Friday, July 22, 2011

On the Road Again

This morning I went to see my Doctor. As I expected he released me for all activity. Come Monday I can go back to work. I can even skate, but I don't think I'll be doing any sprints for a while.

After lunch with Heather I came home and prepared to try out some new hot weather gear. It came the day I got hit by the car. I got a neck cooler which is just one of those things you put in the freezer and than tie around your neck. It didn't cost much and I figure I'd give it a dry. The other purchase was more of a risk. You can read about it here:  http://www.coolvest.com/RPCM_Cooling_Vest/Default.aspx

I had put the cool packs in the freezer to charge last evening. When I took them out they were the solid white color I was told to look for.
Here they are on the kitchen counter.

I placed them in the vest. The packs went in easily. The vest felt heavy until I got it on. I had hoped there would be less condensation with these packs than with other systems, and perhaps there was. That said these packs "sweat" quite a bit.

Obviously not a profession model.
It felt cool, but not freezing when I put it on. I thought it might feel heavy, but it didn't. I put my regular jacket on over it. And, I was good to go. 

I rode out to Castlewood State Park. It is one of my favorite places to ride to.

We stopped in the Park for water and a couple of photos. This is my first photo of Billie since the panniers were removed.



By the time I returned home I'd been wearing the vest for over two hours. I was still feeling some coolness from the vest as I waited at the last stop sign before pulling onto my street.

After two hours there was still some charge left. I was impressed.
It was triple digits here today so it was a good test. After my ride I wasn't worn out, not did I feel that overheated feeling that I nearly always feel after a ride in today's conditions.  The only negative so far was the condensation. As I expected I still did sweat quite a bit and hydration is still important, but the vest definitely kept my core temperature down. My initial reaction is: For the commute home and for longer summer rides this vest seems like it will be a good addition to my arsenal.

Changing the subject slightly, it was great to get on the bike again. It is difficult for me to comprehend that just a few days ago I was hit by a car. I was indeed one very lucky cat.

12 comments:

  1. Interesteing mate, havernt seen these things before, I was gutted to read of your"off", abd the bike falling over, good see you are on the mend.

    We dont get the sought of tempertures here that you get, but it can still be pretty uncomfortable at times. Keep up the great blogs.

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  2. Looks promising. Rode with someone the other weekend who had gotten a spare shirt wet and stored it on ice on the bike. Half way through the ride she put that on. Stayed cool for quite a while. You might have the space on Billie for that when the ice melts. :)

    Glad to hear you have been cleared. I can't believe you fared so well. But am mightily happy that you did.

    -Lori

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  3. Good to hear you are back to riding and have been given the ok to get back to activity. Cooling gear is neat, we don't get that hot here. We we in the low 20s celcius today, but lots of sunshine - no complaint here. Nice pictures of the park. Take care!

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  4. Glad to hear you are already back on the bike. Good for you. Your Guardian Angel had worked overtime for you that day. I have never used a cooling vest, as it doesn't get that hot up here. However I would have loved to have had this handy when traveling Interior Washington and Oregon last year...
    Not sure I like the additional weight though.

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  5. Roger,
    Heat can be relative in terms of comfort, but when outside temps start approach body temps that's a bigger problem. On the one hand I'm amazed at the folks who ride nearly naked thinking it will keep them cooler, but on the other hand it often appears sanity when it comes to safety is in short supply among the motorcycle community.

    Oh well, I know one of the big reasons I came out so well in my encounter with the car was the safety gear I was wearing. Riding when it is really hot isn't comfortable, but it can be safe.

    Thanks for the kind words about my blog. I appreciate your comments very much.
    ~keith

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  6. Lori,
    I'm excited to see if the cool packs really do "refreeze" in 20min in ice water. If they do, then a 30 min break very couple of hours and I'd be good for another couple of hours. We'll see. That and the cooling packs aren't that large. One might pack a small cooler with ice to keep a second pair of packs ready to replace. There are lots of possibilities to explore. Of course, I'm hoping for a break in the heat so that I don't have to :)
    ~k

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  7. Dar,
    I'm certainly stiff and sore, but it is rather amazing to me that I fared so well. I'm glad you are getting some sun. Enjoy your great temperatures! Hot is a challenge.
    ~k

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  8. Sonja,
    My guardian angel was indeed working overtime! When I was putting it on I was thinking this is really heavy, but once on I didn't even notice it. It is going to be interesting to explore its potential.

    Thanks for stopping by,
    ~k

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  9. Sonja,
    Of course, in my response to you I was talking about putting on the cooling vest and not my guardian angel. Oh well.

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  10. Good to see you up and about again. Even ridong! The cooling vests have more appeal now to me. I got that cooler by 661. It seems to work well and doesnt sweat too much. Gonna test it riding today.

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  11. lol - my first thought was what are those little bags of white powder? Oh! They're ice! I've seen things like this. We rarely have enough heat here to need extra cooling, but a good idea when you live where it's hot.

    Good to hear your back on the road, whether on two-wheels or inlines.

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  12. Kari,
    It is good to be back on the road. Soon to skate. I'm leery of my old skates and have ordered new ones. I'm hoping the insurance will pay for them. We'll see.

    Thanks for stopping by.

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