Adventure Bike Rider Forum

The wife and I set off last Friday to visit my brother and his wife in Normandy which is, or should be, about 5hrs 30mins north from here in the Dordogne.

We knew it was going to be hot butthe forecast was showing it a bit cooler up north. The current road bike is a K1100LT and our Richa riding gear is more winterthan summer biased. The GPS said we should arrive at 13.30, off we go, pleasantly cool for a couple of hours but very heavy traffic as it’s the last Friday before the French holiday season kicks in. Anyway, we stop for coffee then get to Tours by midday but miss a slip road onto the motorway going north to LeMans so stuck in the congested traffic we begin to feel the heat and the wife starts to feel faint so we pull over and drink a load of water. We eventually find the right road but are forced to drive past the exit we want to the services 1km further on for fuel, lunch etc.. The GPS shows an extra 36km to get back to the exit we need but by this stage it’s 32/33C and concentration is waining and I miss the exit where we’re suppossed to be turning around. The next exit is not for 45km and the GPS is trying to get me to turn off at the service exits.

So, sick of the motorway we turn off asap and reset the GPS to avoid toll roads and arrive at our destination, very hot and bothered (and knackered) at 18.30.

We set off again on Sunday morning, this time it’s only a few hours to Chenonceaux which is close to Tours. Once again a pleasant couple of hours but then we try to find some supermarket fuel before getting on the motorway to bypass LeMans. We end up bouncing around tiny backroads and then once fueled up we can’tfind our way onto the motorway because the GPS map is soout of date! We eventually arrive at the hotel a 17.00, it’s 38C and when I take my hands off the bars quarter of a pint of sweat runs out of each sleeve of my jacket into my gloves.

The trip home yesterday was relatively painless - it was a few degrees cooler and we managed to go the right way!

Not wishing to blame the tools but anyone want a French K1100LT?

Sounds like you need a better GPS too! Use an Android phone and a couple of decent navigation apps. Maps are always up to date.

A decent convertible would be more fun, in this heat..............ever thought of a MX5

Shorts/T-Shirt and hat - much cooler than biking clobber and same wind in your hair feeling

I think being two up must trap a lot of heat in where a breeze might cool you down. I'm guessing the excellent wind protection your bike offers is working against you right now. I know in the winter I will be jealous...

I've switched to biker jeans for the summer and often stand on the pegs to let a bit of air in. Sunglasses and visor up also helps as does a peak.

Stop every hour for a swig of water and eat salty chips.

I've not long got back from a 2 week camp at St Leon sur Vezere--trail riding on the little Yam. Because its loaded and not fast I deliberately avoid all motorways and stick to N and usually D roads (riding from Calais)--no traffic to speak of and plenty of shade--much easier to cope with the high temps--black top is always 10 deg hotter!

Proper bugger Charles , i had the exact opposite a few years back , got off a 26hr ferry from Maroc to barcelona at 9pm inlate Oct and forgot to turn off "AVOID" tolls and M/Ways its was about 11pm before i realised i was heading for ANDORRA !!!!!! and fecking frozen

There's only one solution!!

We came back from Andorra on Saturday, 35*c, started off on RN roads, plenty of water on board , but just to hot even for my bm airflow jacket, so punched in auto route, free from brive heading north, and gs was flying along 130km.....much better, and also knocked off hour and half of that heat......still feckin hot though

rodrigoscs wrote: ↑Tue Jul 03, 2018 11:45 am There's only one solution!!
nude_tour_bike00.jpg

Is that a cock sock he is wearing

Thanks for all the comments/suggestions.

GPS is a Montana but with a seriously out of date free map so I’m going to get City Navigator. The bike is a relatively recent acquisition so as yet I’ve not got a tank bag and therefore didn't even bother to take a paper map which is a bit of an oversight.

I have tried an MX5 - not my style really but also having fat feet I have trouble just pushing one pedal at a time which makes it a bit hairy

The fairing on the LT is ridiculous. I ride at any speed with the screen on the lowest setting and my flip front helmet open and there is a nice amount of air around my head but opening the neck cuff on my jacket makes absolutely no difference. The pillion suffers even more.

This bike will be surplus to requirements once I retire in about 4 years time as I will have all the time in the world and no longer need to use motorways. Although it is wifey’s favourite for comfort.