- Make sure all your helmet vents are open. The forehead is a major site of sweat glands (along with hands and feet). Take your lid and gloves off immediately when you stop.
- Airflow next to the skin is critical, so lots of vents and a loose fit works best. This is why textile kit will keep you cooler than leathers (take the lining out, obviously). Leathers can create a boil in bag effect unless vented.
- If you’re wearing loose textile kit, wear a specialist sports t-shirt underneath to wick away sweat and maximise cooling.
- If you really suffer, wear a cool vest like BMW’s Hyperkewl, or Revit’s Cooling Liquid Vest.
- If you’ve got a Camelbak system, drink little and often. If you’re wearing leathers it won’t stop your temperature rising because your sweat is not able to evaporate, but it will delay the onset of dehydration.
- On trackdays, drink a lot between sessions; on road, at every petrol stop or break.
- Don’t drink strong coffee. It’s a diuretic, which means it causes you to lose body fluid. Weak coffee and tea probably has a net benefit, but water is much, much better.
First published in Slipstream July 2019
