Clothing for hot and humid riding

[Eric Marth]

It's getting into the gross season here in Virginia where heat and humidity blend into a delightful sludge. I'm curious to hear from members about their preferred riding clothing for the heat. What's your go-to deal? I'm curious about comfort for longer rides (which for me are in the range of 40-60 miles) in non-cycling cycling clothes. Any experienced riders from the Sticky States have a special blend they'd like to share? 

I often ride in whatever I happen to be wearing and usually that's a cotton tee and a pair of heavy canvas carpenter shorts. For longer rides I prefer a linen or chambray shirt. Linen, in particular, has been great. 

I'm looking for some inspiration to counter my perspiration. The canvas shorts are not ideal. I have two pairs of MUSA shorts from Riv but for my tastes they are way too long and too baggy. I'm resistant to going over to traditional jerseys and shorts, though the idea of Kucharik wool shorts has caught my interest. 

Thanks to all in advance!

[Steven Sweedler]

Try the Jackson and Gibbens touring shorts, shorter than Riv’s and very light and airy. 

https://www.bicycleclothing.com/Mens-Touring-Shorts.html

Steve

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Steven Sweedler
Plymouth, New Hampshire

[Doug Williams]

Seersucker shirts. Long sleeve can be best for sunburn protection and still almost as cool as short sleeve. But either way, seersucker is about as cool as you can get.

Doug

[Jeffrey Arita]

+1 on seersucker.  I chose short sleeve + lots of sunscreen.  Extensive use in 2019 for Chicago to NYC route, starting on July 5.  Interesting aside: the shirt would be soaked and stayed reasonably cool because of the evaporative effect.  However when stepping into an air-conditioned convenience store I actually could not linger long as I would get chilled.  I actually ate the snacks outside in the shade.

YMMV.

Jeff

Claremont, CA

[Eric Marth]

Thanks, all. 

Steve -- Thanks for the tip on the shorts. On special for $38 and made in Oregon, will have to give them a shot! 

Doug -- I hear ya on the seersucker, thanks! I know Grant loves it for hot weather. 

Jeff -- the soaked-through cotton tee is a tricky one! That chill you mention is something I dread. Also once the shirt becomes soaked I struggle with the weight and sag of the fabric. 

[Philip Barrett]

This is a subject for me too as Dallas starts to steam up. I'm trying the Smartwool Merino boxers, so far on one ride (where the weather was truly miserable, 95% humidity), will report back on those when I've had a little more saddle time. Question; do the Merino t's really work in the kinds of conditions we're discussing? When it's too humid for sweat to properly evaporate from the skin it would seem these would get wet & heavy? Opinions on that welcomed.

[Joe M.]

While I wasn’t riding, I was hiking around in Mexico in the Yucatán jungle a month ago in 97 degree humid weather wearing a light merino short sleeve shirt. It felt great and I have no complaints. It did not smell after a day of use which is new to me! Was able to wear it two days in a row without feeling icky. I hand washed it and my merino boxers at night before bed and they were dry by morning. 

[Eric Marth]

I meant to mention merino tees, thanks Joe and Philip. I'm considering the 100% merino offerings from Ktena (Australia) and Kucharik (USA). I wish Ringtail (USA) would re-stock, their heather gray wool tee seems like just the ticket. The Ibex and Smartwool offerings but the prices are hard to bare given the nylon content and Asian manufacturing. 

[Jeffrey Arita]

Eric,

Yeah, us being from Southern California, we don't turn on our A/C until it hits at least +85 degrees F.  OTOH, we are wimps when it comes to *winter* if you can call it that.  We have restaurants that have outdoor heating if the temperature drops down to a *chilly* +65 degrees F.  Most folks in the Upper Midwest would likely call it a nice summer evening and put on shorts and a t-shirt with flip-flops.

If touring in middle-of-nowhere I highly recommend lighweight Merino wool.  Being of the lightweight variety it isn't too hot to wear and it dries out quickly if left in the sun (after washing).  It is anti-microbial and it doesn't smell as Joe M. points out.  Wool top + wool boxers at least for me was a great combo.  One could go for multiple days without having to bathe (had to purify water for drinking and cooking only).  This was a great combo for the Great Divide where services were relatively far apart.  Smartwool was where we bought most of the our clothes from.....

Be advised that many call their garments *wool* when in fact they are wool-blends.  To get the less-stinky garment, it is important to get a mostly if not 100% wool garment.

Jeff

Claremont, CA

[Eric Norris]

Other Eric:

I agree with Jeff about wool. A pure wool jersey doesn’t get stinky the way a synthetic jersey does. I’ll be doing a three-day ride in a couple of weeks, and my current plan is to wear a lightweight wool jersey (Woolistic) all three days. My wife might disagree, but my experience is that odors will be within an acceptable range at the end of the ride.

Downside to wearing wool on a multi-day tour is that it takes longer to dry than synthetic. If I wore a standard synthetic jersey, I would probably wash it every night and be confident that it would dry enough overnight to be worn the next day. 

--Eric Norris
campyo...@me.com

Insta: @CampyOnlyGuy

YouTube: YouTube.com/CampyOnlyGuy 

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[Tom Palmer]

Here in Michigan it doesn't get crazy hot, but for us used to the cold, it gets hot. Humidity can be bad too. I second or third or fourth the seersucker fabric. If it is especially hot, my best trick is to put on a very heavy cotton tee shirt and jump in the lake of soak it in water. The evaporation from the fabric is very cooling. I learned this from my friend who lived on Oklahoma and drove a topless Jeep all summer. 

Tom Palmer

Twin Lake, MI

[Gabriel DeFelippis]

Everlane sells a seersucker shortsleeve button up. The fit is appropriate, I got a medium and it fit a little bigger than some other mediums I've got. A large would have been good too. Also enjoy that the sleeves aren't incredibly short.

[Eric Marth]

Thanks for the continued feedback, people. I do dig wool and own a ton of the 100% merino variety. Agreed on all accounts. 

Gabe, I've had a few items from Everlane but they never work for me and I always sell or return them. The seersucker shirts you mention do seem to have a generous cut (unlike some of the shirts I've had from them in the past). 

Regarding seersucker: Yesterday one of the old Rivendell MUSA seersucker long sleeve shirts came in the mail. Have yet to ride in it but I do like it quite a lot. Double pencil stalls! 

[joshuamarx]

For the past couple of years, for bona fide summer heat I have come to rely on linen shirts--similar breezy comfort to seersucker, but with odor resistance!

[Garth]

For shirts next to the skin I wear form-fitting water sport long sleeve rashguards, specifically a Patagonia R0. I then wear a nice polo shirt of my liking. This year it's some Duluth Drirelease poly/cotton(85/15) ones. For bottoms I wear Sportful  Bodyfit Pro bib shorts. For the feet I wear Altra trail running shoes. Wearing form fitting clothes next to the skin in the heat enhances the evaporative cooling effect.   Yeah .... everything that those @Riv have spoken of in a demeaning manner. The funny thing about that line of thinking though, is it reeks with self-righteousness. "I'll raise myself up by lowering you". Well.... at least pretend to, because it doesn't actually do either. This works for me, as whatever you wear works for you. Regardless of what it's "made" of or how. "Just ride" rings hollow if it's conditional.  Love, Love is Greatest, the One and Only ..... and Love has no strings.... no yes-buts ..... no rules .... no negations. Love Loves Love for the Love that is Self's own Self. I/You Exist because I/You Exist. 

[Fullylugged]

I've found looser fitting to be more comfy in high heat and humidity. A wicking polyester or thin Merino tee up top and MTB baggy shorts without a liner in them below. My favorite shorts are MUSA Boosuckers, but they are scarce. Under Armor wicking base layer boxers with microbe zapping silver ions or merino shorts underneath.  For short rides, my regular cotton blend boxers are okay. I ride in Keen sandals with thin wool socks. I haven't used padded sorts since switching to Selle Anatomica saddles when RBW 1st offered them around 2010. They mold to your shape and support your weight pretty evenly. I have one bike with a Brooks B15N which after it was finally broken in is also comfy without padding.  I ride in and around central AL. 100F and 100% humidity often in the summer. or close thereto.

Bruce