Advice for the Can-Am Rider Course (namely how to beat the heat!)

[Grayson]

Well, I bit the bullet and signed up for the course July 17-18 in Hudson, NC. I don't much care for the heat here in the mountains, let alone down towards the Piedmont. Wish the riding bug would have bit me a little earlier in the year. But it is what it is and I'm itching to get moving!

Anyway I looked around a bit and found mostly things about riding in hot weather, not so much the MSF course. Did find one good video on YouTube.

I presume the 3 wheel course will be similar to the 2 wheel in that there won't be any high speed portions, so gear should be more focused for preventing sunburn than road rash.

I know I should contact the people doing the class for solid answers on gear questions. But would an over the ankle boot be something like this as opposed to going all the way up to an 8"? https://www.galls.com/reebok-6-rapid...tm_content=PLA

Plenty of water is a given, maybe freeze a few bottles to keep the rest cool through the day. Saw some advice to start focusing on hydration the day before class starts and keep doing it the day after class ends.

My preliminary thoughts on gear are:
Light colored cargo pants
A light cotton button up shirt over a cooling base layer (I like Arctic cool stuff, wear their polos at work)
Gloves...as "cool" as I can manage to find...?
Not sure on boots yet. I have a sage green pair, but they're 8 inches.
I was planning on using a full face helmet when I ride, but for the course it might be worth grabbing a 3/4 one as well it sounds like.
Unless we have to wear our helmets at all times, on vehicle or not, a boonie hat.

I'd be grateful for any other tips (regarding the heat and anything else for the course ).

[EdMat]

You will gain a lot by taking the course. Since having a small cooler there would not be a problem I would stop by Wally World, Harbor Freight, sports store and pick up 2 or 3 cooling towels. About 5 bucks each. Drape one of those over your neck and it works wonders for about 1/2 hour. Stops working..................grab another out of the ice chest, and drop the used one in for later.

[pidjones]

Remember that nothing is hotter than sliding on asphalt.

[Little Blue]

The wife took the class and she loved it. A helmet, 4" hard shoes/boots and normal clothes was all that was needed. A couple of people wore their bike riding gear.

You will have a good time and learn some real riding skills. ....

[Snoking1127]

I did mine in early Nov here in the Phoenix area in mid to upper 80's. Have lots of water to drink, light leather gloves, airy long sleeve shirt, long pants, and shoes/boots that cover your ankles, and your own helmet if possible.

[Grayson]

and your own helmet if possible.

Getting a loaner helmet from the class is no longer an option at the moment because of Covid, per the info they emailed me with my confirmation. At least I've decided against going the "man in black" look for my riding gear anyway in favor of more visibility.

[RayBJ]

Since I'm an 'All The Gear All The Time' guy and have benefited from the practice, I would suggest armor mesh jacket & riding pants. You can get a cooling vest as well but those require enough speed to move the air to work. Lots of vented gloves (I love my Klim summer gloves) and boots if safety is high on your list. If you plan to ride in summer heat after the course, it's a good habit to get into.

[dondje]

A half or 3/4 helmet for sure. Easier to hear and be heard, and also cooler.

Regards,

Don

[Grayson]

What are your thoughts on modular helmets? Someone suggested that to me as an option, but I don't know. I'd be able to flip it up to keep cooler when not riding during the class, but I don't know how much confidence I have in it for safety vs a one piece full face helmet.

[Plarimer]

All I can say is dress for the slide, not the ride. I take a riding course about every five years because of the bad habits that I obtain between classes. One nice thing about our state is if you take a rider course you don’t have to take the exam for a motorcycle license. Well worth the money.

[EdMat]

What are your thoughts on modular helmets? Someone suggested that to me as an option, but I don't know. I'd be able to flip it up to keep cooler when not riding during the class, but I don't know how much confidence I have in it for safety vs a one piece full face helmet.

It depends on the helmet. Most of the time you get what you pay for.

[Grayson]

This is also throwing me regarding the gloves. I have some light colored, solid, durable (at least very puncture resistant, I use them for clearing thorny brush) work gloves I was considering. But work gloves aren't allowed?

[Peter Aawen]

Getting a loaner helmet from the class is no longer an option at the moment because of Covid, per the info they emailed me with my confirmation. At least I've decided against going (*1)the "man in black" look for my riding gear anyway in favor of more visibility.

This is also throwing me regarding the gloves. I have some light colored, solid, durable (at least very puncture resistant, I use them for clearing thorny brush) work gloves I was considering. (*2) But work gloves aren't allowed?

*(1) Just be aware that many have issues with 'vibrant &/or hi-vis colours' on their front facing sections of anatomy creating dazzle &/or reflections in the dash & instruments that mean you may not be able to see/read anything behind them! So if you are out there choosing high-vis gear, at least consider selecting gear with a less reflective colour on the front of your upper legs & torso; or be prepared for that 'blinding reflection' causing issues reading the dash instruments!

*(2) Why no Work gloves?! That's usually because 'work gloves' are designed for a different type of 'protection' Motorcycle gloves not only should provide some padding in the palm & pressure areas to minimise the impact of any vibration being transmitted via the handlebars into your hands; but also protect the 'likely impact areas' in the event you hit anything - ie, high speed bugs, a passing tree, brush, roadside pole, or maybe a car, even if you are still on the motorcycle; &/or the ground in the event of parting company with your machine..... AND they should also work towards helping you keep some skin on your palms & fingers etc in the event of a slide, as well as protect and support all the important joints in your hands & wrists in the event of being slammed at high velocity into the deck, only they need to do all that without excessively limiting your range of motion, finger dexterity, &/or sensitivity!!

So Work gloves don't really need to be anything but 'protective', and that might well mean 'thick & cumbersome'; while motorcycle gloves need to be able to do soooo much more! And those 'course requirements' lists don't really have a heap of space or time to devote to explaining the in's & out's of it all, so they aren't going to go into the specifics of which work gloves might be suitable or not &/or why motorcycle gloves are generally going to be better! It all boils down to the fact MOST work gloves are NOT acceptable, while MOST motorcycle gloves ARE - so they specify motorcycle gloves.

But you're going to need/want at least one pair of motorcycle gloves eventually anyway, so why not invest in a pair? They don't need to be the most expensive, all singing, all dancing gloves you can find at this stage, but a pair of reasonably protective full fingered motorcycle gloves will never go astray if you ever plan on ryding/operating any motorised machinery that leaves you exposed to passing &/or falling off damage!

Just sayin'

[Grayson]

Good points on both there. I went ahead and ordered a pair of MC gloves, and a white 3/4 helmet with a face shield to use for the class. With an eye for a solid full face one afterward.

May go ahead and pick up some boots and pants as well before the class. Heard good things about the Duluth Fire Hose pants (original, NOT the flex ones which are apparently far inferior in durability). Wish my dealer had a full range of gear. I saw some helmets and maybe a few gloves that would pass muster, but most of everything else looked like everyday or rain wear.

[Pirate]

What are your thoughts on modular helmets? Someone suggested that to me as an option, but I don't know. I'd be able to flip it up to keep cooler when not riding during the class, but I don't know how much confidence I have in it for safety vs a one piece full face helmet.

I wore a modular Bilt helmet to class. no issues.

[Grayson]

Also, what would you recommend for rain gear just in case? I was thinking something like a Frogg Toggs suit maybe?