Aerostich’s Making a Suit

[darrell]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvEL7YS9...=Aerostich

If you ever get the chance when in Duluth, MN and have a spare hour or two take the time to tour the Aerostich facility.  It is really entertaining and educational to see all those employees working on making these custom made suits.  While I love my Klim Kodiak and Badlands Pro suits i still enjoy wearing my Roadcrafter Classic Stealth one piece suit.

[Grumpy Goat]

What a beautiful video ... thanks for sharing this, Darrell. Makes me want to go and buy an Aerostitch suit.

In case one (like me) does not know what the R-3 onesie looks like, this image is taken from the R-3 webpage on the Aerostitch website.



When you see how this is put together the price tag makes total sense. I do love my Klim Latitude jacket and pants (which together is $300 cheaper) so am not in the market at the moment. Klim would do well to make a video like this, though. Tastefully understated and suggesting quality at every step. 

When I look at the Klim YouTube videos I do see lots of high-energy stuff showing the suits in use but no similar video of the making of any garment. They may want to consider doing something similar because for people like me, this video would sell the suit way quicker than any of their action videos. Speaking of which, I just realised that Klim does not appear to make any one-piece suits (not that I prefer them ... I prefer the two-piece connectable suits, which I suspect would be cooler in hot weather). Aerostitch does well to offer two-piece versions of several models although not of their R-3 (yet?).

[Liteitup]

https://www.klim.com/Hardanger-One-Piece-Suit-3737-001

No personal knowledge, just discussions on ADVrider.

[36654]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvEL7YS9...=Aerostich

If you ever get the chance when in Duluth, MN and have a spare hour or two take the time to tour the Aerostich facility.  It is really entertaining and educational to see all those employees working on making these custom made suits.  While I love my Klim Kodiak and Badlands Pro suits i still enjoy wearing my Roadcrafter Classic Stealth one piece suit.

Are they still in that old building where you walk-up to the second floor sewing room (factory)?  I bought a two-piece suit in (I think) the second year of their production.  That was in the 1980s.

[darrell]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvEL7YS9...=Aerostich

If you ever get the chance when in Duluth, MN and have a spare hour or two take the time to tour the Aerostich facility.  It is really entertaining and educational to see all those employees working on making these custom made suits.  While I love my Klim Kodiak and Badlands Pro suits i still enjoy wearing my Roadcrafter Classic Stealth one piece suit.

Are they still in that old building where you walk-up to the second floor sewing room (factory)?  I bought a two-piece suit in (I think) the second year of their production.  That was in the 1980s.

Yes they still operate out of that older warehouse building.  Everything produced in the US comes out of that building.

[36654]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvEL7YS9...=Aerostich

If you ever get the chance when in Duluth, MN and have a spare hour or two take the time to tour the Aerostich facility.  It is really entertaining and educational to see all those employees working on making these custom made suits.  While I love my Klim Kodiak and Badlands Pro suits i still enjoy wearing my Roadcrafter Classic Stealth one piece suit.

Are they still in that old building where you walk-up to the second floor sewing room (factory)?  I bought a two-piece suit in (I think) the second year of their production.  That was in the 1980s.

Yes they still operate out of that older warehouse building.  Everything produced in the US comes out of that building.

I doubt they had that flatbed fabric cutter when my suit was made.  That eliminates a lot of the garment-to-garment variation.

[Grumpy Goat]

https://www.klim.com/Hardanger-One-Piece-Suit-3737-001

No personal knowledge, just discussions on ADVrider.

Thanks for pointing this out. Must have missed it. Not bad looking at all and priced competitively.

[36654]

https://www.klim.com/Hardanger-One-Piece-Suit-3737-001

No personal knowledge, just discussions on ADVrider.

Thanks for pointing this out. Must have missed it. Not bad looking at all and priced competitively.

Ok, the price difference is $150 or nominally 10% less, but one product is made in Duluth MN verses somewhere in lowest labor cost land.  Klim jackets/pants have nice features and can be found at nice discounts.  In my opinion, the Aerostich rarely offers sales and the material and construction are exceedingly beefy.  My issue with the Aerostich products is heat and humidity.  In my area, the Aerostich suit is early spring, late fall gear.

[maxredline]

Layering is key

[Pyrrho]

Aerostich user here. Almost religiously, in fact, as I commute on my bikes and a 'stich is THE commuter suit.

A bit about Klim in a preface -- Klim Hardanger used to use a single main zipper like the Aerostich one-pieces but switched it recently to a more traditional zippering system. This supposedly is less prone to soaking the crotch but also far longer to get in/out of. I'd get a used 1st gen Hardanger, maybe, and looked at them seriously before I bought my R3 but that one big zipper that goes from your neck to ankle *is* the reason to get an Aerostich. I can have it completely off/on and sealed up in under 20 seconds and that's why I wear it nearly every single ride.

I rode to Duluth and was fitted for my first Roadcrafter. Still have it with about 40K miles on it. Zippers and velcro are all wore to shit but if I can get it zipped up, it works just fine. At that time if you got fitted at the factory there was a (small) discount on custom sizing. They still sell this as the "classic" Roadcrafter.

Last year I found an R3 on the BMWMOA forum marketplace, that someone had used for only a few rides, and in my custom size, for $1K off. Didn't have to think twice and have put around 9K miles on it from snow and freezing temps in Wisconsin to 100F+ Arizona desert. Physically lighter and easier to move in, with several nice little comfort features like magnetic collar stays. But built more cheaply IMO. Already have frayed parts, top of zipper pull separated from the backing fabric, the hanging hook tore off within two weeks, etc. Sending it in for repairs over winter.

Also, Aerostich is great but they tend to nickel and dime on accessories that IMO should have been included. I shouldn't have to drop another $100+ for hip pads and a back protector on a $1500 suit.

[Grumpy Goat]

Nice video from FortNine

[TriangleRider]

I've worn Aerostitch One-Piece Roadcrafters since the '90s.  I wear other more single purpose gear (Usually a 2-piece StreetGuard or mesh Rukka) when I know the weather won't change and I know I won't need to be in non-riding clothes. When going on multi-day rides or heading to an event, I almost always wear the 'Stitch.  It's adaptable to multiple environments, the one-piece setup is a little safer, I can take it off and be in regular clothes in about 20 seconds, and it fits great over my AlpineStars airbag vest and heated gear.  It is not great when off of the bike, but comes into its own when riding.  They are not cheap, but they last years and, if you know your size and are patient, it is possible to get a deal off of the clearance page.

FWIW, the guy in the video didn't make it clear that they opted for the "tactical" version, which eliminates 1000d Cordura panels on the elbows, shoulders, and knees. The savings is small, so I'm not sure why anyone would choose this option, but that is why his suit is only 500d.