Aerostich Turmoil...

OK, after a long ride in the rain and my rain gear i am looking for a change. I have BMW Rally gear but did not have my pants liners in so legs were soaked.
Also get tired of the work it takes to gear up and ride for short rides. so seems like the stitch is the way to go. But not cheap...and I had one of their coats 14 yrs ago and it was very very stiff
So just looking for advice on the stich shift (to an R3) and the plus/minus issues. Is it that comfortable? Will my BMW Rally pads fit in it? Will i look hip?(ya right) Break in period?
Is it really make you want to ride more?

Thanks

T

I don't have the suit but bought the regular weight AD1s this past March. These were the first Aerostich product I've ever bought and, yes, they are initially very stiff but they have loosened up quite a bit since.

In 35 years of riding I've never worn protective overpants but the memories of some minor road-rash to my knee I suffered a long time ago have been burning in my brain and so I finally relented. At first I thought they wore like a pair of thick potato sacks, not good, but after a couple of weeks they got better and now they are basically like a pair of heavy jeans. They are 100% waterproof: As John Wick's tailor would say, "...zero penetration."

One piece of advice is to take temperature where you are into consideration. I've worn these up to about 90F (along with a Klim Latitude jacket) and I could go all day. Above that, I have to keep moving. If I had it to do again, I'd get the light pants.

I am sufficiently impressed with the AD1's that I am thinking about getting an R3 in the fall. I'm an odd combination of sizes so tailoring it to fit is going to cost a small fortune but it seems worth it to me.

I agree with the 'stich, but I have the Darian jacket and AD1 pants. Twenty plus years, about 200,000 miles and all lower 48 states at least three times. It cost me about $1,000 when I bought it twenty years ago. Expensive? You bet I thought so at the time. But when I average the cost over its lifetime, it's the least expensive piece of gear I own. Never leaked. Never chaffed. I've crashed the bike and slid on pavement about 40 feet; no injuries, a few abrasions on the jacket sleeve and pants seat, which Andy's folks fixed quickly to be as good as new. The only issue is that the Hi-Viz color has faded considerably and it now has a few permanent stains here and there. I call it "street cred."

You, and others, can buy whatever you want, but I will not own anything but a 'stich.

I was loyal to AeroStich for thirty years, but swallowed my pride and have since gone with KLIM.

They are both good vendors, just a different Philosophy! U must decide.

Even the KLIM leaked some in my chest area, in a HUGE downpour [in Corsica]. U just have to: "Go With The Flow!"

HSV-Phil + HSV-Karen




See ya in Lebanon!

I can only comment on the Cousin Jeremy jacket and that I have only had it for about a month. But, out of the box it felt completely broken in! It's waterproof (Goretex lined) and I've read it's not as durable as the RC and may not give that amount of protection but it is an option.
Just my two cents.
Dave

HSVPhil said:

I was loyal to AeroStich for thirty years, but swallowed my pride and have since gone with KLIM.

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I bought a Klim Latitude a month ago followed by a pair of Vanguard GTX. Neither one was waterproof as advertised.

The jacket leaked through the front zipper (the picture is after just one hour in moderate rain). Happened two more times so I'm sure it's not that I didn't properly close the zipper which was my first assumption. There are various minor stitching issues that I don't really care about but I expected better given the cost. The gloves are not waterproof in the least. They soak right through and when they do the dye, or whatever it is, discolors my hands. In the image, my hand went in the glove freshly washed and came out looking like that after less than 20 minutes in a light shower. I am sending the jacket and gloves back to see how well they back up their product.

Klim has a great reputation and the gear is very nicely made and feels like a premium product. The jacket flows an amazing amount of air. I'd be happy if they replaced the jacket but the gloves are a lost cause as far as I'm concerned.

HSVPhil said:

I was loyal to AeroStich for thirty years, but swallowed my pride and have since gone with KLIM.

Click to expand...

I bought a Klim Latitude a month ago followed by a pair of Vanguard GTX. Neither one was waterproof as advertised. The jacket leaked through the front zipper (the picture is after just one hour in moderate rain). There are various minor stitching issues that I don't really care about but I expected better given the cost. The gloves, are not waterproof in the least. They soak right through and when they do the dye, or whatever it is, discolors my hands. In the image, my hand went in the glove freshly washed and came out looking like that after less than 20 minutes in a light shower. I am sending the jacket and gloves back to see how well they back up their product.

Klim has a great reputation and the gear is very nicely made. The jacket flow an amazing amount of air. I would be happy if they replaced the jacket but the gloves are lost cause as far as I'm concerned.

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Street Crud

royce said:

I call it "street cred.

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Haven't washed mine ever, and it's been a few years. It's getting more street crud than cred now. Do you use the recommended stuff that Aerostitch sells, or just detergent? Do you use Scotchguard or something similar after it's dry? I'm thinking of washing it.

I sure like my Stitch, but usually wear the Rallye suit unless I need to shed the suit when I get where I'm going, then it's the Stitch.

tburk said:

Haven't washed mine ever, and it's been a few years. It's getting more street crud than cred now. Do you use the recommended stuff that Aerostitch sells, or just detergent? Do you use Scotchguard or something similar after it's dry? I'm thinking of washing it.

I sure like my Stitch, but usually wear the Rallye suit unless I need to shed the suit when I get where I'm going, then it's the Stitch.

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Long time daily user of HiViz Darien and AD-1 pants. I use the Nickwax waterproofing and Nickwash cleaner to keep them dry and somewhat fresh. From March through November I wear them almost everyday either on the road or on the range teaching. The HiViz has faded to more of a banana shade and the AD-1 have become almost an ash grey color, but still work well. I am finally contemplating buying a replacement set as these owe me nothing at this point, and reserve the older set for fair weather range use.

Friedle

GSRedd said:

So just looking for advice on the stich shift (to an R3) and the plus/minus issues....

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Here's a thread from ADVrider:

https://advrider.com/f/threads/reviews-from-aerostich-r3-owners-please.1317072/

They're good suits, if you can hack wearing them. I can't; I felt like the Pillsbury Doughboy. But they let me return it; no issues.

I have a one piece Stich and consider it the best commuter gear available. On long trips, however, I leave it behind and wear my Rallye suit. With the excellent wind protection on the GSA, the Stich doesn't vent well enough to ensure my comfort in hot and humid conditions. And getting stuck in a construction zone while wearing it is sheer misery.

Pete

One piece suits have some advantages. Best by far for commuting and shorter trips.

I have owned two Aerostich one piece suits. Sold the "classic" version a while back. Would not buy another one of them. But, I have one of the lighter weight fabric R-3 suits now that I use fairly often. These are lighter, much less stiff, and most of all run about 10 degrees cooler than the classic style. Aerostich could really improve their venting compared to some other brands! Yet I can run the light version into the 80's without much discomfort. The newer versions have improved zippers and are more dry. This light version has yet to leak, the classic was a leaker even with zipper seal stuff and nikwax.

I have some new Olympia gear that is waterproof. Much better venting. Quality seems to be good. It has replaced the Aerostich for cold riding. But still the Aerostich has its place. They are proven to be protective in a crash and a very good long term investment.

Waterproof Riding Suits

Among other suites, I am the owner of the BMW Rallye 3 jacket and pants. While the suit was absolutely superb, like the OP, it became tiresome slipping on the yellow BMW one-piece rain suit (which is excellent by the way) every time it looked like rain. As a result, I purchased the BMW EnduroGaurd jacket and pants which are supposed to be waterproof. I had my first opportunity to test them in a fairly heavy rain that only relented after 30 minutes of hard riding. I can happily report I was dry from head to toe after dismounting as the suit did a nice job shedding water without it leaking past the zippers or the belt line. This may not be a sufficiently long test to really know with certainty if the suit lives up to its billing but so far so good.

Kent

Have you considered the BMW Comfort jacket and pants? They are completely waterproof and are made of a phase material that breathes when warm, but closes up when cold. The pants are a bit uncomfortable in warm weather as they don't have any vent zippers, but both jacket and pants are the most waterproof gear I've ever had (lived in Seattle for 17 years...need I say more). I carry a Warm-n-Safe electric liner for when the temps get below 50 degrees. I've had mine for about 12 years with many satisfied miles of use.

I've owned both the "Classic" and the new "R3" 1-piece suits.

The classic was great when it was cooler than ~80 degrees (because of the lining). The new R3 is much better in heat/humidity because you don't have an extra layer of fabric, which also allows more air to move around your skin. I rode both back to back and realized how much air was "leaking" into the R3 vs the Classic.

Living in Minnesota means I get to experience 30 degree days to 100 degree days (sometimes even in the same day!) with a good dose of humidity. I'd still stick with the R3 as I can always add layers/electric heat.

When buying new, the suit is stiff, so it does take a while to break in. Now it fits like a glove.

I haven't had any trouble with water leaking anywhere, and it has about 50,000 miles on it. I always wash it with Nikwax tech wash (and an extra rinse cycle), then Nikwax TX-direct waterproofer, then a 5 min. spin in the dryer on medium heat (to activate the DWR). Washing gets done when my wife attempts to banish the suit to the garage.