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FALL 2016 ISSUE 02 / VOL. 01

You should always avoid drinking alcohol until after you’ re done riding for the day. Not only does alcohol impair your ability to ride, it also accelerates dehydration. Even if you only drink after your ride, consuming too much alcohol can leave you dehydrated( and possibly hungover) the next day, which means you start off at a disadvantage. Whether caffeine contributes to dehydration is debatable, but the general consensus is that consuming plain old water( plus the occasional sports drink to restore electrolytes) is the best way to fight dehydration.

Sweating is how our bodies regulate temperature. When sweat evaporates, it cools the surface of the skin, and the hotter we get, the more we sweat( which is why we need to make a concerted effort to stay hydrated). Wearing synthetic base layers wicks moisture away from your skin, which increases the efficiency of evaporative cooling. Stretchy, snug-fitting base layers, like those from Forcefield Body Armour, also provide light compression for better circulation and less fatigue. Trust us— once you start wearing base layers, you’ ll wonder how you ever survived without them.

When the summer heats up, many of us love to wear shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops. However, none of these make sense on a motorcycle, unless you wear shorts and a T-shirt under your armored riding apparel( carry flipflops in your saddlebag so you can kick off your riding boots during breaks and let your feet breathe). Rider has long subscribed to the philosophy of ATGATT( All The Gear, All The Time) for safety reasons. No one ever plans to crash, but accidents happen and good motorcycle gear can reduce the severity of injuries. Full-length gloves, jackets and pants, over-the-ankle boots and full-face or modular helmets also protect the skin from the ravages of sunburn and dehydration. By all means, stay comfortable by wearing something that’ s well ventilated or has large mesh panels to promote airflow, especially in lighter colors. During the summer, we stay cool by wearing Olympia Moto Sports’

Avenger one-piece suit, which is lightweight, has huge ballistic mesh panels and can be worn over street clothes( or base layers!) but has good abrasion resistance and CE-approved armor in key locations.