Black is better?

A few days ago as I was walking around Abilene, Texas, on a sunny afternoon, I saw a man on a motorcycle stopped at a red light. Now, this was a summer day in West Texas. The sun was blazing, the temperature was in the high 90's, and I was wearing the lightest-colored polo shirt and shorts I owned. The man on the bike, however, like most bikers I've seen, was wearing black leather. A black leather vest over a long-sleeved, button-down shirt, with jeans and boots. In my light attire, I was glistening with perspiration and could feel the back of my shirt getting more damp by the minute. I could only imagine how the man on the bike must be drenched in sweat.

Admittedly, I have never been on a motorcycle. I'm not opposed to the idea; I simply have never had the opportunity. And perhaps the wind rushing past as one zooms down the road is sufficient to cool the biker. But I still have to think that the blazing sun on that dark, heat-absorbing leather generates quite a lot of warmth.

So why do serious bikers wear the ubiquitous black leather, even during the heat of summer? Why doesn't some brilliant company make WHITE leather motorcycle gear? Imagine how much cooler it would be - literally and colloquially. White reflects light, directing all of those blazing rays away from the biker. Plus, a biker would look so sharp wearing white leather. If the black leather is a fashion statement, imagine what the white would do!

This is a marketing opportunity in the making. Someone should jump on it.