[Wingnut1945]

I have been looking for a colder weather riding jacket to replace my old one. Over time I have looked at about every brand of jacket and nothing really says "Buy Me!" Obviously I have to consider cost, but also protection, fit, practicality, and even how it looks.

Then a few days ago comes an AeroStitch catalog in the mail. I knew AeroStitch was expensive but discovered it was REAL expensive. Their least expensive Darien is a single-layer textile Gore-Tex, no liners, with elbow and shoulder armor for $597, and you have to buy back protection for another $100+. Their upper scale Roadcrafter is at least fully lined, no liners, Gore-Tex, lots of pockets, armored (no mention of back) and costs $739. Both are a lot of geld but if they are really that superior, I might consider one.

So, for you folks who have AeroStitch jackets, are they really worth the money?

 

[Zee Fifty]

I have Darien Light jacket and pants. My wife has a Darien jacket and the AD1 pants.

Heck no they are not worth it.

We love them. They pack well. Well vented. Allow you to use a normal looking puff jacket underneath them for when you arrive at your destination. For colder weather use an electric liner.

I would suggest a roomy fit for layering.

 

[BigBob1]

Yes they are spendy but we like them. We each have two sets of Darien coats and two sets of pants, light weight and regular. We purchased our first sets back in the mid-1990's as we got older and "bigger" the originals became our hot weather coats and the newer ones are a size larger so we can wear our electric vests/liners. We also ride dual sport bikes and have put them thru some rough riding in Alaska and the Yukon and they wear well and look good.

 

[Breezly]

I don't know if they will be worth it for you - only you can determine that - but they are most definitely worth it for me. I got measured at one of their pop-up locations and had a Darien jacket and AD1 pants custom made to fit. For me it was a combination of custom fit, protection and waterproofness that sold me.

 

[Retired guy]

I had an Aerostitch Roadcrafter one piece suit and it was wonderful in very cold weather. But, when the temps started to climb I found it to be uncomfortable even with all the vents open. The other thing I didn’t care for was the one piece suit was very cumbersome when I’d stop for a meal or bathroom break. I think I would have been happier with the two piece suit. In any case, the one piece ended up sitting in my closet for years without any use, so I finally sold it. Don’t get me wrong though, the Roadcrafter was very well made and a high quality suit. It just wasn’t for me.

 

[RedBag]

Might want to look at the TourMaster Transition line. Zip in winter liner, vents that actually work, well built and warm enough to ride in the 20's, especially after you remember to zip up the vents Reasonably priced, too, IMO.


73

 

[Bulitt]

You can buy a used “stich” over on ADV usually for half or less than a new one would cost. They are for sale every day. Do a search in the flea market and see what you find. Some hardly used.

And to answer your question, in my opinion, they make the best one piece suit available.

 

[Fluke189]

I have had a lot of their jackets and suits. I like the roadcrafter classic, and to me it's worth the price. The darien, falstaff, darien light, any other unlined suit I would not buy again.

 

[Yamahadrummer]

If you're thinking 'Stich, look at Motoport. LINK
(Flame suit on) Better materials and more detailed fit, like 20 separate measurements.
Ask Wayne what city governments and other countries have evaluated their gear and chosen them for their motor-officers. The list in very impressive.

 

[Vito]

I've considered going that route in the past, but the few folks I have know who wore Roadcrafter suits said that they get really hot in the summer. I have found that I end up not wearing gear that makes me too hot so I would hesitate to get this. If you do buy it, let us know your thoughts after riding in it a few times.

 

[Sparky57]

I've considered going that route in the past, but the few folks I have know who wore Roadcrafter suits said that they get really hot in the summer. I have found that I end up not wearing gear that makes me too hot so I would hesitate to get this. If you do buy it, let us know your thoughts after riding in it a few times.

Many years ago I went to an ERC class with my wife. There was this one couple that really stood out. Yellow Wing, yellow trailer, yellow helmets, and yellow Roadcrafter suits. It was quite gaudy. I get the whole safety thing, but Holy Smokes! Anyway....

It was a bit warmer than normal for a spring day, high 70s to low 80s by afternoon, and lots of sun. Everyone was quite comfortable, except for the yellow canaries. They were obviously cooking. They were sweating profusely. But even though they tried to ignore it, it was really obvious that they were extremely uncomfortable. Their singular focus on practicing safety above all else took away their objectivity and better judgment. It was the wrong choice of riding gear for that day.

Granted, this was extreme since nobody spends a whole day on their bike either sitting still or doing only 10mph. That fact is not lost on me. But it does reinforce that Roadcrafter gear is not suited for year round riding, because it wasn't even really all that hot out that day.

 

[dduelin]

If you're thinking 'Stich, look at Motoport. LINK
(Flame suit on) Better materials and more detailed fit, like 20 separate measurements.
Ask Wayne what city governments and other countries have evaluated their gear and chosen them for their motor-officers. The list in very impressive.

Avoid any protective garment made with Kevlar materials. It degrades in sunlight. DuPont even suggests not storing Kevlar near windows open to sunlight. Why anyone would use the material in clothing designed to be worn outdoors is beyond understanding.

 

[charleetho]

I had a Darien lite for 8 years. Great jacket. Lost a lot of weight and was able to sell it.
Aerostitch will last 10 years or more, so if you amortized it out it seems reasonable.
The Darien was hot and clamy in the summer. I use a Klim mesh jacket in the summer. Back then a JR mesh jacket.

I replaced the Darien with Olympia gear. It held up well in a 65 mph crash. The last 5 years I've been using a First Gear jacket. It is shot, faded, no longer waterproof, and Velcro no longer grips. So it lasted half as long as the Darien. But it was only $100 on closeout.

Sent from my cellphone using Tapatalk

 

[tamathumper]

... same here - First Gear, and I love it. And the Velcro can be replaced if I want it to keep going.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

I got the Darien pants and Jacket (as seen in avatar) and love them both. I no longer have to carry extra rain gear as the Stitch stuff is truly all-weather gear. Throw them in the washer once a year using the soap and water preventive on the Stitch website and still looks new.

Dan