Best under mesh pants?

[Sailorlite]

I'm off to NV, AZ and UT Monday and can't decide what to wear under my mesh pants (AirFlow 4). I know I'm going to roast, but should I wear the special "wicking" long underwear or just my regular cotton skivvies? Does the wicking actually aid cooling even though the air flow to my skin would be reduced?

 

I have an evaporative cooling vest for under my jacket - but I'm hoping to do whatever I can for my legs.

[areyouolsen]

Real-life wicking material is a godsend in the desert. Cotton is a killer, in extreme heat & extreme cold. As far as the original question, wear a full-length wicking underwear & be

[areyouolsen]

D@mn phone... Anyway, to continue...

 

Be prepared to drink A LOT more water than you're used to. Especially with mesh pants, you won't feel the water loss & always underestimate it.

[elkroeger]

If it were me: I'd wear shorts under my moto pants. And they would be synthetic. Cotton drawers will turn into a sweaty wet diaper, and you'll have a rash in no time. I go to the extra length of using a bead rider to get some extra air flow under my tuckus.

 

Wicking to me is mostly marketing hype. You sweat, your clothes get wet, and it sucks. No two ways about it. The main thing is that synthetics (also wool, silk etc.) don't hold on to the moisture like cotton, so they dry faster (thus "wicking"). Also avoid Polypropylene, as it absorbs your B.O. and they will stink regardless of whether they've been washed.

 

as for shorts vs. long johns, I'd go with shorts because every time you get off the bike and remove your moto gear, you'll be standing there with your long drawers on getting hot. I don't think it would matter though while you're actually riding, since you've got mesh pants.

[johnlt]

In the SW desert summer riding, yes, you do sweat but no, you don't get wet even in cotten becayse it evaporates so fast. That's the problem, you dehydrate so as the man said drink, drink, drink.

[Chris K]

LD Comfort shorts!

[Guest Kakugo]

Spark by GPR seamless long underwear.

 

 

[areyouolsen]

I hear the shorts suggestion, but long legged/sleeved clothing will help abate your water loss at least a little bit. Hence why you see desert-dwellers & ultra-marathoners in the Badwater (Death Valley in summertime, 135 miles, 130 degree heat) cover up every inch of their bodies. Mostly water conservation, partly sun protection.

[Richard Prince]

Twenty years in AZ. BMW Summer mesh. Who takes off their pants in public 'cept politicians?

[DiggerJim]

LD Comfort shorts!

Definitely! They'll help keep your butt dry and when you're stopped you can take off the mesh pants and it looks like you're wearing bicycle shorts so people don't really notice too much - wear a t-shirt that will hang down though so you're not exposing the roo-pouch

 

LD Comfort also has a shirt made of the same stuff. In high temps (over 95ish) you're going to be adding heat if you're wearing a mesh jacket as the air temp is over your skin temp - gets worse the hotter it gets. I like to soak the shirt in water, close up the jacket leaving just the sleeves & neck open - then the air comes in up my sleeves & out my neck and I get evaporative cooling that way, it'll just pull the heat off your body. On the RT because of the fairing I usually need to stick my arm out into the windstream to get the airflow because otherwise the mirrors, etc. tend to cut the wind/airflow.

 

You can wash them pretty easily in the motel sink (I use the free shampoo) and they'll be bone dry again in a few hours so you only need one pair for whatever distance you're going.

[Deek]

I wear mesh riding pants made my First Gear. I don't know the model number. If I am riding more than just 2-3 hours, I wear LD Comfort riding shorts under the mesh; summer and winter, at least down to 50°F or so. The RT has such good wind protection.

 

The LD shorts are perfect from a no-seam point of view, but mainly I wear them because they DO keep me dry and comfortable. And of course they can be hand washed in a motel sink and they DO dry out overnight. The LD shorts are expensive, but they are well worth the expense IMO.

[CVA-42]

My buddy and I did a big western ride this spring, May 9 - June 9. We trailered our two 1200GS's from Georgia to Pueblo, CO and then did a 5,000+ mile loop to the coast and back to Pueblo. Temps ranged from low thirties in the Rockies to over one hundred degrees in Death Valley, so we were changing riding outfits the whole time. I wore Buck Naked boxers from Duluth Trading Co. under my mesh pants and was very satisfied with their performance. No rash, no chafing, very comfortable. Had three pair, wore them in rotation, washed them out in the sink every night and they were always bone dry in the A.M. I've worn LD Comforts on these kinds of rides in the past, but I personally find them a little uncomfortable, i.e., not enough room where I "need" it. Otherwise, they're also a good choice.

[Malthound]

Big plus one on the LD Comfort shorts. Rick Mayer recommended them to me when he did my seat and I've been a believer ever since.

[Sailorlite]

To focus my original question, my riding environment will be SW desert - very hot with low humidity.

 

I am wondering whether long, wicking-type, underpants would be better than short wicking-type boxers. Do I want hot air flowing through my mesh riding pants to actually hit my skin or instead to be slowed by a layer of wicking material? Getting "soaked" by sweat is not much of a problem, but getting roasted is.

[areyouolsen]

My .02, after riding most of my life in the desert (NV, AZ & NM) is full-length. Like you've seen, others have different opinions, but that is what works for me.

 

At fuel stops, soak down your drawers & experience the sweet relief of evaporative cooling (carry an extra liter or 2 of water for an on-the-bike resoaking) & drink tons of water. That dry desert blow dryer wind will eat you alive.

[marcopolo]

LD Comfort shorts!

 

+1

[Caddis]

I just bought some LD Comfort shorts, and they are good, but I find them to be rather hot when the weather gets really warm. I also have a pair of these Under Armour shorts that I think do a good job and are much cooler. They are much thinner material so only time will tell if they hold up well. Unlike other models of Under Armour shorts, the seams in these are "taped", and are so flat that I can't even tell the seams are there.

 

Since they are compression shorts, and I want them only snug enough to prevent wrinkles without being tight, I got them in a size or two larger than I normally would wear. Be warned, though, the mesh panels are very "sheer", and I would not be seen in public without something over them, if you get my drift.

[Bologna]

http://www.ldcomfort.com

Call LDC and talk to Mario!

[hopz]

I like the REI store's long leg wicking underwear.

I also have a set of wicking long leg from Patagonia but the REIs work well at about 2/3rds the cost.

[tallman]

To focus my original question, my riding environment will be SW desert - very hot with low humidity.

 

I am wondering whether long, wicking-type, underpants would be better than short wicking-type boxers. Do I want hot air flowing through my mesh riding pants to actually hit my skin or instead to be slowed by a layer of wicking material? Getting "soaked" by sweat is not much of a problem, but getting roasted is.

 

 

Sometimes in really hot weather I wear micro/poly/mesh type sweat pants under mesh riding pants.

It can add a layer for wet/air circulation. But more often than not, just bicycle shorts. Suggest giving both a try.

Probably personal pref , I use the long mesh workout style under regular riding pants more, much more, than under mesh.

[Mike]

LD Comfort shorts!

 

+1

 

These work for me, too. However, I find Ex Officio boxer briefs to be a little cooler.

[realshelby]

To focus my original question, my riding environment will be SW desert - very hot with low humidity.

 

I am wondering whether long, wicking-type, underpants would be better than short wicking-type boxers. Do I want hot air flowing through my mesh riding pants to actually hit my skin or instead to be slowed by a layer of wicking material? Getting "soaked" by sweat is not much of a problem, but getting roasted is.

 

The longer shorts/underwear have an advantage. There is no chance the edge of the leg will be between you and the seat. Any seam you sit on will get sore after enough hours in the saddle. Same with a wrinkle in the fabric. That is why I think the compression fit shorts/underwear are so important. I don't think the difference in length is enough to make a lot of difference in cooling.

 

Drink all the water you can each time you stop!

 

I wear compression fit gear under my Motoport pants. Not a name brand, but work well. You have to buy something with NO seams where your buttocks or thighs are. The seam up the middle is ok.

[elkroeger]

...I am wondering whether long, wicking-type, underpants would be better than short wicking-type boxers....

 

Well, bring both, stop for lunch and change. See which you like better....

[richs]

First, I live in Austin, TX, so, almost as hot with more humidity. Second, I have a fair complexion and have lost 2 brothers to skin cancer. I have to stay out of the sun which makes for an easy decision for atgatt. I have motoport mesh jacket and pants. I also have LD long sleeve shirt and pants. I wear this outfit year around. It is easy to rinse and dry the LD stuff when traveling as others have said. I also wear merino wool socks. During the summer I drink lots of water. This works well for me.

[philbytx]

We both have FG MeshTex pants and both wear Wickers Rider Boxers

[na1g]

I hear Sailorlite's original question and appreciate all the good advice. I'll take it to heart next time I'm riding out your way. I'm also jealous of the desert-low humidity you guys ride in. Here in the right half of the country we ride in high temps and high humidity where evaporative cooling doesn't happen. Phase-change cooling gear and packing your jacket pockets with ice are about the only ways to really cool the body and neither works for long. So maybe I should just "move west, young man".

 

pete

[upfisk]

We both wear nylon shorts. Gary uses a lined pair with no briefs, I use an unlined pair and polyester, no seam undies. Nothing under the mesh absorbs sweat. Our mesh riding pants are very different from each others but neither could be called excessive mesh, I'd never want full leg coverage because of a fear of roasting in the desert. We just finished a ride that had us spending 2 days at more than 102, one day involved over an hour at 108. Cooling vests and cooling beads neckwear kept us going. Our legs didn't seem as abused as our eyeballs.

[Shaolin Master Sergeant]

Hello, first post here. I wear Venting Machine pants and Cycle Gear Heat-Out shorts under it. Shorts were under $10 and were recently on sale (I ended up with several pieces of Heat Out gear). The shorts are very comfortable. No seams felt, wicked sweat well. I live in NJ where we have high heat and humidity during the summer.

 

I'm not really a fan of Cycle Gear stuff but I love the Heat-Out line.