Aerostich -- 1 piece or 2?

[eldointheweeds]

Hello All,

I am debating on getting jacket & pants from Aerostich. Anyone have thoughts on the 1 piece vs the 2 piece? I live in Houston so heat is a concern.  Is Aerostich too hot for Texas?

Thanks

eldointheweeds

[MikeP996]

I would not suggest an Aerostich in Texas UNLESS they currently make a ventilated (mesh) type suit that can flow a lot of air.  They didn't when I had one. When I lived in south/central TX in the summer, I seldom rode - it was just too uncomfortable with any kind of moto gear.  Riding is supposed to be fun, not misery, which is what I find summer TX riding to be. 

An observation...I just got back from 10 days in Egypt - similar temps.  TONS of motorcycles in insane Cairo traffic.  The heaviest "gear" I saw was one guy wearing a long sleeve shirt!  NOBODY wore a helmet or any sort of what we would call "motorcycle gear." 

[mhershon]

I am lucky enough to have a one-piece RC, a two-piece RC and a Darien outfit. The Darien, because it is unlined, even though it LOOKS bulkier, is cooler to wear, thus more versatile. I wear the Darien year-round, zipping in the pile liner in the fall and closing the back and pit zips. Because the Darien is made to be layered under, it is cut fuller, so if you ride a low-powered motorcycle it will blouse a bit and stop more wind. The Roadcrafters are closer fitting. I really enjoy wearing my one-piece 'Crafter, but I don't do it often. And I do often wear the jacket of the two-piece with my Darien pants. I hope that helps...

[blackcat]

I have the two piece and only wear it in the winter due to the heat of North Florida. In the summer I wear the Darien pants and jacket or a Vanson mesh jacket with the Darien pants. As an aside, while expensive these are well made motorcycle garments and I've crashed three times in my Roadcrafter, two times at around 40mph and another at over 60mph and the pants/jacket were in real good shape after the crashes to the level that I've never needed to have them repaired. I'd suggest the hip pads as each my hip hit the pavement first and those pads saved me lots of pain. As others have informed me with cheaper garments, they had to throw them away after their crash.

I also own two Falstaff jackets which I really like, I happen to catch a sale on a lightly used Falstaff jacket from Aerostich's website for something like $300 bucks and I couldn't pass it up but I really need to get a pair of the Falstaff pants one of these days but @$827 bucks I may look for those used pants.

[eldointheweeds]

Great info everyone, thanks. After what mhershon said, I watched the official Aerostich videos for the Darien stuff and will probably get the 2 piece.

[kingoffleece]

Enjoyed a one piece R-3 Lite spring and fall in NY.  WAY too hot in summer.
Moved to AZ.  I could never use it here.

To be fair, I never used the LD Comfort shirts with the R-3.  I should have.  I use them here in AZ all the time.  Work brilliantly.  Not sure how they would do in the high humidity of FL though.

[PJPR01]

Hello All,

I am debating on getting jacket & pants from Aerostich. Anyone have thoughts on the 1 piece vs the 2 piece? I live in Houston so heat is a concern.  Is Aerostich too hot for Texas?

Thanks

eldointheweeds

Living in Houston also, I wear mesh pants and jacket in the summer with long sleeve UPF shirts under the jacket that can be wetted down to provide cooling.  A solid jacket and pants is intolerable in our Houston summers...I don't mind the sweating or the hot airflow part as that can be managed well with hydration and even a cooling vest, but solid gear just feels like suffocating here.

Winter time i use solid pants and solid jacket with no mesh, maybe a vent slightly cracked to get some air and a layer or two underneath to keep warm.

Unfortunately given the weather extremes, you need both.

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

I wear a R3 Light one-piece year round. In the cold you can layer it up, in the heat you need to keep moving. I'd recommend giving this a read if you haven't already:
https://www.ironbutt.com/ibmagazine/ironbutt_1002_62-66_hot.pdf

Sometimes I do wish I had a two-piece for the convenience of taking just the jacket off for short breaks off the bike, or wearing just the jacket for local rides, but for touring I would not give up my one-piece.

[mechanicsavant]

Personally, I’ve had quite a bit of success with Motoport gear . Custom sizes are standard & prices are reasonable. Also Vanson leathers has a nice selection of textile garments. Just sayin!

[kmartin]

I have an older one piece, lined, Roadcrafter. I live in San Antonio and use it year round. Any gear, even mesh, gets hot when you’re stopped. When moving you can use the vents to move air efficiently inside the suit.

The main downside to the one piece in my opinion is, it’s cumbersome when making a quick dinner run. That did save me a couple nights ago with a sudden downpour while at a restaurant