has to be recharged in a refrigerator, and when I did that at work, often some of the employees out on the factory floor would ignore my name on it, take it out of the fridge, use it, and it would not be charged when I left for home.

The next vest I used I had made as a prototype, based on the surgeon's vest, but with higher phase change temperature. That design is what became the Endurance vest, and while it's primarily sold to sports officials and athletes I had that prototype built for one purpose - convenient cooling on my ride home at the end of the day. That lasts me at least an hour and a half if not 2 hours in the summer. It doesn't feel cold though, it cools just enough that I don't feel hot. Not as luxurious, but more practical due to the longer cooling time. Best part is, that air conditioned room temperatures are cool enough to recharge it, so there are no hassles with charging it (I was lucky - not many workplaces would be happy with you taking up refrigerator or freezer space with a vest). That prototype vest or a production RiteTemp Athletics Endurance vest (I ended up with a pair, so my wife and I could both wear them while riding) is every day riding wear for me in the warmer months, and I don't think I could handle a full leather jacket in the summer without it (the danger of heat exhaustion would outweigh the protection).

I'm sure there are situations where you could get 4 hours out of one of these vests - a best case scenario, but riding in the sun on a hot summer day in Florida I find that to be overly optimistic. The big thing to consider is how long you need the cooling to last, and if you have the time/resources to recharge the vest before you need it next. The vast majority of the riding I do is cross-town commuting (South end of Palm Bay to Downtown Melbourne) on light bikes (DR-200 or electric converted Ninja) so my typical ride duration is an hour or less. For me they're fantastic. For road trips I don't think they'd be as practical, due to needing to recharge them once they're exhausted.

If you do decide to get one, you may have better luck getting it in a reasonable time frame through a supplier that carries them, as they are not as often in stock from the manufacturer (they don't sit on much stock, they get it out to the dealers). Also of note - I've seen a short version of the vest on a dealer's web site (only comes down to the bottom of the rib cage). I have not used that, it came out after I left so I can't say how it compares, other than it's got less surface area to extract heat from the body than the full vest.
 
A friend of mine is a private pilot and uses RiteTemp Athletics every flight in the summer here in TX. Sitting on taxi can be brutal, and the vest makes a big difference for him. His instructors have started using them too.
 
billmi said:
The next vest I used I had made as a prototype, based on the surgeon's vest, but with higher phase change temperature. That design is what became the Endurance vest, and while it's primarily sold to sports officials and athletes I had that prototype built for one purpose - convenient cooling on my ride home at the end of the day. That lasts me at least an hour and a half if not 2 hours in the summer. It doesn't feel cold though, it cools just enough that I don't feel hot. Not as luxurious, but more practical due to the longer cooling time. Best part is, that air conditioned room temperatures are cool enough to recharge it, so there are no hassles with charging it (I was lucky - not many workplaces would be happy with you taking up refrigerator or freezer space with a vest). That prototype vest or a production RiteTemp Athletics Endurance vest (I ended up with a pair, so my wife and I could both wear them while riding) is every day riding wear for me in the warmer months, and I don't think I could handle a full leather jacket in the summer without it (the danger of heat exhaustion would outweigh the protection).
Click to expand...

First welcome to the forum ;)

Second this is awesome information!!!!!
Thank you very much.

Indeed the vest which can recharge simply with the A/C seems like a very viable choice. I won't see it as a device to keep me cold during summer but more to keep me cooler during summer.

Once again, I truly appreciate your contribution.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have the evaporative type... Soak it and wear in under my riding suit with the vents open, helps.
 
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