Here in the Deep South summer riding can be unbearably hot. So much so that sometimes you don't even want to do it - Blasphemy, I know. Much less get on a track in full armor and brave the Sun's relentless pounding rays for a days "hot" lapping.

I agree - riding whilst hot is both uncomfortable and quite possibly dangerous. Summer in Florida can get pretty nasty so both Dave and I went looking for some personal air conditioning.

Well some folks, like your friendly neighborhood pro racers, can't choose to not ride because it's too hot. They have a job to do and get paid well to do it, hot or cold, rain or shine. Lately you'll have noticed that many riders have started sporting fancy undergarments. They're not wearing these to impress the ladies at the after party; at least I don't think they are. Now this isn't your normal lacy lingerie, this is high tech moisture wicking; keep you dry, keep you cool, material.

Hey! What's wrong with normal lacy lingerie? Staying cool doesn't have to be boring you know…

Why should big name track stars get to have all the fun? Just as motorcycle technology gets developed in racing and then passed down to consumers. Apparel follows the same path; I'm still waiting for one of those skintight rain suits. High end Japanese Leather manufacturer Kushitani sent us a sample of their Cool Max Inner Suit, sometimes referred to as the "fancy drawers". The fancy drawers are just that. Made entirely from DuPont Cool Max, they have the ability to dry faster than any other material on the market, so say DuPont. The material helps pull moisture away from your body where it can evaporate more quickly. I got your fancy draws right here... Now, Dave went the Kushitani route and I grabbed some British made EDZ's. My EDZ's featured a very fine 125gm sports fabric with a very open knit that allowed cooling and drying air to circulate around and between my skin and suit. Oh sure, it didn't carry that fancy Cool Max description, but it did have excellent insulation, wicking and drying performance is durable and it looked good to boot.

"So the suit dries quickly, how does that help keep me cool?" you say.

Yeah, come on clever clogs, tell us…

"Glad you asked." You see, when water evaporates it takes heat with it. Don't believe me? Blow on your hand, then wet it and blow on it again; it's cooler now isn't it. Told you so. This is why your body sweats to stay cool. Anything you can do to help the sweat evaporate faster will help you stay cooler and that's where this suit helps out.

		So, science class can be fun… Instead of rushing back to the pits and stripping down to my boxers to prevent passing out due to heat stroke I'm now able to park my bike and kick back and wait for my next session. Another benefit to this under suit is that it makes getting in and out of your leathers easier. If you're like me and don't look like the people on the Bow Flex commercial your leathers can be a bit tight. The inner suit slides more easily over the liner of your leathers than your sweaty flesh, helping prevent the yoga moves sometimes needed to get in and out of your favorite piece of cow hide. Rushing back to the pits? More like pushing your bike back to the pits. I wore my EDZ's instead of retaining the original lining in my leathers, with no ill effect. One thing I liked about the EDZ SBL's (sport base layer) was that it had a double action zip that meant I didn't have to take the whole thing off to use the bathroom. The zip, zips up from the top or up from the bottom - confused? Trust me, it works.
EDZ make a wide range of performance clothing

It's time to get rid of those Superman undies you've been wearing and slip into something a little more practical. At only $120 m.s.r.p. that's chump change compared to what everything else costs over a race weekend and the extra comfort is well worth the cost of admission. The Cool Max inner suit is available direct from Kushitani or from Kneedraggers.

But I love my lucky Superman undies... My EDZ's were so good, the only place I was sweating was where the zip touched my body rather that the material. You gotta love that for efficiency especially as this was a 90 degree track day (temperature, not corner). My choice of suit is available direct from EDZ's site at www.edz.biz. You can choose between a two-piece or a one-piece. Cost? Well, with the exchange rate factored in, a mere $61.00 + 7.00 shipping, expect delivery times to be around 6 to 10 days. EDZ are also currently looking for a US distributor

DaveW/ Mike Emery