Aerostitch road crafter for winter riding

I have a gift certificate for Aerostitch and I'm considering a Roadcrafter jacket. I know this is not an insulated jacket but I'm wondering if layering a fleece and base layer underneath would make this jacket suitable for winter riding in GA? If not the road crafter jacket is there another Aerostitch offering that would be a better choice for my needs?

jharpphoto said:

I have a gift certificate for Aerostitch and I'm considering a Roadcrafter jacket. I know this is not an insulated jacket but I'm wondering if layering a fleece and base layer underneath would make this jacket suitable for winter riding in GA? If not the road crafter jacket is there another Aerostitch offering that would be a better choice for my needs?

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I think the Roadcrafter is a very good winter jacket, especially in southern climates where a cold morning turns to a nice (balmy) afternoon. It is warm enough itself for spring and fall and warm winter afternoons. With a couple of layers it is nice in colder weather.

My personal regimen is a thin long sleeve base layer under a Warm & Safe electric jacket liner. Normally that is fine under the Roadcrafter jacket. For temperatures less than 30F I would add a fleece windstopper over the electrics and under the Roadcrafter. As the day warms the fleece would come off and then the electric liner would come off and I still have sufficient warmth and the protection of the Roadcrafter. Aeorstich has been my go-to jacket since the mid 1990s.

Here in the Texas Big Bend 40 or 50 degree temperature swings from low to high are not unusual. So the ability to go from 40F to 80F with the same jacket and layering is important.

If it's just a jacket that you're looking for, you may want to consider the Darien Jacket (https://www.aerostich.com/suits/darien), since you can get a fleece liner/jacket. If my memory serves me correctly, the Darien jacket is longer than a Roadcrafter, but don't quote me on it.

I have an older one that was handed down to me and it has the fleece liner/jacket. It's very warm with it inside. Plus, I use the liner/jacket all the time.

88bmwjeff said:

If it's just a jacket that you're looking for, you may want to consider the Darien Jacket (https://www.aerostich.com/suits/darien), since you can get a fleece liner/jacket. If my memory serves me correctly, the Darien jacket is longer than a Roadcrafter, but don't quote me on it.

I have an older one that was handed down to me and it has the fleece liner/jacket. It's very warm with it inside. Plus, I use the liner/jacket all the time.

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The Darian is slightly longer than the Roadcrafter. The Roadcrafter has a thin fabric (Nylon ?) liner while the Darian does not. Thus the Roadcrafter is slightly warmer in cold weather but also hotter in the summer. I have had both.

Roadcrafter

jharpphoto said:

I have a gift certificate for Aerostitch and I'm considering a Roadcrafter jacket. I know this is not an insulated jacket but I'm wondering if layering a fleece and base layer underneath would make this jacket suitable for winter riding in GA? If not the road crafter jacket is there another Aerostitch offering that would be a better choice for my needs?

Click to expand...

My Roadcrafter is one of 3 or 4 jackets that I have and it is great for some features (and I know this is going to bring out a scream of outrage from the Aerostich fan boys) and positively crappy for others.
However, to the point: for cold weather riding it is fine.
I find the best base layer to use is a brand called Duofold which i think is 2 layers, 1 cotton and 1 wool and not too thick. Fleece layers are sometimes too thick and interfere with flexibility and make the jacket too tight. For riding down into the 30's I used a heated vest which is also pretty thick. I find the sizing on the Radcrafter Jacket a little small to begin with so if you are going to get one, you might consider a little larger size.

I've been wearing the full Roadcrafter suit for years in the PNW winters. I ride every work day, all day, not just commuting. Jacket stands up fantastically in the rain and does pretty good in the cold down to about low-40s with just a thermal shirt underneath. I also tend to run the Garbing heated vest or jacket liner any time it's below 50 and usually only turn it on below 45.

FELAW said:

My Roadcrafter is one of 3 or 4 jackets that I have and it is great for some features (and I know this is going to bring out a scream of outrage from the Aerostich fan boys) and positively crappy for others.
However, to the point: for cold weather riding it is fine.
I find the best base layer to use is a brand called Duofold which i think is 2 layers, 1 cotton and 1 wool and not too thick. Fleece layers are sometimes too thick and interfere with flexibility and make the jacket too tight. For riding down into the 30's I used a heated vest which is also pretty thick. I find the sizing on the Radcrafter Jacket a little small to begin with so if you are going to get one, you might consider a little larger size.

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I am truly interested in which features are "truly crappy" on the Road Crafter. Not being snarky, but genuinely interested in your feedback.

PGlaves said:

I think the Roadcrafter is a very good winter jacket, especially in southern climates where a cold morning turns to a nice (balmy) afternoon. It is warm enough itself for spring and fall and warm winter afternoons. With a couple of layers it is nice in colder weather.

My personal regimen is a thin long sleeve base layer under a Warm & Safe electric jacket liner. Normally that is fine under the Roadcrafter jacket. For temperatures less than 30F I would add a fleece windstopper over the electrics and under the Roadcrafter. As the day warms the fleece would come off and then the electric liner would come off and I still have sufficient warmth and the protection of the Roadcrafter. Aeorstich has been my go-to jacket since the mid 1990s.

Here in the Texas Big Bend 40 or 50 degree temperature swings from low to high are not unusual. So the ability to go from 40F to 80F with the same jacket and layering is important.

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Ditto on the electric. With a decent base and electric (I too have the warm and safe and their gloves) The jacket can fit in the summer and not be too small with winter bulk underneath in the colder times.

I’ve been using my Roadcrafter in the winter months for maybe 10 years. Living in northwestern Pennsylvania I routinely ride in 40’s, occasionally 30’s. I, like others, wear a performance material base layer then a Warm&Safe heated liner and gloves then the Roadcrafter. I’m able to stay comfortable just using the rheostat. I’ll add, I also wear the Darien pants with different layers under depending on temps. I traveled to the Yukon and Alaska in 2018, I started every day with this setup, it worked perfectly.

In upstate South Carolina, I find the 2 piece Roadcrafter serves most all my needs.

I got my first Roadcrafter jacket and pants combo in 2006, and after losing a bunch of weight got another one in 2019. With both pieces zipped together you get the advantages of a one piece, and if I need to run out and stop at a couple of stores, I will grab just the jacket to save time from taking off the 'Stich and locking it to the bike. The Roadcrafter does pretty well in the summer with all the vents open, but shines in the winter with my Warm & Safe electric liner or even a fleece vest, sweater or jacket under it.
In the winter the pants are a big plus for keeping the legs warm, dry and protected. They do make a difference, and if you get the Roadcrafter jacket now you can add the pants when you are ready.
I do also have mesh gear for riding in the 90 degree with 90% humidity days of summer, and a 1987 vintage Brooks leather jacket that still fits, but 95% of the time that I am on the bike, I am in my Roadcrafter.

I also have to give the Aerostich folks a big THUMBS UP for service. On the way back from the 2021 National Rally in Great Falls Montana, I stopped at the shop in Duluth. The zipper on my right pants leg would stick when I zipped it all the way up. I mentioned it the the lady at the sales desk who called up to the repair department. The suit was whisked away and by the time I got through with the tour of the factory, the pants were fixed at no charge! Great folks up there in Duluth.

Roadcrafter

jharpphoto said:

I am truly interested in which features are "truly crappy" on the Road Crafter. Not being snarky, but genuinely interested in your feedback.

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At the risk of another bout of outrage from the Stich fans, I repeat what I said when I first started wearing it 10 years ago and I quote: "Hotter than a dutch oven, stiffer than a rusty suit of armour and with pocket in places where you can't get at them". To explain: I live in the north where there are seldom summer temps over 85, but 5 minutes into a ride with the Stich on and all vents open I am sweating like a pig on the spit. Now granted the situation is worse on my fully faired bikes, but even on an airhead with no fairing, I find it uncomfortably hot even with an evaporating vest. The fabric and construction make the thing so stiff that i have trouble moving in it and, with the placement of some of the pockets, I can't bend my arms enough to access them. I admit that I am a stubby guy with limited flexibility but I don't seem to have the same problems with my other jackets which are the same size.

FELAW said:

At the risk of another bout of outrage from the Stich fans, I repeat what I said when I first started wearing it 10 years ago and I quote: "Hotter than a dutch oven, stiffer than a rusty suit of armour and with pocket in places where you can't get at them". To explain: I live in the north where there are seldom summer temps over 85, but 5 minutes into a ride with the Stich on and all vents open I am sweating like a pig on the spit. Now granted the situation is worse on my fully faired bikes, but even on an airhead with no fairing, I find it uncomfortably hot even with an evaporating vest. The fabric and construction make the thing so stiff that i have trouble moving in it and, with the placement of some of the pockets, I can't bend my arms enough to access them. I admit that I am a stubby guy with limited flexibility but I don't seem to have the same problems with my other jackets which are the same size.

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OK, I'm a fan but there is some truth in this post. When new the Stich is stiff - a natural happenstance of the heavy nylon, Goretex, and lining. But after not too long, and a washing the stiffness subsides. It doesn't feel like a cushy sweater though. Hotness is a function of individual tolerance. When Voni and I rode the 2003 Ironbutt Rally we were heading into Las Vegas with the temps between 110 and 114. I soon took off my mesh jacket and pants and put on my Stich with a wet vest underneath. Instantly better! Skin temperature hovers around 94 for most people. Anything hotter blowing through mesh is just blowing hot air. I find the Roadcrafter pockets preferable to the Darian pockets but that is a simple matter of choice.

Sometimes comfort is a tradeoff. In hot weather below 92F or so I might wear a light jacket or mesh for SHORT rides. Say 25 to 50 miles. Anything longer and I risk dehydration even though I have a water bottle and tube and sip constantly while riding. When it is hot out it is hot out and people who poorly tolerate heat are challenged to ride motorcycles when it is hot.

locking your Road Crafter to the bike

I've seen some comments about locking your road crafter to the bike. How does one go about securing the suit to an RT?

jharpphoto said:

I've seen some comments about locking your road crafter to the bike. How does one go about securing the suit to an RT?

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You need something you can lock a cable to. I am not sure what that is on an RT but you may have to improvise. I have the frame loops on my K75 and Mirrorlocks on my G310 and also Bungee Buddy loop attachment points on my top cases.

So, I take an 18 inch or so long cable and a padlock, loop the cable through suit (or jacket) sleeve and fasten to the bike with a padlock. I bought a set of four identically keyed padlocks. I have a couple with cables and use one to lock the Pelican case on my G310. The same lock on the 310 can be used to lock a helmet to the bike. A second lock on the Pelican case is sometimes used to lock Voni's helmet to my bike too.

I keep a padlock key on all of my bike key sets and on all of Voni's too.

PGlaves said:

You need something you can lock a cable to. I am not sure what that is on an RT but you may have to improvise. I have the frame loops on my K75 and Mirrorlocks on my G310 and also Bungee Buddy loop attachment points on my top cases.

So, I take an 18 inch or so long cable and a padlock, loop the cable through suit (or jacket) sleeve and fasten to the bike with a padlock. I bought a set of four identically keyed padlocks. I have a couple with cables and use one to lock the Pelican case on my G310. The same lock on the 310 can be used to lock a helmet to the bike. A second lock on the Pelican case is sometimes used to lock Voni's helmet to my bike too.

I keep a padlock key on all of my bike key sets and on all of Voni's too.

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I see, that makes sense. I thought there might be some aerostitch product specifically for this task. Thanks for the info on your solution.

jharpphoto said:

I've seen some comments about locking your road crafter to the bike. How does one go about securing the suit to an RT?

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I lock mine with a plastic coated steel cable (purchased by the foot at Home Depot) with wire crimps (also installed at the Home Depot) to create loops on the ends. I made a short one, 18", for just my helmet and a longer one, around 6', to run through the zip pit or arm of the jacket and back through the zipper on the pants leg. The cable will fit through the luggage mount, rack, wheel or even a tree. It also is light and inexpensive. Add a good rubber coated padlock to prevent scratching and you're done!

jharpphoto said:

I see, that makes sense. I thought there might be some aerostitch product specifically for this task. Thanks for the info on your solution.

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Lock the 'stich to your RT's passenger grab rails using this: https://www.aerostich.com/key-combo-cable-lock.html
(Or any other bicycle lock)

jharpphoto said:

I've seen some comments about locking your road crafter to the bike. How does one go about securing the suit to an RT?

Click to expand...

I use a snowski cable lock. I've used them on my helmet, jacket, tankbag or whatever. Won't stop theft but certainly deter it.

on my 2nd RC orig 2 pc and use a Transit 2: Just added Aerostich Bib and sweater!!!!

This summer I visited Aerostich one evening near closing and again the next morning. I just added the small electric bib with the lit on/off switch, it is awesome. much more comfortable than my electric vest which is and should be snug.


I also just added the Aerostich Windstopper pullover shell, again awesome in summer and winter. In the winter it goes on just before by suit. Use it in the am over a tee or more and under my Transit or RC2 in the morning and put it away mid day on normal days. I also use it around town and camping and on and on.