New rider, hot weather gear recommendations

[Tommywommy]

Hi guys, I'm brand new to all of this. I just bought an mten3 for myself for Christmas and I'm wondering what kind of gear I need starting out. I'm in Honolulu, so it's hot almost all the time. Are there any recommendations on some light weight gear that won't bake me alive while I'm on my wheel? Safety gear is so much easier to choose when it's cold outside.

[Scottie888]

Hi Tommy, welcome to the world of wheels! I too have a Mten3 & I love it to bits. It's now my legs & I try my very best to not walk, jog or run (I get my exercise doing Kettlebells workouts😅). EUCs have made my life great again & is my antidote for all the lockdown crap.

Far's protection goes, ofcos the best answer's more the merrier & better. However in the pursuit of vanity & practicality, I'd say wrist/elbow/knee(shin?) guards with a fullface helmet is the least I'd go. If you ride your Mten3 at walking speeds, then perhaps a bicycle helmet will suffice.

Meanwhile you Hawaiians might envy us for our winters, we (or atleast I) in the Great White North am totally jealous of your island weather😠! Happy wheelin'

[Tommywommy]

Thanks Scottie. Yeah I kinda figured I'd have to get decked out no matter what. The full face helmet seems like a lot, but I probably just don't realize how fast I'll be going on this thing. Unfortunately I have to wait until the end of the month before mine will arrive 😔 but that give me time to get geared up I guess.

Any recommendations on some good brands/gear? I liked the look of the armored hoodie, but there's no way I'd be able to wear that in the heat.

Yah I moved not too long ago from the great wet north (Seattle) so I don't envy the cold any more 😁

[Scottie888]

LOLs Ya I spent a number of years in the WestWet Coast (Vancouver to be exact) too & when its good, its so so good but when its bad its so so bad (wait...isn't that a song somewhere😆).

I understand the reluctance to put on a ff helmet esp in scorching 30+c with 110 humidity so if you're positive your face/jaw won't hit the asphalt on a faceplant, then its fine having no facial protection. Btw, faceplants are amongst the most common wipes on EUCs so take it for it is. Personally I wear armored mesh motorcycling jackets in the Summer. It flows enough air to keep me cool atleast when I'm moving. Far's brands go, Leatt/Alpinestar & such have good reps. I wear a Leatt dual axis knee/shin & an EVS elbow guards when I'm not wearing the mesh jacket/s. 

O fiy, GW wheels are mainly beep oriented interms of safety. So unless one sets the tiltback at a much reduced speed, always listen to the beeps esp when battery is <50%. Otherwise, faceplants maybe in the future😵.

[Sushiroller]

https://www.bohnarmor.com

Bohn sells some motorcycle mesh stuff for warmer months. The armor is also removable. They also have a pretty long return policy.

They are currently having a holiday sale (code: holiday15). 

[Tommywommy]

Ooh yeah, the cool air mesh riding shirt looks nice. Do you guys typically wear gloves or wrist guards? I'm also not so sure about the knee pads, those dual axis pads looks pretty big, but maybe I need that. Seems like knee injuries would be the most common injury on a wheel.

[Scottie888]

4 minutes ago, Tommywommy said:

Ooh yeah, the cool air mesh riding shirt looks nice. Do you guys typically wear gloves or wrist guards? I'm also not so sure about the knee pads, those dual axis pads looks pretty big, but maybe I need that. Seems like knee injuries would be the most common injury on a wheel.

Which part gets it worse? It depends on the type of wipes & how the body is thrown. IMO if one falls backwards, then the hands/wrist & then the bum/hips gets bad. If one faceplants, the elbows eats it worst with the forearms just below the most rash likely. Then the head cracks the ground. Ofcos the knees would get it bad if one lands on it 1st esp with knees bent.

FWIW while the Leatt dual axis might look bulky & unwieldy, in practise it conforms to the knees & shin quite well so much so I don't find it to be any hindrance in riding. They are amongst the better for protection though.

[Tommywommy]

Alright, I'll keep that in mind. Shipping got delayed further, so I have another extra weeks to think about it :/

So do you wear gloves/wrist guards yourself?

[Scottie888]

Yes I do & wear them consistently except for the 100+yards to the mailbox on the lil' Mten3. In summer, I wear a relatively inexpensive pair of triple eight wrist guards. They seem to have pretty good protection with a thin mesh material to it keeps my hands oool. In winter (which is irrelevant in Hawaii), I wear heavily insulated padded armored motorcycle gloves or on the not so cold but cool enough days, I wear full fingered cycling gloves under the triple eights.

Protective gear is a hassle to be honest but it all depends on how protected (or not) you wanna be. If we're sure we won't eat it, then personally I'd rather not wear them & save $$$ for other toys. They can be a biaatch to put on/off & time consuming as well not to mention heat producing esp in the heat of summer. However being a big MMA/boxing fan, one of my fav quotes always comes to plague & scare the shaat outta me....."Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth" - Mike Tyson.

I get that others may feel different but I'm too old with too many miles to get punched anywhere anymore😰

[Tawpie]

That little mTen is a notoriously voracious ankle biter when you’re starting out. Odd as it seems, cheap but solid ankle/shin protection is necessary at the beginning—you can dispense with it when the little beastie stops attacking you as much.

I live on the wet coast so can and do enjoy the luxury of overpadding, but I just won’t be on the wheel without helmet and wrist guards. Maybe some day I’ll feel comfortable enough to forego the knee guards and armored mesh moto jacket, but not yet.

ProTec makes a nice knee/elbow set that shouldn’t be too terrible in the heat—I have that set for warm weather (we vacation in Central WA, it’s hot there in the summer). It’ll still be hotter than a tank and shorts, but hopefully tolerable when moving. I do wear gardening gloves under the wrist guards cuz I push buttons for a living and don’t need road rash on my fingers.

Edited December 11, 2020 by Tawpie

[Tommywommy]

Ok yeah I'll get wrist guards for sure then. Haha I'll try taking my chances on the shin guards though. If my ankles get wrecked I'll reconsider, but I'm pretty quick to get out of the way I think.

So far I think I'm looking at getting a mesh armor jacket, knee pads, wrist guards, and bike helmet. Once I start going faster I'll most likely upgrade my gear.

Thanks for the recommendations! 

[Tom D]

Tommy - A long time Hawaii (Oahu) rider here (KS).  As far as riding gear...I just wear shorts and t-shirt.  As far as safety gear, I wear elbow & knee pads; wrist guards and I have a couple different helmets, but my POC 360 Spin is my favorite.  I don't overheat and am quite comfortable.  That said, I think you adjust and find what works for you over time.  And like most riders, you will eventually suffer a good wipe out.  Here is Hawaii, the biggest problem is the damn thorns for the trees.  Last year I had 8 flats....8!!!  That's a LOT of tubes and a lot of disassemble/re-assemble.

Welcome to the community.