Cool vs. Cool

© Ken Bingenheimer / RumBum.com

Name two things that are cooler than a well-worn black leather motorcycle jacket. That takes a bit of thought, doesn’t it? And of course it’s that whole image thing that is a big attraction for many of the people who buy motorcycles and then only ride them to the local biker bar on the weekend, like the “Wild Hogs” before they decided to take their road trip.

Mind you, leather is not just for show. If you’re sliding along the pavement at 50 miles an hour there’s no better protection, and that’s what leather jackets, chaps, and gloves are all about. Cow skin saves your skin. Let’s hear it for cow skin.

For many riders, that’s where the discussion ends. If the coolest look also affords the best protection, what else is there?

Well, there’s heat. It may be hot blasting along at 60 mph when the temperature is 95, but it’s bearable. When you find yourself in stop-and-go rush hour traffic and the mercury is at that same 95, you’re likely to melt if you’re covered in leather. The “experts” will tell you that you’re actually less prone to dehydration if your skin is covered than if you’re just in a T-shirt, but I’m starting to question that “fact.” There have been several times recently when I have ridden in heat that was not extreme, wearing a lot of leather, and found myself getting badly dehydrated. Not to mention sweating a lot, and I don’t normally sweat a lot.

There is an alternative. In many people’s minds, however, this alternative is the very antithesis of “cool.” It’s those motorcycle jackets and other clothing that goes by the term of “textile.”

For the guys on sport bikes, there’s no issue. In their world, textile jackets are cool looking. But when was the last time you saw someone on a Harley wearing a bright orange or green or red textile jacket? Ain’t gonna happen. So many of them, when faced with blazing hot weather, just don’t wear the leather.

Fortunately for me, I don’t ride a Harley, so I don’t have that image to maintain. I recently picked up a textile jacket.

They take some getting used to. Like most of the textiles, my jacket has armor padding in the elbows, shoulders, and down the spine. This stuff feels kind of clunky until you figure out to just ignore it. Putting it on I kept trying to shift it to where I figured it ought to be, but then I found that if I just get on the bike and ride, the armor settles itself down where it needs to go.

Because the fabric is loosely woven, it lets the wind through and you get a breeze that cools you off. Of course, this will also let the rain in if you’re out in a storm, but that’s why you really should be carrying a rain suit.

I admit, even I find the look a little dorky. But when I was doing some dirt riding in the hills above Boulder the other day – kind of a cool day – I was working hard enough that I was sweating even in the textile. How much worse would it have been in the leather?

I’m sure I’ll be staying cool this summer wearing the new jacket a lot. But don’t expect me to look cool. The shop didn’t have any colors that came close to going with my burgundy Kawasaki Concours. I’ll be a fashion disaster but hey, at least I won’t melt.