Summer ride planned from Delhi to Spiti: Pro tips before setting off?

Not wearing full riding gear is not even a discussion point for a full-on highway journey like this.

BHPian gopalggk recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am intending to do a road trip in the next week from Delhi to Spiti Valley. With the scorching heat, I am wondering if I can make do with only knee and elbow guards, gloves, helmets and shoes instead of riding jackets and trousers. Till such time I hit the hills.

What do you guys do? Any tips?

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say on the matter:

I’ve done Chandigarh - Spiti and Manali - Chandigarh in June 2022. The heat was debilitating even then and definitely a factor.

At the outset, let me just state the obvious. Not wearing absolutely full gear is not even a discussion point for a full-on highway journey like this. But yes - there are multiple measures you can and must take, especially since starting from Delhi adds a few more hours to the journey.

1. Start early AM. It wins you a few extra hours of beating the full brunt of the sun.
2. Hydrate - a LOT! Before you feel thirsty. Perhaps keep an on-the-hour reminder where you stop to drink and stretch every hour. Make sure you take in both plain water as well as electrolytes.
3. Stretch - regularly! The last thing you want is to cramp because of extreme heat.
4. Keep cool - i.e. wet the nape of your neck on your halts - it helps bring your body temperature down.
5. Ensure you get food in as required but keep it light and clean. Don’t eat heavily. Carry some energy bars too for good measure.
6. Consider wearing a dry-fit tee. Soak it in water periodically and wear it if you can deal with that. Again, helps keep you cool for short durations. The more expensive alternative is wearing a cooling vest which works well in the dry heat that Delhi / Chandigarh / HP will throw up but honestly just wetting a tee does the same job.
7. Choose well-ventilated riding jackets and pants - either super well-ventilated textile or alternately well-ventilated mesh jackets & pants.
8. Try to avoid wearing backpacks on your back. Instead bungee luggage onto the bike. Carrying heavy backpacks can enhance fatigue as well as make you feel hotter.
9. Carry a spare phone (or even a couple). Your phones (especially if you’re using them to navigate) can actually overheat and shut down.

Will add to this list if anything else comes to mind. Good luck and ride safe.

Here's what BHPian Jeroen had to say on the matter:

The chances of meeting with an accident on a motorbike are not determined by the temperature! I always wore my jacket and trousers. But I did have special summer and winter versions which made a difference.

Everybody I know who rides a bike has met with a nasty fall at some point in time. Some pretty bad, some not so. But the ones that were not wearing proper gear were always a whole lot worse, than the ones wearing all the kit! Winter and summer time.

Here's what BHPian ebonho had to say on the matter:

I swear by mesh gear. In our weather, it is my gear of choice, over vented textile. Especially for the jacket, and especially when speeds are not too high, and stoppages are more frequent. Gloves I follow similar principles between short cuff synthetic textile and full leather gauntlets. The pants are vented textile, no worries there. Get the gear for the weather and the ride. Leave elbow and knee guards for the BMX guys and skaters.

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