I wanted to get a few different-climate track days under my belt before writing you back about my impressions.
I had track days at Infineon (Sears Point) Raceway in early May (cold), late June (hot) and late September (cold in the morning and mild in the afternoon). Yes, it’s sounding a bit like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. And to a degree, it’s true…the Skins were just right for all three experiences.
From the very beginning, I was impressed about the level of comfort the Skins suit provided. My first initial impression on the street (riding the twisties of the Santa Cruz Mountains here in the SF Bay Area) was that I was less fatigued both during and after riding. I also felt generally more comfortable in my leathers. A side benefit of the Skins’ material is that it makes getting into and out of snug leathers a virtual breeze.
But I was really looking forward to experiencing them on the track, where you can get physically (and mentally) depleted by day’s end.
On the cold day in May I needed to add another layer of a polypro t-shirt over the Skin top to keep me warm on the track in the morning. (It was cold that morning, and wearing perforated leathers accentuate the coldness.) But I noticed that the compression suit kept me from tightening my muscles due to the cold. In turn, I was more relaxed…a significant advantage on a motorcycle. As the morning warmed up, the suit kept me warm and completely comfortable, both from a body temperature standpoint and physical exertion. I noticed that I actually had more energy after each track session that day. By the end of the day on the track, I’m reasonably beat. I was surprised that I found myself significantly less fatigued than normal. All-in-all, a great first impression on the track.
The next two track days brought the same level of positive experience. Most notably the HOT day in late June. As you can imagine, you sweat like a sauna in leathers on a hot day. And on the track you find yourself drenched. Not only did the Skins perform marvelously to help me from getting fatigued on that hot day, but I also noticed that I was generally drier than I’d been in the past. I think the combination of the wicking of the Skins and my perforated leathers worked very well together to help manage the heat at a comfortable level. And, during the breaks in between sessions the Skins completely dried within minutes. Fantastic!
The bottom line for me is that I’m now a Skins evangelist. I can’t speak highly enough about them. On my last track day a couple of guys asked me "what I was wearing, if I liked the Skins and where they could get them." Praise comes easy for a great product. I told them to check the web.
On another note, I’m going to Peru for three weeks in November, and the trek to Machu Picchu over a 15,000 pass already has me got the Skins packed for the hike.
