Year around riding gear.

[Fyrfyghtr]

I ride year around in south Alabama. I see temp extremes of 110 down to low teens. Is there a two piece setup that can go to both extremes. I am in the need of a new set of gear as my firstgear stuff is ten years old now and basically worn out. My biggest problem finding gear is sizing. I am 6'6" 250# and very few companies make gear thats long enough. Thats the only reason I'm in firstgear now. I was thinking, get something for the hot and layer under it for the cold but I dont want to feel like the michelin man. What say the consensus here? Anyone have a setup that goes year around?

 

[Burnspot]

Aerostich Darien jacket and AD1 pants is a combo you may want to look into; you can get fitted. My personal choice is a one piece Stich Roadcrafter...it does a superb job year round. During the winter, I use a Warm n Safe liner underneath and feel quite cozy and not like a Michelin Man.

 

[Patriot]

the vented Tourmaster Sonora comes with a cold weather liner plus a rain liner

get 1/2 size big and wear hiking wool blend underneith plus a sweat shirt for warmth

of course, I choose to wear the TM Echo cold weather jacket in winter...so have 2 sets of gear

ride safe

Mike in Nawlins'

 

[Road_Runner]

I ride year around in south Alabama. I see temp extremes of 110 down to low teens. Is there a two piece setup that can go to both extremes. I am in the need of a new set of gear as my firstgear stuff is ten years old now and basically worn out. My biggest problem finding gear is sizing. I am 6'6" 250# and very few companies make gear thats long enough. Thats the only reason I'm in firstgear now. I was thinking, get something for the hot and layer under it for the cold but I dont want to feel like the michelin man. What say the consensus here? Anyone have a setup that goes year around?

Yea, and when a manufacturer makes long sizes, they usually are not on the rack and must be ordered through the mail... a real crapshoot.

Know what you mean by "Michelin Man" feel. I had a set of Tourmaster pants that were three piece and they were a PITA to wear. They were way too bulky.

I have tried a lot of gear, and have come to the conclusion that "do all" gear is too much of a compromise if you ride in the Summer heat. I recommend two sets of gear to be comfortable.

Have you tried one of the "air" jackets (Tourmaster Sonora or the like)? If not, you may want to. They are the bees knees in the Summer.

 

[Ignacio]

I am 6'6" 250# and very few companies make gear thats long enough. Anyone have a setup that goes year around?

Yes, and I have a blog write-up about it...and I have fairly similar dimensions as you. Aerostich baby! :thumbsup:

 

[Fred W]

I recently bought a Darien Light Jacket, used. It was a pretty good deal on eBay. The reason I bought it used rather than new is because I wasn't sure just how much I would like it and didn't want to shell out almost $500 for a new one. If I don't like the used one I should be able to re-sell it off for just about what I paid. In retrospect, I'm pretty glad I did that.

The biggest thing I dislike about the Darien is it is NOT closely fitted. I'm 6'2 220 lbs, and the jacket is an XL. The body of the jacket is sized right, and it can be cinched in in the midsection when worn without a liner, but the sleeves have no cinching adjustment to them like most other jackets do. That means that when riding on the highway the sleeves are flapping all around and the wind actually tugs at your arms. It also leaves doubt in my mind that the armor will remain in the correct places in the event of a get off.

I briefly owned a 2-piece Roadcrafter, and that jacket was much snugger fitting. I actually had no issues with the Roadcrafter jacket, but the pants are just weird. I also wish that the Roadcrafter jacket was longer in the body (more 3/4 length) like the Darien. The year round best set-up from Aerostich may be a HiViz Roadcrafter jacket and the Gray Darien or AD1 pants (only available in black).

 

[Aasland]

I've given up on a "1-pc for everything". While the Roadcrafter + warm'n'safe is all I bring on trips, around home I use mesh stuff when the heat and humidity in a roadcrafter just isn't worth it.

 

[Denver_FJR]

I ride year around in south Alabama. I see temp extremes of 110 down to low teens. Is there a two piece setup that can go to both extremes. I am in the need of a new set of gear as my firstgear stuff is ten years old now and basically worn out. My biggest problem finding gear is sizing. I am 6'6" 250# and very few companies make gear thats long enough. Thats the only reason I'm in firstgear now. I was thinking, get something for the hot and layer under it for the cold but I dont want to feel like the michelin man. What say the consensus here? Anyone have a setup that goes year around?

I gave up trying to make gear work across four seasons. Two seasons at most but four is just too much compromise for me. I have found if I size the jacket/pants large enough to allow significant layers underneath, the gear is way to loose when riding without. Loose gear means it's going to slide out of the way when you need it in an impact, plus it catches wind like a sail on the highway. And gloves? Don't even try, I have three sets; summer, spring/fall, plus heated for winter.

Riding for 10 years and I'm guessing you're not giving it up anytime soon. Splurge and get good seasonal gear and be comfortable!

 

[gumba]

After 40 years of trying, I have given up on 1 for all seasons. They don't make such a thing. Have 2 roadcrafters and 1 darian light. I use the roadcrafter in cold and mesh in the summer. I'm sold on Firstgear.

 

[Brobee]

the vented Tourmaster Sonora comes with a cold weather liner plus a rain liner

get 1/2 size big and wear hiking wool blend underneith plus a sweat shirt for warmth

of course, I choose to wear the TM Echo cold weather jacket in winter...so have 2 sets of gear

ride safe

Mike in Nawlins'

I just ordered the Sonora today for the purpose of multi-season riding. Read the reviews on the site and compare against their sizing chart and it should get you pretty spot on. If not, Superstore is pretty good with returns.

 

[TomInPA]

I use the Olympia Air Glide jacket and pants. They have insulated waterproof liners and serve all seasons for me. In extreme cold, I add in a Warm & Safe heated Jacket liner, and in extreme heat, I add in an evaporative cooling vest. This has been a great solution for me. Most summer days, I can ride with shorts on under the pants and stay comfortable. I have traveled the Sierra passes in mid-winter.

Here I am sporting my best look in this gear.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I use the Olympia Air Glide jacket and pants. They have insulated waterproof liners and serve all seasons for me. In extreme cold, I add in a Warm & Safe heated Jacket liner, and in extreme heat, I add in an evaporative cooling vest. This has been a great solution for me. Most summer days, I can ride with shorts on under the pants and stay comfortable. I have traveled the Sierra passes in mid-winter.

Here I am sporting my best look in this gear.

Yer really opening yerself to some followup photo work there Tom...but I'll refrain for now and just say that I agree with you on the air-glide combos. I'll get this season to test it. I do have the cooling vest and the heated liner for the hot and cold weather...we'll see.

 

[wfooshee]

I'm not 6-5, but I'm heavy, and the TourMaster stuff works for me, jacket and pants, with the multiple liners. A sweatshirt under the jacket as it cools, and when it's really cold, like 19, then all the liners, and a sweatshirt, too.

I need a balaclava for then, and don't have one, so my neck gets cold. I haven't been on the highway in anything less than 45 degrees, though.

 

[Geno]

My riding also ranges from teens to over 100s , and there's simply no single outfit that can be comfortable at those extremes. I have a Revit Sand outfit that is good from the teens up to the high 80s. After that, I have a Scorpion Ventech Mesh jacket & Revit mesh pants that make the blast furnace days somewhat bearable. I just bought an evap vest, but haven't tried it yet. When it's over 100, take the car & turn on the A/C

 

[Jim in Phoenix]

My favorite jacket for travelling is my Joe Rocket Alter Ego. As opposed to other jackets that use liners to protect from the wet and cold, the Alter Ego has ballistic panels that zip over a mesh base jacket. Thus I can ride in the morning with full coverage and temps in the 20's, then remove panels as the temps rise and can even be comfortable in a full mesh jacket at 100+. The panels will provide some protection to light rain, but for heavy rain, I use a rain suit over the jacket. Sadly, I found the Alter Ego Pants to be much less versatile than the jacket and returned a pair I ordered over the internet. For now, I wear my Joe Rocket ballistic pants that do have minimal venting but maximum protection. For cold weather riding, I wear them over jeans, and for hot weather I wear them over shorts. Not as versatile, but I get by.

 

[CAJW]

I use the Olympia Air Glide jacket and pants. They have insulated waterproof liners and serve all seasons for me. In extreme cold, I add in a Warm & Safe heated Jacket liner, and in extreme heat, I add in an evaporative cooling vest. This has been a great solution for me. Most summer days, I can ride with shorts on under the pants and stay comfortable. I have traveled the Sierra passes in mid-winter.

Here I am sporting my best look in this gear.

Tom,

Looking good, but is that really you? I thought I recognized you, but the new sunglasses threw me off and didn't know you had a V-strom. +1 on the Olympia gear, not perfect, but has a pretty good temp range, however, with predicted highs below 75 degrees, I just go with my 2 piece Roadcrafter, really like the extra protection it affords (but Fred's right, the pants are kinda "weird")

 

[LAF]

Aerostich Darien jacket and AD1 pants is a combo you may want to look into; you can get fitted. My personal choice is a one piece Stich Roadcrafter...it does a superb job year round. During the winter, I use a Warm n Safe liner underneath and feel quite cozy and not like a Michelin Man.

I just bought this Combo but for Fall/Winter riding here in PA and my trip this year to Aspen. Leaving late August early September.

I wear Rev It Tornado Mesh gear for Summer in Silver. It has been 100 + here in PA as I am sure it is hot for a lot of you also.

I was hoping I could go to one set of gear but I think that is asking too much of ourselves and gear. It is a compromise of comfort verses safety in the best gear.

After my get off protection is what most concerns me when I invest in gear.

The Rev It gear is very pricey but offers great protection and a bit warmer then my old Olimpia Mesh but offers more cover and a bit less mesh and superior armor with the additional SAS back pad and hip pads, but again adds heat. At 72 it is cool and in the 60's I need a long sleeve shirt and put the liner in the pants. I ride in tee-shirt and bicycle shorts and life is good. Still have not figured out why they did not make a liner for the jacket?

The AD1 and Darien jacket I bought for Fall/Winter/Long Trips. I bought both in black. When it is cold out I want heat.

The biggest thing is they are waterproof! No liners, not rain suite, just keep on riding. I hate liners for rain and even in all the gear I have owned, used them more for warmth than rain. I always put on a rain suite and stayed dry!

So IMHO there is nothing I know off that offers year round comfort for every changing climate.

I even looked at the new Richa Sprint Phase changing technology but was not convinced enough to change my mind on the Stitch AD1 and Darien combo.

 

[Dirty Hippie]

I run the Olympia X-moto jacket and Scorpion Deuce pants. I am taller, but thinner, with long arms and the XXL fits pretty well. I have to take in all the straps to the max, but if I were 250 lbs it might be a perfect fit.

Anyway, the jacket has big chest, arm, and back openings that reveal mesh. It is far better than any zip open vents I have used on other jackers. It is also the warmest jacket I have ever used in the winter with the liners in. The Scorp pants come in a tall and are also a mix of mesh. With the rain liner installed, and a set of long johns, and they are usable down to freezing temps, yet without the liners they are awesome in the summer.

 

[zed88]

I'm suprised no one has mentioned motoport yet. I have a mesh suit and its works fine from 45-115f (without electrics, those are for below 45). They can also be custom sized, and are much more protective than a product like joe rocket. Ive had mine for 6 years and its held up great for 100k miles, when the cheaper stuff onl lasted a season or two. The only real downsides are its not the most stylish, and its expensive (but no more than aerostich or bmw products that are similar). Here's a 70mph getoff report https://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10921381#post10921381

And the mega thread with probably to much detail https://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80138

Either way its good stuff and meets your above requirements.