https://www.thecherrycreeknews.com/goldilocks-syndrome-finding-the-right-gear-for-off-road-trekking/
Goldilocks Syndrome – finding the right gear for off-road trekking
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…
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 t..
Did you miss our previous article…
https://chrisnevitt.com/2020/10/24/what-should-i-understand-about-my-personal-injury-situation/
