Rider Suits

Aero Design & Mfg. Co. Inc. was formed in 1983 to develop a completely new type of textile-based gear for motorcyclists. We wanted a lightweight garment offering convenience, comfort and high levels of protection in bad weather and crashes — all combined in a coverall suitable for everyday use. This garment was the Roadcrafter suit. It’s now called the ‘Roadcrafter Classic’ and is still available. A third-generation version called the R-3 now also provides this same everyday riding usefulness, along with some functionally enhanced features.

The Roadcrafter suit needed to be quick and easy to get on and off - while being lightweight and cool to wear over regular clothing in warm weather. Two historic material advances made this new textile gear possible. Roadcrafter’s combined a GORE-TEX® breathable/waterproof membrane and a highly abrasion resistant Cordura® nylon fabric for the first time, which allowed us to create the world’s first successful crash and weather resistant high-tech textile riders suit.

In the beginning, many riders did not understand the Roadcrafter’s unconventional coverall-inspired design, or its intended purpose and practicality. Leather gear was the standard, so the durability, strength, abrasion-resistant capabilities and crash-protective qualities of synthetics were unknown and widely suspect. To explain the new suit better we used detailed drawings and descriptions in a small mail order catalog. Each suit also came with a four-page owners manual describing specifically how to wear and care for it. This was years before the internet existed.

Today we offer many models of size-graded riding suits, jackets and pants, and provide extensive alterations and repair services. Textile gear is protective, but is also more sacrificial in crashes than leathers, so this is important. Right from the start we had to learn how to provide a precise and correct fit by mail. More than sixty off-the-rack sizes with infinite optional fitting alterations are available.

Catalogs

In 1995 we began adding a few related items to Aerostich’s mail order catalogs. The catalogs now offer over a thousand specialized products that help make riding better, safer, more comfortable and easier. Many of the catalog’s items are fun, unique, or hard to find elsewhere.

We have always made Aerostich catalogs ourselves. The first (1983) was a black and white tri-fold brochure. The next one (1986) was 16 or 28 (?) 8”x8” page black and white booklet. A year later it became 32 pages. These early catalogs were illustrated entirely with black and white line drawings.

In 1994 we became Duluth’s first e-commerce website. An archived version is located here. In 1995 we introduced the current color photography catalog. It was 10”x5.5” and 99 pages. In 2000 the catalog went to 10.7”x6” and 168 pages. In 2005 it grew to 10.7”x7” and 196 pages and in 2007 it reached 244 pages.

The 2019 main catalog was one of the largest, with 307 pages of useful equipment for riders, numerous customer supplied photos, educational sidebars, entertaining stories and a few easter-eggs just for fun.

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Gloves and Boots

Early catalogs featured a limited selection of complementary non-Aerostich items. One was the Leatherman multi-tool, which was a brand new invention then. We were 1989 one of Tim Leatherman’s earliest retailers. Since then we’ve created or found many other products that became popular, and each has its own story. For example, the Elkskin gloves were found on a road trip. I was riding to the famous Sturgis event for the first time (its 50th Anniversary year). On the way I stopped at South Dakota’s famous “Wall Drug” because I’d never been there, either.

One of the stores in their complex (a much more elaborate place than a simple country drug store...) sold western wear. Saddles, hats, boots, bridles, plaid pearl snap-button shirts and the like. I loved the feel of the Elkskin rancher work gloves they sold. These seemed like a great kind of leather compared to the cowhide and deer hide I was familiar with, so I bought a pair. By the time I’d gotten home I was a convert, and contacted the maker about Aerostich selling them. We put those gloves in our catalog (in 1987?) and they began selling immediately. Eventually, we were ordering enough and were able to design a specially modified version made specifically for riders with an added face shield thumb squeegee. We’ve since added created five or six different Elk Glove variations.

Another example is the CBT (Combat Touring) boots. They were, as many know, made for us by the famous Italian boot company Sidi. About twenty-five years ago I was looking for a simple, heavy-duty all purpose riders boot patterned loosely after off road boots, but with less of the plastic and armor these types had. Kind of like a trials boot, but even plainer.

At that time there were no boots at all like this. Off-road boots were heavy, clunky and armored. The street boots of the era were all zippered and thin. (Some were for sport biking and some for everyday and touring riding.) Work boots were mostly lace up styles. Ditto hunting boots. Slip-on engineers boots and cowboy boots did not provide the fit and support we wanted. Sidi was, at that time, just entering the American market and they were willing to make a simplified boot to our design, based fairly closely on one of their off-road models which was never intended to be sold in the United States.

We made a deal. Today there are four seperate Aerostich CBT models, and many similar-type boots available elsewhere. But the CBT boot was the very first. They are the original.

Now We Are Established

In 2004 I was interviewed for a story in the New York Times. The article, ‘Six Entrepreneurs Look Up, and Offer Advice’, was written by a journalist named Brian Alexander. Here’s an excerpt:

What can big business learn from small business? Here are views of small-business operators on big companies....Andy Goldfine, 51, is the founder and president of Aerostich, a company in Duluth, Minn., that produces accesso-ries and protective garments for motorcyclists. Mr. Goldfine started the company in 1983 after inheriting some industrial sewing machines.

"Employers want minimal investment per person. It takes a week to learn repetitive factory assembly. But our products are made start to finish by one person. It takes six months to learn. But their lives are better, and they are better at self-management. I was in a sewing factory once that used bells for break time and shifts. When the end-of-afternoon shift bell rang, and it was time for people to leave, instead of walking out normally, socially, some people ran to get out of there. This is not how we do things.

"I began the business not looking for a brass ring outcome or a pot of gold. That might be the consequence, not the goal. I put products on the market the way I wanted and that’s slower and more of a pain, but I like the way they are finished.

"Motorcycles are a social good, and they create episodic transcendence in people and that makes better people. Ethics and business for me are indivisible. You are what you do. How can it not be?”

Every Aerostich-manufactured product is subject to a continual process of incremental refinement and improvement. Everything is intended to help make motorcycles and scooters more useful. We still sell only factory-direct because this allows us to provide the best services and pricing. Each customer receives expert answers to their questions.

These days we are considered by some riders to be a pioneer of practical textile protective motorcycle riders clothing. Today you can walk into any motorcycle store anywhere in the world and see racks full of colorful textile protective riders gear - much more than leather gear. We helped make all of this stuff more acceptable. We didn’t plan or expect to do that when we started. We simply wanted to be able to ride more. Some of the passion for our work found us, not vice versa. We’ve been very fortunate.

Good riding,

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Around Our Shop

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Aerostich Product Introduction Dates

AEROSTICH PRODUCT	FIRST INTRODUCED	NOTES
Zip-Off Sleeves	2005	First fleece zip-off sleeves.
Silk Scarf	2005
Kanetsu Air Vantage Vest	2004	First electric vest with air insert.
Windstopper Jersey #1859	2004	No logo windstop jersey.
Combat Lite Boots #404, #484	2004
Off-Road Jersey #1867	2004	No logo/plain jersey.
Titanium Sidestand Plate #4640	2004	First titanium sidestand plate.
Lightweight Touring Book #5800	2004	Compact 'take along' reference.
Hosebottle Kit #1374	2003	First kit for pressurizing plastic drink containers.
Narrow Map Pocket #143	2003
Faceshield Bags #1032	2003	Fleece and Cotton versions.
Map Pocket Tank Adapters #193, #194	2003	Strap on and velcro versions. (Strap on version no longer available.)
Molex Kit #2688	2003	Pre-packaged Molex Connector Kit.
Arborwear Pants #2814	2003	First gusseted canvas pants with TF2 impact pad system.
Ride There License Frame #3358	2003
Offset Zipper Sweater #632	2003	Fleece sweater with offset placket zip.
Elkskin Gauntlet Glove #464, #465, #466	2003	First elk + deer riders glove.
Frame Loops #1903	2002	Webbing loops for attaching items to motorcycles.
Frame Loops Royale #9043	2002	Webbing loops for attaching items to motorcycles.
Banana Pack #9042	2002	Self-storing fanny pack.
Carbon Fiber Sidestand Plate MKII Deluxe #1425	2002
Lexan Surface #4004	2002	Lexan panel camping tool.
Giftwrap Paper #4400	2002	First motorcycle themed giftwrap.
Sportbike Slippers #3442	2002
ATL 200 Cleaner #4596	2002	Motor Surface Cleaner
Self-Contained Alarm #4560	2002	Remote controlled motion detecting alarm system.
Mr. Happy Puppet #3330	2002
Ultralight Cover #1754, #1756	2002	First ultralight/compact cover
Tire Repair Kit #4509	2002
Hosebag & Royale Hosebag #1358, #1371	2002	First evaporatively cooled pressurized hydration systems.
Ultralight Rainpants #409	2002	First rainpants to use waterproof zippers and self store in a small pocket.
Clock Clip #4230	2002	Clip on handlebar clock.
Personal Analog Assistant #2360	2002	Nylon sleeve pen and writing kit.
Packable Boot Raincover #407	2002	First boot raincover to self-store in toe pocket.
Sheepskin Seat Pads #1890	2002	First sheepskin seat pads with mesh neoprene bottom and bungee attachment loops.
H.D. Sleeve Pocket #1332	2002
Greg Fraiser Pockets #405	2002	First add-on pocket for carrying valuables in boots.
Bike Lock #1153	2002	Specialized locks with short cables and cylinder type locking mechanisms.
Cable Lock #1156	2002	Specialized locks with short cables and cylinder type locking mechanisms.
Elastcord Spyder #1914	2001	First holders and pockets for accessory attachment to courier bag shoulder straps.
Water Bottle Holder #1913	2001	First holders and pockets for accessory attachment to courier bag shoulder straps.
Cell Phone Holster #1917, #1916	2001	First holders and pockets for accessory attachment to courier bag shoulder straps.
Side Zip Waterproof Bags #9010	2001	First waterproof side zip gear storage bag.
Lycra Riding Shorts #1856	2001
Evap-A-Wrappa Sleeves #1354, #1355, #1356	2001	First evaporative cooling sleeves for plastic drink containers.
D-Type Cargo Straps #1900	2001	Longer webbing straps for attaching items to motorcycles.
Quick Release Cargo Straps #1902	2001	Longer webbing straps for attaching items to motorcycles.
Money Belt #1854	2001	Webbing money belt.
Waterproof Tank Panniers #9024	2001	First waterproof tank panniers.
Clearview Shield #1078	2001	First oval bottle and silicone rubber squeegee. Cleaning Kit.
Titanium Tire Irons #3564	2001
Paint Saver Mesh #1926	2001	Paint protective mesh padding material.
Carbon Fiberside Stand Plate #1424	2001	First carbon fiber sidestand plate.
Evap-A-Wrappa #1329, #1328	2000	First evaporatively cooled hydration bladder.
Police Roadcrafter #190	2000	First advanced textile motor officer suit.
Triple Digit Rain Glove #442	2000	First lobster claw glove raincover. First glove raincover with ergonomic closure straps.
Falstaff Jacket #170	1999	First armored, vented, reflective, wax cotton jacket.
Evap-O-Danna #550	1999	First synthetic fabric neck cooling bandanna. Patent Pending.
Lightweight Darien Jacket #260	1998	First ultralight textile armored riding jacket.
Lightweight Darien Pants #157	1998	First ultralight textile armored riding pants.
Hi-Viz Darien #132	1998	First Hi-Viz (lime yellow) color synthetic protective fabric riders jacket and riders suits.
Hi-Viz Roadcrafter #120	1998	First Hi-Viz (lime yellow) color synthetic protective fabric riders jackets and riders suits.
Large Map Holder #921	1998
Large Garage Door Opener Holder #1904	1998
Garage Door Opener Holder #1906	1998
Kanetsu Darien Liner #105	1997	First fleece insulated electric jacket.
Parcel Bag #908	1997
Kanetsu Electric Vest #282	1996	First fleece insulated electric vest. First lighted powercord switch.
Competition Tank Panniers #902	1996
Lightweight Roadcrafter Suit Storage Bag #371	1994
Adjustable Bungee 944, #943	1994
Standard Roadcrafter Suit Storage Bag #373	1994
Helmet Bag #1015	1993
Envelope Bags #738	1993
Darien Jacket #132	1992	First unlined jacket with impact pads and removable fleece liner jacket.
Darien Pants #155	1992	First over-the-boot style off-road pants.
Roadcrafter Bib Pants Converter #126	1992	First bib pant converter.
Polartec Sweater #631	1992	First fleece insulating sweater optimized (long, narrow sleeves, etc..) for riding uses.
Sleeve Window Pocket #152	1991
TF2 Hip Pads #123	1990	First visco-elastic impact protective hip pad.
Accessory Ellipse for Two Piece Suits #124	1990
Web Belts (regular & deluxe) #600, #601	1990
Fleece Bags #720	1990
Windbands #535	1989	First synthetic textile waterproof/windproof/insulated neck gaiter.
Back Pad #129	1989	First impact protective back pad for street riding uses.
Courier Bag #904	1989	First with integral scotchlite reflective, other features.
Dispatch Bag #905	1989	First with integral scotchlite reflective, other features.
Briefcase Bag #1915	1989
Wind Triangle #511	1989	First synthetic textile waterproof/windproof insulated bandanna.
Fleece Pants #1633, #630, #1634	1987	First fleece insulating pant for riding application.
Tank Panniers #903	1987	First tank panniers.
Roadcrafter - 2 pc suit #125	1985	First textile armored protective riders jacket and pants.
Fleece Jacket #1630	1985	First fleece insulating jacket for riding application.
Roadcrafter - 1 pc suit #120	1983	First synthetic textile armored protective riders suit.