I don’t wear an Aerostich….the gold standard for LD riders. I’ve thought about ponying up the $700+ bucks for a Roadcrafter “Stich”, but what started out as a budget-minded mish-mash of previously owned snowmobile gear for rain protection and desert-required Joe Rocket mesh gear has turned into what I think is a superior choice for LD riding.

Just before my latest love tryst with motorcycling I snowmobiled a fair amount and was spoiled by the incredible design of Klim Aggresive Sledwar. Snowmobiling in Northern Idaho’s Priest Lake is as extreme as it gets where avalanche beacons, a sturdy jacket, and packed lunch are gear derigeur. Klim is actually cliche wear by locals because of it’s solid reputation for design, durability, and value.

I’ve had a wet crotch many, many times over my years sledding, but none of them were while wearing a set of Klim bibs. Besides the name “Klim” being cool…..one you go Klim…..you won’t go back.

However, riding a 2 wheeled touring rocket in the relative dryness and heat of the Columbia Basin Summer I quickly learned that a mesh jacket and cooling vest are also required gear for that season.So the dilmena……or maybe a lesson I’m figuring out.
When you start riding wider chunks of North America what do you do when broiling by day through the August afternoon sun of Phoenix at 110 degrees, then ride onto a 10,000 foot Utah mountain pass at o’dark thirty where you gotta watch out for frost patches on the road, and then descend into the high plains of Colorado to a wall of swirling horizontal rain at sunrise?

A Stich will work certainly…….but I gotta think during that first Phoenix leg you’re doing an uncanny impersonation of a baked potato wrapped in tin foil. …..and I bet your crotch is wet too…..yuck!
I experienced just that scenario while riding the 5 day SPANK rally in August 2005. I rode the whole day with mesh on recharging my Sahara Vest (which helps reduce dehydration as well) at every gas stop in and around Phoenix. As I rolled into Joshua Tree, CA at the evening’s checkpoint I was certainly warm, but I was surprised how much better I appeared to feel than my Stich encased brethren.

In fact, I ended up being the only person that rode the night straight through.  As the evening temperature dropped I took off the cooling vest and put on my Klim jacket, opened the huge undearm vents in the warm but coolin gevening, and found myself zipping them up as I began dodging frost patches around Flagstaff. After midnight I turned up my electric Widders and soaked in the fact that the temperature had swung 120 degrees in less than 12 hours of riding.
After that night I learned that I was capable of riding some serious extremes of temperature with this choice of gear….while being able to pack it all on my bike for many days at a time.

Range of temperatures I’ve ridden with this gear.  120 miles at 11 degrees, 500 miles at 100+ degrees.
Base Layer:

  • REI bicycle shorts. No lines equals no Monkey Butt and I wear these 24×7 riding LD. I even wear them to the shower and wash them down (there’s a detail you wish you never read)
  • REI Midweight MTS Long-Sleeve T-Neck. Technically long underwear I find the MTS material wicks moisture away well whether it’s hot or cold.

Armor and Warm Weather Layer:

Outer/Rain/Cold Layer:

Very Cold Layer:

Super-Duper Cold Layer:

  • Old Navy fleece top and bottoms. (doubles as pajama party wear in case a bonus calls for visiting the Playboy Mansion)