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Aerostich Roadcrafter R3 suit: Ride anywhere in any weather
By Jerry Riederer #135671
LIKE MOST RIDERS, I HAVE ACCU- mulated an assortment of riding gear over the years. Various jackets, pants, insulated liners and rain covers now fill more than half of our mudroom closet. Any time my wife expresses frustra- tion at the sheer volume of waterproof/windproof/ coldproof/reflective/pad- ded/breathable fabric pre- venting the closet door from fully closing, I point out that different riding conditions require specific pieces that help ensure my safe return to her loving arms. This explanation had been working well to jus- tify my penchant for buy- ing the next, newest thing. That ended the day I came home wearing an Aeros- tich Roadcrafter R3 suit. More than 15,000 miles later, I have yet to open the mudroom closet for another garment. The Roadcrafter is an
unlined, one piece suit that is designed to be worn over any base layer, from street clothes for a ride to the store or office, to comfort- able riding clothes for a long day on the road. Clearly Aerostich is not
on a computer-guided machine and then sewn and seam sealed for consistency. All zippers are rubberized (think drysuit zip- per) to keep the rain out. The oversized
fit to be fine-tuned for comfort and to ensure it stays in place for best protection. Optional hip, spine and chest armor is available for further protection. Fitted with nine pockets, the
Roadcrafter has a place for everything. In fact, there are so many pockets, that I discovered one that I did not know existed two months after I started using the suit. I personally love the pocket located near the right wrist, which is a great place to keep money for tolls, etc. Road testing this suit took
considerable time (and miles) in order to really appreciate all of its features. Having now rid- den with this suit for an entire year and over 15,000 miles, I can honestly say that I no lon- ger give much consideration to the weather conditions in prep- aration for a ride. I look at the temperature to decide on my base layer and how much vent- ing to open, then hit the road. While I have yet to find any
a company that rests on its laurels. The Roadcrafter 3 (R3) is the third generation Roadcrafter suit, and as such utilizes the latest in materials, craftsmanship and features. The 500 denier Cor- dura® GORE-TEX® fabric shell is cut
28 BMW OWNERS NEWS December 2016
Road testing this suit took considerable time (and miles) in order to really appreciate all of its features. Having now ridden with this suit for an entire year and over 15,000 miles, I can honestly say that I no longer give much consideration to the weather conditions in preparation for a ride.
shoulder, elbow and knee pads are made of Aerostich’s proprietary TF impact armor. The pads are removable and each armor attachment point is adjustable to allow the
protective clothing that keeps me from feeling too warm when temperatures get above 85 degrees, I was surprised that the one piece R3 was compara- ble in comfort to flow-through mesh gear. When I wear a wick- ing tee shirt and shorts as a base layer and open the vents fully, I can ride all day in relative com- fort. Anecdotally, I am under the impression that I don’t
dehydrate as quickly when I do long rides in the suit. I can't determine whether this is due to reduced airflow over my skin, or per- haps just my imagination, but I have done
member tested
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