The 'stich
THE ’STICH
UP FRONT
EDITOR'S LETTER
DRESSING FOR LIFE ON A MOTORCYCLE
How many times have I shuffled in to a store or restaurant sounding like a Cordura choo-choo as the nylon surfaces of my sun-faded Aerostich Roadcrafter made that familiar sound and I faced puzzled looks from non-motorcyclists?
That moment is really the best time to transform yourself with a couple of quick zips and step out of the suit in mere seconds to the amazement (or disinterest) of those same onlookers.
The beauty of the Aerostich Roadcrafter is how well it works and how quickly you can step in or out of it.
I got my Roadcrafter 15 years ago and still wear it in all its faded-red glory. And while it may be one of the least stylish pieces of gear, its look has become classic in its own funky way.
It was that suit that took me from Los Angeles to Laredo, Texas, in a couple of near-i,000-mile days on a GSX-R600 as I did a story called “The Search for the Perfect Taco” for our annual Travel & Adventure magazine.
It was November and the temperature was hovering around freezing for nearly the entire trip. My logic for not taking any heated gear was that I’d be heading south and that it was sure to warm up as I headed for the “tropics.” But I was wrong. After eating my way through Laredo and surrounding towns, I was burning back northbound on back roads and had never been so cold in my life as drizzle watercooled me and made bridge crossing treacherously icy. I thought of giving up at Del Rio, getting a room and taking a hot shower, hoping for better weather the next day. But that would have left more than 1,300 miles for me to conquer on my winding route home.
So I pressed on, bike squirming over those bridges and my arms numb to my elbows despite layering all the clothing I had under my Roadcrafter.
When I finally hit a small town called Marathon, hoping for any accommodations at all, I was at the end of my rope, and just about 1,150 miles from home. The town looked bleak at first, but then, like a mirage, a beautiful 1890s brick building with a polished brass railing and sign that said “Gage Hotel” appeared. I rode by twice, to be sure it was real.
In the lobby where a huge fireplace was raging on this cold day, it was the classic moment of a traveling motorcyclist in his alien-looking gear versus a hunter dressed in camouflage. He looked me and my Roadcrafter up and down, a look of judgment in his eyes, and I thought to myself that anybody dressed like a shrub shouldn’t be so judgmental.
I shuffled up to the desk stiffly, got a room, and minutes later I was zipped out of my gear and in a hot shower. Just after that, I was in the restaurant listening to live music and sipping a glass of wine, a fire burning nearby.
In any lesser gear, I would have given up too soon to have this experience.
Now that I have the new Roadcrafter 3, I have found it to be absolutely watertight (unlike my first Roadcrafter) and just as convenient and comfortable to wear. Actually, even more so, since it’s unlined, meaning I can layer more effectively when it is cold, but can also stay cooler when the temperature rises. I look forward to 15 years of adventures in this one, knowing I’ll be able to make it one more town even in the worst conditions, proud to freak out the citizens in my strange-looking Cordura suit.
MARK HOYER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
THIS MONTH'S STATS
$1,127 PRICE OFTHE AEROSTICH R-3
1,150 MOST MILES I’VE RIDDEN IN A DAY
15 YEARS I’VE BEEN WEARING MY FIRST AEROSTICH
