I’m an unabashed fan of Aerostich gear having owned my Roadcrafter one-piece suit for 8 years and using it almost exclusively ever since. In fact, until recently, I could count the number of times I didn’t use it on any ride over the past 8 years on ONE hand. 4 weeks ago today, I sent it into Aerostich for some general repairs and some, err, alterations. As a result, I’ve been putting up with my old Fieldsheer mesh gear I had before I bought my Roadcrafter…I’m barely surviving, lol.
Convenience. One of the biggest things I miss about my RC is convenience. It takes me less than a minute to don my Roadcrafter, but the same cannot be said for my mesh gear. It’s good gear; however, the pants aren’t equipped with full length zippers, so I have to have my boots off before pulling them on. Big deal you say? Well, after 8 years of whipping on the RC with my boots on, it’s a big deal! If you own a Roadcrafter, or similarly equipped pants/suits, you’ll understand.
Weather. When I’m riding in my Roadcrafter, weather’s not a concern…I can keep rolling and just a few zippers closed. In my mesh gear, nope…I have to stop and dig my rain liners out of the sidebag.
Motivation. Spur of the moment riding happens all the time. With my RC, it was a simple matter of throwing on some boots, the RC, and roll. Without my RC, I start considering the PITA factor with my mesh gear and some times, laziness kicks in and I change my mind. I really don’t like this aspect of myself, but it happens, lol.
The Aerostich Roadcrafter is truly the all-in-one gear solution for me. Not having it for the past month has really shown me just how much I’ve come to appreciate it. Of course, it’s not gone forever and it’ll return soon, but damn, the wait really gets to me, lol. I knew I’d be without it for a time, especially since I was sending it in as the riding season for many was kicking into high gear, but I really had to stop procrastinating and do it. It’s Velcro was really getting tatty after 8 years of heavy use and the zippers had seen a few self-repairs already. Plus, it had gotten just a little snug over the years as my mid-section has expanded a bit. Aerostich is doing its general repair, adding mid-gussets, plus retrofitting their new water-resistant zipper. I’m really looking forward to the changes and also to throwing another 8 years into it.
When I finally get it back, which really should be any day now, I’ll be sure to throw up a quick review of all the changes.
