For my trip to the Yukon and back this past summer I knew I'd need
better riding gear than my twenty year old Bristol Leather jacket and a
scruffy pair of Levis. I reasoned I'd need to invest in some rainproof
riding gear. I found that that a lot of what's currently available
in the local shops to be either poor fitting, ill equipped for contact
with the road, or just plain lacking in quality.
I'd heard a lot about the versatility and quality of the Aerostitch Roadcrafter suit. You can get the 'Stitch one of two ways: through mail order, or directly from the factory. Being the sort that lacks faith in the mail order route, I decided to make the big trip to the industrial metropolis of Duluth, Minnesota. I figured that if the Aerostitch still didn't cut my particular brand of mustard, I could always update my leathers, and haul out my Kmart blue-light-special rain suit, if the need arose. Besides, any excuse for a bike trip is a good excuse.
A splendid route to Duluth is up through the Michigan Peninsula: Great Lakes country. Duluth and it's twin sister, Superior, Wisconsin are on the westernmost point of Lake Superior. Despite the industrial nature of these two towns (forestry products - can you say "more sulfur please?") the setting is actually quite pretty. Greenery abounds, and Duluth has the advantage of rolling geographic relief.
Maybe because the staff had consumed too many extra-friendly pills that day, I had the following pleasant surprises:
The Darien's focus is different than the Roadcrafter's. It is intended for all-weather touring, and off-road riding. Since my trip was going to include a wide variety of climates, the Darien started to make sense. I tried a grey jacket on for size and thanks in part to Pete, the multi-talented salesman, I was smitten.
As it turns out, I really had nothing to fear about mail order. The size that I had selected as a result of consultiing the sizing guide in the Riderwearhouse catalog turned out to be the size that I wound up purchasing anyway. However, I believe I may have saved quite a bit in shipping costs by shopping in person.
To serve and protect from a conspicuity standpoint, the Darien is outfitted with 3-M Scotchlite reflective areas on the front and back of the jacket, and on the ankle adjustment tabs on the pants.
The removable viscoelastic TF2 pads come with hard plastic shells for two layered impact protection at all six major joints. The TF2 foam is interesting "because the faster and harder it is struck, the firmer it's resistance", according to the Aerostitch owner's manual. This has the desirable effect of being quite soft and comfortable when subject to normal movement.
| The Darien jacket comes with a removable Polartec
fleece liner that can be worn separately. The liner also neatly zips
into itself via a large reversable pocket sewn into the back. This
pocket has belt loops to facilitate wearing the liner package on your person
or for bungying. Both liner and jacket have pit-zips useful for airing
out the effects of several days without bathing.
The jacket also has a two way zippered vent across the shoulder blades that provides excellent ventilation in hot weather. To cinch up the jacket, there are very sturdy waistbelt adjusters, and a stretch cord adjuster at the lower edge. Pockets galore! The Darien has ten of them in the jacket and six
in the liner. The four hefty cargo pockets up front and the right
sleeve pocket make the jacket very convenient while on the road.
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| The Darien pants come with three patch pockets,
which I rarely used. I find that patch pockets are usually only good
for thin, flat things like credit cards or the ubiquitous black comb.
However, they work well in a cinch, and I often used them after a ride
when walking around without the jacket.
The two-way full length zippers down the legs offered great flexibility
in venting options. Snaps at the bottom cuffs, and the robust belt
provided with the jean-style pants allowed me to ride with venting from
the knee down and from mid thigh up. I never once suffered from heat
or cold while wearing these pants.
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I wished I had purchased the Velcro map holder for the jacket which is a clear pocket the attaches to the left arm of either the Darien or Roadcrafter. I had dismissed it as too gimmicky when I saw it in the shop, but once you have all the on-suit storage of either of these outfits, the need for a tankbag wanes. When you lose your tank bag, the map holder goes with it.
Next time I'm in Duluth, I'll also pick up the hip pads that zip into the Darien pants. The TF2 foam is surprisingly comfortable to wear and for the extra bit of protection these pads offer, the price is very reasonable.
Those many pockets on the suit were a welcome addition to my already taxed storage capacity. I eventually began to think of and use the jacket as I would my tankbag.
The one complaint that the folks at Aerostitch had heard regarding the suit's waterproofing was of moisture collecting at the crotch during heavy downpours. I experienced this same unfortunate occurance in my travels, but I must confess that my particular embarassing wetness was not due to leakage as others have claimed. Something weird happens when Gortex meets bike-seat vinyl in high humidity situations. It develops the porosity of rubber. And as anyone who wears rubber undies can tell you, sweat builds up in a hurry, even when your not chained up in a compromising position.
Quality was close to perfect, though a zipper stop promptly popped off the first time it attempted to perform its sole function.
My rating: 4 and a half stars out of five. Five, if purchased directly from the factory.
Phone: 1-800-222-1994
Email: aerostitch@aol.com
Web: http://www.aerostitch.com/aerostitch