There are several activities that entail a trade-off between safety and fun, but the one closest to my heart is motorcycling in Europe. During my India days, even helmets were optional. But of course, UK is big on health and safety, and I have fully embraced this. I am a changed motorcyclist. Also, years of investing career has made me appreciate that minimising the low probability awful outcomes is the best one can do (guarantees are on Whirlpool washing machines, not on life). So, riding without exhaustive protection is not an option (at least when riding high speed, as one has to in Europe).

But worse than the inconveniences and bulkiness of the clothing is the fact that these equipment are typically bundled. What I mean is that the typical clothes you see motorcyclists wear is a combination of safety (guards) with weather protection. The slight problem is that weather can be summer (or heatwave summer) or rainy or cold. Most equipment available in the UK are ones that combines safety with protection from rain and cold. And, for summer, there is an option to remove one layer from the jacket. Like the houses in Europe, motorcycle clothing is not made for harsh summer.

Bundling: combining disparate offering which must be all chosen. I despise it. Because bundling reduces ‘option value’. I strive to unbundle where I can. Luckily, long time ago, this disdain led me to discover modular and standalone safety gears. For example, a standalone knee protection that can be wore over any trouser (or on bare knees) rather than being part of a protective trouser which is multifunctional. The idea is to separate protection from weather. If it is cold, I can wear a jacket on top of my spine guard. They don’t need to be integrated. If it is warm but raining, I could wear a light rain jacket on top.

So, the unbundler me was ready for any weather (years ago), unbeknown to the heat waves about to hit Europe.

Here is a picture of me just before starting this tour. I wore my lightest jeans and a t-shirt & the modular protections caused me very little discomfort. What amazes me is why I don’t see more motorcyclists do this?  I bought these modular guards on Amazon years ago and they have been so unpopular that you can’t find this jacket on Amazon anymore (the zombies live on at eBay though).

Reward for the unbundling? A few minutes of really pleasant ride. Then rain and cold struck (2 days after UK recorded the highest temperature ever). I can’t say I was surprised (UK weather is capricious). After reaching the ferry boarding point, as I shivered from cold (I was essentially in my t-shirt), I saw a few messages from friends asking how I was coping with the record heat (all of them from countries where a normal summer day is hotter than record days in UK).

As I am writing this from a competitor’s hotel (owned by Accor; I am a Hilton shareholder), it is hot again (nope not sharing a pic as to how I am coping with this).

And I still am not a believer in Murphy’s law.

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