jackets and armor

Hey folks,

This is, I suppose, slightly o/t, but I could use some educating on
jackets and armor. Basically, I need a jacket -- something that will
keep me warm in the fall and cool in the spring and summer. And, of
course, some protection for my shoulders, spine, tailbone, and elbows
would be welcome as well.

There are tons of different types of jackets and I'm a little
overwhelmed. How much ventilation will I really need to stay cool on
a humid 80+degree day? (Are bicep and chest vents enough? Or should I
get one of those jackets that converts from mostly leather to mostly
mesh?) And are there certain types of armor/padding that I should be
looking for? (I see some of it says it's C.E. rated, but I can't find
out what that means -- googling it came up with some funny stuff
though. Some of it looks like it's just varying degrees of foam,
while others seem to be hard plastic.)

I'll be riding a healthy mix of back roads and "highways" (other than
the LIE, highways on long island are places where, for every minute
you drive 60 mph, you must then spend 2 minutes sitting at a stop
light).

All advice is welcome.

Thanks as always!

Dan

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