Olympia Airglide 2 Gear, thoughts?

[Ken]

Have done some searching here and there, but haven't found much on this line of gear. I'm interested in, and researching, the Airglide 2 line of gear by Olympia. I've never owned anything made by Olympia before.

But I tried on an Airglide 2 jacket at the dealer last week and was really impressed. It fit very well, looks to be high quality as far as stitching and shell go, and wasn't hugely expensive ($219). Also, it comes in a silver/pewter color scheme that I would prefer over the sun baking black that is so common in gear. And the design looks to be very versatile -- Cordura, mesh panels, and a Thermolite insulated liner.

So my questions to any Air Glide 2 owners that might share their experience with this gear:

1. What temperature range is it comfortable in?

2. How has it held up over time and miles (or even going down if anyone has)?

3. Anything you don't like about it?

4. When coupled with the matching Air Glide 2 pants, does it become a worthy riding suit? And do they zip together?

Any feedback appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Shane Stump]

Ken,

I have the Olympia Air Riders 2 pants (silver) and I love them. I didn't purchase the matching jacket because I recently purchased a TourMaster Flex jacket in silver and I really like it. If I had seen the Olympia stuff first, I would have bought both. Very comfortable even in HOT / WET Texas weather.

Best Regards,

Shane

 

[eeksnake]

I have the Olympia Airglide II jacket & pants. I needed something that would cover a wide range of temps and be convenient for commuting. Unfortunately, I am a klutz and knew that I'd ruin the silver version within a week with oil, grime, road kill, etc. In my brilliance, I bought the black version instead. With temps well over 100 degrees F, the black absolutely bakes me at stop lights. :dribble:

My observations:

- The combo ventilates very well. I ride in very hot temps and this setup makes it tolerable. Please note that if you wear shorts underneath the pants you'll feel the blast furnace given off by the FJR. I'm thinking about adding a piece of cotton/nylon to the inside shin area to ward off this unwanted heat. Not a show stopper, more of a nuisance.

- I've only had the set for a month or so. Around 4,000 miles. So far, it still looks new. I have to wash them today, I'll let you know how they look after that.

- What don't I like about it? Only the above mentioned heat issue.

- It has a 10" zipper on the back to make it a "suit".

I had a chance to wear the liners in Colorado a couple of days ago. Temps were in the low 50's. Put on the liners only and was quite toasty.

 

[Ken]

Good stuff, thanks guys. FWIW, I had an interesting reply to this same thread over on advrider.com from someone who recently witnessed a crash with this gear. Here's the post:

"There was a motorcycle wreck yesterday that I rolled up on. The rider had on the Airglide gear and did three flips going around a curve at about 90mph. He didn't have one scratch on him that I could see, except for a possible shoulder injury from the impact. His helmet was pretty garbled up and the bike was pretty much destroyed; but, the gear was still intact with minor burn spots on the mesh. Needless to say I am a big fan of Olympia Gear now."

I'm off to buy the jacket and order the pants.

 

[EffBee]

Good stuff, thanks guys. FWIW, I had an interesting reply to this same thread over on advrider.com from someone who recently witnessed a crash with this gear. Here's the post:
"There was a motorcycle wreck yesterday that I rolled up on. The rider had on the Airglide gear and did three flips going around a curve at about 90mph. He didn't have one scratch on him that I could see, except for a possible shoulder injury from the impact. His helmet was pretty garbled up and the bike was pretty much destroyed; but, the gear was still intact with minor burn spots on the mesh. Needless to say I am a big fan of Olympia Gear now."

I'm off to buy the jacket and order the pants.

Hope you ordered them from Brown Motor Works in SoCal. They've got Olympia at 15% Off. But you have to ask for the special price. It isn't automatic. Kinda like an unadvertised special.

 

[wingshot]

I have the Airglide II. No complaints here with 4,000 miles and going. I have ridden through rain, heavy winds, and temps below 50. The shell even handles rain well without the liner.

The one minor snag is that it the liner keeps me too warm. I almost have to wear shorts and a tee shirt underneath. One evening when caught out in a rain storm with temps in the 40s, I stopped to put in the liners with jeans and a long sleeve shirt underneath; was sweating the remainder of the ride. (FYI, have factory windshield on 05 w/ABS)

The one beneficial factor for me is that you can be seen from a long ways away at night. My friend said I looked like a glowing pop sickle coming down the highway. Not sure how far away I was when he saw me, but my guess was at least a mile or two.

 

[shuttle1988]

Also have the Airglide 2 in silver. Just finished a 2,500 mile ride from Arizona through Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and back. Temps from the low 50's to 110, rain and sun. Used the jacket liner on chilly mornings but never had to use the pants liner. Used an evaporative vest in the heat. For rain I use a GoreTex rain suit because I don't like to mess with liners. Silver gets a little grungy but it just gives it character. Highly recommended. Probably more versatile than my 2 piece Aerostitch which is still my choice in cooler weather.

 

[Silver Penguin]

Have done some searching here and there, but haven't found much on this line of gear. I'm interested in, and researching, the Airglide 2 line of gear by Olympia. I've never owned anything made by Olympia before.

I have the Airglide 2 in hi-viz lime, and love it. It's the most versatile jacket I've ever owned. It's not as cool as my Tourmaster mesh jacket in 90+ degree weather but I will willingly trade that for the superior fit and protection that the Olympia offers. The armor is substantial for a mesh jacket but unobtrusive.

With the liner in place, I was comfortable in high 30's temperature. The liner can also be worn as an off-bike jacket, which helps with the packing for a road trip.

Sadly, my legs are too short for even the adjustable pants to be an option, otherwise I would pair top and pants for a very comfortable riding suit.

The only downside I've found so far is that my jacket shows the dirt. On the other hand, I think it looks better now it has seen some miles.

Jill

 

[keithaba]

Just curious if you saw this.

clicky

 

[Ken]

Just curious if you saw this.
clicky

Sure did, I bought the pants. Would have bought the jacket too if it was a Large instead of XL. Thanks for the tip though Keith.

 

[Brian Ewell]

I bought the Airglide 2 jacket and pants in silver a few weeks ago. Not enough time with them to give a full report, but a couple of comments:

- looks great (well, for riding gear) -- not nearly as space-alien looking as my old Fieldsheer one-piece; very happy with the non-black color, too

- my first experience with mesh gear, and I actually found myself looking down to make sure the zipper was closed, so much air was coming through. Very nice.

- armor seems first rate, and I really like the adjustability in the pants (length and knee armor positioning)

Not anywhere near cool enough to use the liners yet, but they appear well-made, and I like that the liner jacket was designed so you can wear it by itself. Pants liner is designed simlarly, but I think they'd look a little odd by themselves.

Brian

 

[WinnipegTechGuy]

Bought the Airglide 2 jackets for both myself and my wife. Had a nice mesh First Gear jacket but it was black and I got tired of cooking.

I am very impressed with the jackets. The mesh works great when it is warm and the liner blocked everything when it is cool. The liners are good looking enough to be able to wear alone. The pockets are big and plentiful and the zippers work well even with a gloved hand.

 

[Ken]

Thanks again for the information everyone. I've worn the jacket in temps from mid-50's up to about 90 degrees and it performs great. Comfortable. Versatile. Well designed. Very impressed.

 

[Shane Stump]

Just a follow up...

I went ahead and purchased the silver / pewter Olympia Airglide 2 jacket from Brown Motor Works to go along with my Airglide 2 pants!

Two things:

1) I went on my first ride with the jacket this AM in temperature range of 68-74 degrees and I was very comfortable. After I get my bike back from the 26k service later today, I will try it in the 90+ degree humid Texas weather!

The air flow was EXCELLENT! The jacket without the liner is very comfortable and light weight! EXCELLENT QUALITY and I wish I had saved my $$$ on all the other pants / jackets I have purchased over the years.

2) The service / price I received from Fernando @ Brown Motor Works was very good and I highly recommend them if you are looking to purchase Olympia riding gear. They are currently selling their entire stock @ 15% off. I received the jacket to Texas for $206.xx which was about $40 less than the place I normally purchase because of tax + discount.

Brown Motor Works contact information is below (for interested parties):

www.brownmotorworks.net

Fernando (email: [email protected])

Phone #: (909) 629-2132

Best Regards,

Shane

 

[Ken]

Thanks, Shane. I've been riding with the Airglide jacket for a couple weeks now and the pants for about a week. I really like both. They just plain work. I find myself having to toss on a windbreaker or other long-sleeved layer under the jacket when it's below 75, because until you get down into the 50's the jacket's liner is just too warm.

Great stuff. Very pleased.

 

[Shane Stump]

Ken,

I carry a waterproof / wind breaker with me that I wear under the Airglide 2 jacket if it gets too cold or starts raining.

I know many would like to see Olympia come out with a "3-tier" system like others but I would prefer they don't. I base this on the other jackets I have purchased which have 3 layers and I find them too thick / clumsy when you need to wear all of them. Now if they would come out with two interchangeable layers that work independently of each other, that would be GREAT (that is, the warm layer would also be waterproof and not require the extra layer)!

Ride safe!

Best Regards,

Shane