Originally Posted by
Brett A
Tight clothing certainly does keep airflow off your pores. It's okay in the desert. The first time I rode through Death Valley, I wore black, fleece-lined leg warmers (all I had with me) even though it was 120 on the tarmac, they didn't get wet from sweat. There is no experience of sweating out there it's so dry. And I have heard the advice to wear tight clothing in the desert because it does slow evaporation and will keep you from getting dehydrated too quickly.
When i went back, I followed the lead of folks who have lived in the desert for centuries; fully covered, lose-fitting, light colored. Very comfy. Like wearing shelter. ,
Back home in hot, humid New England, I would want as little against my skin as possible. In my experience, lycra is not the same as bare skin; it does hinder water transfer from skin to air. Less clothes is always better at 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity. Again, if you look at the people native to the east coast, they kept a lot of skin exposed.
Loose clothing is fine for walking. Tight, wicking clothing is cooler for cycling. Even naked is not better for sweat cooling as has been proven by white sunsleeves. I've done long pass climbs in 105° full sun. Tight clothing works fine and doesn't flap. The airflow is not on your pores, it's on the surface of the wicking garment, where it evaporates quickly in the airflow. The problem with loose clothing is that the airflow is not on your pores
and the sweat has not transferred to the surface of the garment where it could evaporate. Besides it's noisy and generates wind resistance, slows you down. There's no upside for cycling there.