Keeping My Cool on the Highway (summer road trip!)

Summer is nearly upon us and the northern hemisphere is heating up. Missouri is expecting temps in the 90s (mid 30s Celsius) next week. Of course, it's mid June.

I got an early birthday present for riding during hot weather -- a kevlar mesh, long sleeved overshirt. Even though my textile jacket is vented and not too uncomfortable while riding in the 90s, it is black and hot is hot. I don't think about it too much when riding on the highway, but it becomes instantly hot when coming to a stop!
Think about it -- mid 90s, black jacket, on asphalt or concrete, and sitting on top of a hot running engine! I get sweaty just thinking about it!

I wore the kevlar shirt this past week and it is a little weird riding without the jacket. I feel a little exposed. It does have double material in the elbows and shoulders, but no padding like the jacket. I suppose that wearing the protective shirt rather than a full jacket puts me on the outside of the All The Gear, All The Time (ATTATG) philosophy, but I think that I'm going to give it a go during days when the temperature gets close to 90 or above.

I am planning a day trip to St Louis for an afternoon ballgame on Tuesday the 13th. Although a post-game stop at Ted Drewe's is tempting, it'll put me into heavier traffic until I clear the metropolitan area and I really don't care for riding in heavy, fast moving traffic. I'll play it by ear and see how it looks. Realistically speaking, it will probably depend more on how badly I want to indulge in Ted Drewe's than it will on what the traffic looks like!

I'll leave early enough that I'll have time for lunch downtown before the game and I should be able to get a few miles of walking in after riding for about 250 miles.
It also looks like the Royals have a day game against the Red Sox the following week, so I may have to consider making another all day trip. After all, is there really such a thing as too much baseball or too much motorcycle riding?

Watch out for us bikers out there! I had a truck pull out right in front of me this past week. Fortunately, I was watching him and just had a feeling that he was going to start across in front of me without looking so I was prepared to stop hard.
I got the eyes wide I'm sorry look, but that wouldn't have helped much in a couple of feet!

John <><