The Goldilocks Syndrome

Is there a Perfect Combo for the TAT?

DarienLight Jacket & AD1 Light Pant Review

By Luke Boldman, Founder / President of Wild Road

Early in fall 2017, my wife (she’s a keeper) suggested we both ride the TAT (Trans-America Trail) on our small displacement dual sports during August & September 2018, and, twist my arm, it was time to start wrenchin’ on bikes and planning our gear purchases!  As an ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) kind of rider, picking out the right protective gear for our TAT trip was crucial, but it presented a Goldilocks syndrome of sorts due in large part to the varied climate, trail, and geographic conditions we’d face along the way.  Riding/commuting on ADV and sport bikes in Colorado where we live, I naturally had a sexy black ballistic adventure jacket (built by some great folks who also make snowmobile gear), various leather jackets both purchased and handed down to me over the years, and a couple ballistic mesh jackets from when I used to live and ride year round in Hades-like environs of AZ…but in my mind they were either too hot, too heavy, not protective enough, not breathable enough, too flimsy or too bulky for our “nimble” dual sport ride on overloaded 350s in search of TAT nirvana.  I just felt like I didn’t have that Goldilocks combo….

Enter Aerostich, which in my mind has always been the moto enthusiast’s benchmark for riding gear, yet I never had any of their big-ticket items. Bingo! Time to buy. I reached out to the Aerostich team for their input and sizing suggestions and soon found myself a proud new owner of the DarienLight Jacket and AD1 Light pants.  I purchased in lighter colors to keep the heat off, Tan for the jacket and Grey for the pants…and good thing too, the MS, AR, OK, NM, and southern CO portion of the TAT were brutal under the hot sun and excessive UV; Black colors from any brand would have killed me. I’m 5’8”, 155lbs and the sz 40 jacket and 32/Reg pants worked great out of the box, and as a side note, I did not take advantage of any of Aerostich’s custom sizing options.

First thing noticed on the gear was the fabric weight and drape; by not utilizing heavy ballistic nylons, the “feel and wear” of the 200d HT Nylon that Aerostich uses was just right, not too heavy and not too light.  As a product designer by profession in the outdoor industry (think camping gear, backpacking gear, travel luggage, etc.), I use 200d high tenacity (HT) nylon all the time for lightweight yet durable backpacks, so I was quite familiar with its material properties, but I must say that Aerostich’s version seemed more robust and thought out for motorcycle applications, perhaps a higher thread count and the Gore-Tex laminate provided that extra oompf factor.  Bottom line, it felt every bit comparable in quality and perceived protection factor as any of my heavier weight Cordura and ballistic gear. Maybe not for track day or running from the law, but suitable for commuting, touring, and ADV travel. Also, I went in for the TF5 Armor upgrade for both jacket and pants and there were no issues there (“used” the armor many times on the trail), although I did opt for a Revit backpanel for a little bit more “implied” airflow and lower cost savings vs the TF5 backpanel (Sorry Mr. Goldfine, but the TAT can get expensive!). As expected, the new gear was stiff out of the box, but daily commuting seemed to make quick work of the break-in process of around 2-3 weeks.

And what fun the commute was… despite riding for 25 years, I finally felt like part of the team in my new ‘Stich gear; like I knew something others didn’t.  For better or for worse, materialism, clique-ishness and a healthy interest in the supremely functional will do that to you, and that’s just what the Aerostich gear is: supremely functional, enjoyably cultish, and due to the made in USA quality, proudly materialistic.  This gear is built to last and I think something needs to be said about the timelessness of Aerostich gear, it just looks right on the bike which is a good thing because these are heirloom pieces, you’ll have them for a while. Trends come and go, Aerostich keeps on rolling.

But back to the ‘Stich gear… Living in Colorado at 8k feet, even in the summer there’s really no need to worry about temperature control up in the mountains, unless of course that means avoiding the cold!  Some version of winter up here seems to last 7-8 months, so actually for cold weather riding, I’d say the DarienLight jacket is great provided you layer up…I have an old Kanetsu vest and TLTec Soft Shell and they both make for great combos with the Darien jacket.  Perhaps most importantly, it can be 25F during the twenty-mile morning commute and 75F+ in the afternoon, and the Darien has not failed me in those conditions, it’s very versatile for colder weather riding. But relative to TAT riding, I was more concerned about hot/humid conditions which is why I chose the Darien/AD1 combo to begin with…and let me tell you, nothing prepared me for what we encountered weather wise.

We started in WV and rode thru the Appalachians for the first 10 days or so. Prior to the trip, my wife asked me what to pack and I scoffed at cold weather gear; we would be riding in the South during August…t-shirts and shorts underneath and our motorcycle gear on top would be fine.  Boy was I wrong….8 straight days of rain, 45F-55F in the Blue Ridge mountains, and then intense 95F+ heat and humidity out in the valleys and rice paddies of Mississippi. Being on 350s and not having a whole lot of room or horsepower to overload the bike, I did not pack a rain suit or bring along my TLTec/Kanetsu accessory wear.  Due to Aerostich’s superb Gore-Tex laminate application, rain was no issue for the jacket and pants and I never once got soaked inside, despite snorkel like conditions in the Smoky Mountains and plains of Tennessee. I was beyond pleased at my choice for not bringing along additional rain gear...more room for camp chairs and tequila (I guess I overloaded the bike after all).  I would, however, in the future bring along more long sleeve layer options for underneath, but that’s no fault of the DarienLight or AD1, just the fault of my own ignorance, arrogance and Charlie Brown lifestyle…always a perfect combo for long range motorcycle trips.

Which leads me back to the Goldilocks decision in purchasing the AD1 Light pants and the DarienLight Jacket.  I was critical about comfort in 100F / 90%+ humidity in the deep south coupled with volatile, colder weather in the Rocky Mountains of which I’m all too familiar.  My early spring commutes up at 8k ft already proved that the Darien/AD1 combo would be great in the colder, more quickly changing weather we have here in CO, but I hadn’t any faith in a one suit-fits-all mentality for when it’s a 105F and high humidity at barely sea level altitudes in the Mississippi Delta or hellishly sunny in the deserts of Utah.  Aerostich proved me wrong. The genius of the lighter weight DarienLight jacket is the weather protection offered by the single layer Gore-Tex laminate which on its own already has some texture to keep air flowing at the microclimate level during hot weather, and, inversely, likely retains some heat at that microclimate level during colder temps. Couple that with its large volume zippered airflow vents and greatly adjustable wrist, sleeve and neck collars and the system made for a highly manageable experience. We were averaging 150-180 miles of semi-technical riding on a typical 10-12 hr day, so it’s not like we had the benefit of riding fast to cool us down.  In this case, wetted down t-shirts and water breaks were key and of course I was never shy to shed layers as soon as we stopped under the hot sun (think tube change in MS red dirt at high noon!).

We rode like this for days and weeks through the eastern mountains, southern deltas, Ozark Mtns, and south-central plains (Oklahoma was no joke!) back to our home in the Rockies for a TAT re-supply before heading on to Oregon.  But as I mentioned the Charlie Brown lifestyle earlier, alas, we did not finish our TAT trip.  While we were away, we had two corroded water pipes burst in our home and flood three floors. Mr. Murphy has a way of changing one’s goals/plans, but we did complete 3900k miles of day-in and day-out riding, and I threw the Aerostich gear under any and all conditions a motorcyclist could hope or rather not wish for.  Considering that I rebuilt my engine, suspension, and added ridiculous farkles to my bike in preparation for the TAT trip, let’s just say that my Aerostich gear is about the only thing that didn’t fail while out on the long road. There’s a lot to be said about that.

So, here’s my pro/con take-away on the DarienLight Jacket and AD1 Light pants for part 1 of our 2018 TAT trip:

PROS:

• Versatile for all weather conditions provided you layer appropriately. I’ve now ridden the DL jacket/AD1 pant combo in temperatures ranging from 25F-105F in light snow, hail, rain, intense humidity, and drought-like, desert conditions. The only discomfort has been while off the bike in 90F+ temps, take the jacket off and be done with it, no worries there.
• Gear is lighter weight compared to other ADV/Touring options I’ve used or seen and I didn’t feel bogged down like an armored knight.
• Aerostich’s sizing options feel spot on. As a smaller guy, this was a huge plus as most ADV gear seems built for 6’5” Teutonic overlords and most sport touring gear seems to be built for elf-like Moto GP racers.  I’m somewhere lower in the middle and Aerostich gets it.
• Tough and abrasion resistant (several 15-25mph get-offs and tank slappers on wet rocks seemed to do nothing to the gear).
• Great airflow within the jacket, while also allowing for great wind-blocking in colder temps…almost magic.
• Superb water resistance and body coverage.  You can leave the rain gear at home.
• Pockets galore (I’m still finding trinkets in my jacket 6 months later).  Pockets on AD1 Pants are best I’ve ever used.
• Great movement and articulation on both jacket and pants even with robust armor inside. Felt protected, but not hindered unlike my heavier weight Michelin man ballistic gear.
• Having lighter colors available in Aerostich’s line-up is a huge plus.  Making the choice to avoid the power ranger look in all black was a great decision under the sweltering summer sun.
• Oddly enough, the Aerostich gear is comparable in price to other high-end options manufactured overseas.  As a product designer whose made his living manufacturing/sourcing gear offshore (and always a bit sick of that fact), I applaud Aerostich’s ability to get this done in the USA, as I know from experience, it’s no easy feat.  Direct to consumer is key here and you’re getting what you pay for.

CONS:

• Gore-Tex laminate started to peel away and abrade inside the AD1 pants around my ankles due to the ratchet clips of my ADV boots constantly moving against it.  I’d suggest double layering the “boot” section of the pants and face a second layer of 200d HT Nylon towards the rider’s boot. I caught it early and used Gear-Aid tape to reinforce the area, so no real harm done, but would have preferred to have avoided that issue altogether.
• The magnets on the DarienLight jacket collar kept falling out of their sleeve pockets despite the velcro closure.  Luckily, they’re strong as heck, so they just ended up reattaching to their magnetic mate and I didn’t lose any. I think they’re so strong that when they attach to their mate they end up pulling out of their velcro’ed sleeve when you adjust the collar while riding...something you don’t notice until after the ride.
• Pockets galore (I’m still finding trinkets in my jacket 6 months later).  Maybe there are a few too many pockets, nooks and crannies on the DarienLight jacket.  The catch is, if you give me places to store stuff, I’ll use it, but maybe I shouldn’t be carrying so much!

Thanks, Luke, for sharing your review of our gear with us!

What's your "goldilocks" combination of gear?