I don’t want to be too XC and have a shortsleeve lycra jersey.

What do you wear in really hot conditions? Top and bottom and shoes.

For the shoes, I want some similar to Shimano MT23. Something cool, fine for wearing all day but stiff enough for proper spd (egg beater) use.

I’m more used to thinking about how many base layers and if the waterproof spd shoes are warm enough…

Thanks

i would suggest just a vest for up top, just one of those nike or addidas ones, you can’t beat getting fresh air on skin and they are cheap.

this kind of thing

When do you plan to ride and where, there are some bit differences as SEA is a large area?
Most of my riding is in Hong Kong which can differ depending on the season, generally though prepare to be damp either via sweat or rain!
I get by wearing Endura Singletrack shorts and TLD or similar shirts, if you have anything that can unzip at the front even better, try to make sure you wear socks and takes spares, humidity plays havoc with your feet.
One upside of the heat though is you can jump into a river to cool down and be dry again in no time, however, your still going to smell like a dead Posen at the end of the ride.
Also, highly recommend that you take no less than a 3 little bladder, especially if out in summer, oh, and mosquito repellent.

3 litre bladder!! 😯

…must be able to wee for ages.

You are a horse and I claim my tesco burger

I lived in Singapore and even my lightweight uk t-shirts were too hot. You want super light weight synthetics available from places like Rohan or bought out there. Not sure where you’ll be riding but worth buying some high concentration DEET here, factor 50 sun cream – Banana Boat is very good. It will be ‘kin ‘ot but a bandana under your helmet to keep sun off head and neck. I used to wear long sleeved synthetic shirts to keep sun off my arms when sailing – 30 mins of exposure when youve sweated off the sun cream can leave a major burn. Worth having synthetic underwear, its very easy to get sweat related sores. Your shoes will be destroyed by a combination of heat and sweat 😥

People ride bikes in Singapore from 4 or 5am to 7 or 8 otherwise it’s too hot !

Enjoy, where are you going ?

With 95% humidity, a temperature in the 30s and the possibility of no shops for 3-4 hours riding (especially of riding around TMS) then better to be safe than sorry, I drop down to 2l in winter.

Good point about the sunscreen, essential in summer!

Just back from 2 1/2 month cycle touring in S.E. Asia. I brought way more clothes than I needed. In the end, I used the same lightweight long sleve collared shirt (the fancy fast drying ones you get in outdoor shops) and washed it every day. It dries in half an hour with that heat. It also keeps the sun off your arms/neck. I had problems with heat rash (which I’d never had before) due to the combination of sweating while cycling and sun cream blocking pores. Cover up and avoid the sun at it’s hottest. Get yourself some merino socks too – they don’t pong after 1/2 a day. Not sure where you are going, but I had no problem with getting bottled water anywhere in Thai/Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam – never carried more than 2 litres and often drank as much as 7l in a day.

Do you really want a camel back in those conditions?
I guess if you only have one set of bottle mounts it might be the only option, but also a source of sweat itself.

Have a look at fox baggies as they come with a rather strange fishnetty padded liner for extra summer ventilation ! 😳

ps in Hong Kong athletes foot is also known as “milky foot”. perhaps not quite the same but it gets you to the right isle of the pharmacy.

Nick

Have been living and biking in Singapore for over five years now, and around Asia for longer. Lightwieght XC kit is the way to go, but honestly – no matter what you will be hot, sweaty and miserable – especially if you are just arriving from somewhere cool like the UK. As @jambalaya said – there’s a lot of night riding, just to avoid at least the worst of the heat. Plus you get to see some very interesting animals in the jungle at night!

The heat is there, you just have to get used to it, and there is no magic kit solution that will make you comfortable when you are in a jungle at 33 degrees C and nearly 100% humidity. The things you should be wary of are sunscreen (mainly if you are on the road), mosquitos (dengue fever is a big issue in most of SE Asia, and malaria in parts), and hydration.

ironically a big problem for me is when I’m out riding and a heavy rain starts; for the first 20 minutes or so it can be really refreshing, but after that it actually gets quite cold – and I _never_ have anything additional to wear with me…

Used to go running there and Nike Combat base layer only and some X-Bionic underpants under my shorts and Alpkit Coolmax socks were fine for me. Mind you, I only ever ran between 0500 – 0700 in the mornings though. They were ok for the one long run I did at midday, but I have a decent amount of heat tolerance.

It’s the humidity that kills you. It’s like breathing soup sometimes.

Should’ve given more info.

I live in The Philippines but haven’t riden since I’ve lived here. I’m moving to Phuket this August and taking a bike(s) with me.

In The Philippines, I’ve been diving a lot so haven’t thought about other sports clothing.

I’m as used to the heat out here as anyone ever can be.

I’ve got a superlight waterproof in case I do get caught in a monsoon!

Thanks

Maybe forget the riding ‘baggies’ and go with some lightweight running shorts, much much cooler than mtb shorts. That’s what I use on the hottest days over here, I can’t imagine using anything else in that sort of heat and humidity.