I tried CycleGear's HeatOut products over the last week or so. I opted for the long sleeve shirt, and long pants. My thinking was that I sweat all over, so why not cover as much as possible with the cooling fabric that I was purchasing? No delusions, here though. The stuff is inexpensive and cheaply made. A single wash and the shirt I settled with has little bumps on the chest. It cost $15. If it gets me through the summer, it's money well spent.
Anyway, my mistake on my original choices. My gear is very well ventilated. With my appendages covered by the fabric, I lost the cooling feel of the wind through my gear. Turned out I don't sweat as much on my legs and arms while riding, and without the sweat to evaporate, it was just hotter.
Ironically, the bottoms were very cooling when not riding. They seemed hot while I was on the bike, but as soon as I stopped and walked around, it was like fan blowing on my legs.
So today I took the 150 mile round trip back to the CycleGear in Columbia, SC, returned both the top and bottom and left wearing a short-sleeved top.
It's very effective. Keep in mind that the thing has to fit like a second skin to be effective. It takes some time to tweak and adjust, because it's so tight.
On the highway however, the difference from my ride to the store, vs. my ride back was very apparent. Though well ventilated, the armor in my jacket means I have hot spots, especially on my chest and back. With the HeatOut on, it felt like I had a wet towel in those places. Sure it was sweat, but it was sweat evaporating.
My whole ride home on the I-20, I had the Westerning sun on my back, the time when I'm most likely to be hot while in motion. That wet towel effect was very cooling, though like I say, it felt like a wet towel.
When I stopped for a coffee/smoke break the wee bit of breeze I experienced was even more cooling. When I stepped in my door at home, I got goosebumbs from the AC.
Not only is the short sleeve HeatOut shirt a keeper, I'm going to get another. Hydration is still of course, key in triple digit weather. I drink a gatorade before my coffee, LOL. But the product worked.
Triple digits around here are the norm, for deep summer. Some time ago, I rode the 1.5 hours to Rockingham, to run my favorite twisty at the end of the winter. I was so cold when I got there, that I chose not to run the twisty, and instead headed home.
I was looking at kind of the same thing, due to the heat. No way I'm pushing that road if I'm not at my top. And if I'm not going to push it, then why be there? It seems a little thing, but that HeatOut short-sleeve shirt cools my core body temp enough, that with a little intelligent hydration and snacking I'm looking forward to running it again, very soon.
