What is going on with Aerostich Roadcrafter suits?

Lately, Aerostich has been introducing all sorts of variations on their traditional Roadcrafter suits, and it's not clear to me what the real difference is between some of them.

Right now, by my count, they have the following types of Roadcrafters (I'm not including the Steath, since that is really just a color option):

Roadcrafter 1 or 2 piece
Roadcrafter Light 1 piece
Roadcrafter Ultralight 1 piece
Roadcrafter Tactical 1 or 2 piece
Roadcrafter City 2 piece

Then you have the Darien jacket and pants, which sound like they might be pretty much the same as the Roadcrafter Tactical or Light, and the Darien Light, which sounds similar to the Roadcrafter City.

As a good old-fashioned Roadcrafter 1-piece owner, it's all too confusing for me and my crotchety old ways. What's the deal with all these newfangled suits?

Likely the same as is going on with any for-profit company . . . . trying to serve more customers and generate more revenue ;-}

I plan on using my 15 year old two piece stich as long as it doesn't fall apart from UV exposure . . . . and will then likely replace with, wait for it, another two-piece stich ;-}

I will be buying a roadcrafter soon... luckily for me I can just pop up to Duluth, try stuff on in person and get fitted all at once. When there are so many options its nice to be able to put hands on them.

roadcrafter light doesn't have the lining. and it has the goretex guaranteed to keep you dry warranty. i've used mine for a year now commuting and not gotten one drop inside of it.

roadcrafter ultralight is like the light but thinner, lighter material.

darien jacket is a shell. you can zip in a fleece liner. also goretex. not sure if the roadcrafter 2 piece is guarenteed waterproof.

More choices is good but I'll stick with my standard one piece R/C.

I beleive that the Darien Jackets are goretex lined . . . . . .

Not so.

Not knocking 'stich (I have a RC light, Darien jacket, gloves, helmet, scarf's, straps, etc) but they found someone over-seas to build suits, thus allowing them to produce more. To my understanding, the Darien stuff and the RC are the only suits now made in Duluth, correct?

FWIW, my light has been awesome for the first 10k miles. I feel its hardly broken in.

Was that the Red see or the China sees ?

awesome auto-correct.

Aerostich, yesterdays technology for tomorrow's problems:

Why are they introducing lots of variants?

Lippenstift auf dem Schwein
rouge à lèvres sur le porc
lápiz labial en el cerdo

Or, in plain old USA: lipstick on the pig

I wouldn't say that. There is no lipstick on a stich suit and yesterdays technology is still curing tomorrows problems.

Agreed. No lipstick on a Stich. Lots of lipstick here though. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...8oCIDA&usg=AFQjCNHpNmpNitWOYtbIEcntP-HLePxQXg

The city and tactical are made in-house, or so says the website, as is the RC ultralight.

The RC light is imported, as are the AD-1 pants and transit stuff.

I ordered a Darien jacket/pants about a month ago. I definitely wanted a two piece, as opposed to a one piece suit. Waterproofness (word?) was very important to me as well, and nearly unanimously the Darien got better reviews for holding out water than the two piece RC. Plus, I like the 3/4 length jacket better than the shorter jacket of the two piece RC, so the choice was easy for me.

Not sure what you mean here. Both my regular Darien and Darien Light have the GoreTex laminate and have been 100% waterproof. If you mean they don't have a separate GoreTex liner that you would wear under the jacket, you are correct, it is one piece and the shell has the GoreTex laminate.

People have bitched so much about the RC being too hot that they are offering lighter fabric weights, four fabric weights in the RC (Regular, City, Light and Ultra Light), two fabric weights in the Darien jackets and pants (three if you count the oiled cotton in Fallstaff), and two fabric weights in the AD-1 pants.

For example the regular RC and Darien are 500 Denier Cordura, the RC City and Darien Light are HT200 Denier Nylon, so on and so forth. They don't mention the fabric weight in the RC Light and the Ultra Light (I assume sine they are imported??)

It is all about options

The Ultra Light is not imported. It is made in the US.

Shoulder, knee and elbow pads are optional extras on both the RC Light and Ultra Light but are included on the regular RC.

I believe the Tactical is only available as a 1-piece. It seems to be a regular weight 500 Denier suit with no 'ballistic' panels and some new lining. The City is like a 2-piece RC Light (200 Denier with 500 Denier ballistics) but includes pads and has the new lining. The City and Tactical are both made in the US.

I agree that these are not 'lipstick on a pig' but interesting new variations. I think the City is especially interesting. It solves some of my complaints about the RC Light, which was that it was not made in the US and did not include pads. Very happy to see that.

I am still interested in hearing more about this new "Supernyl" lining.

Right hyou are -- it is not, in fact, lined . . . .

(from the stich site)

• 500 DENIER CORDURA® GORE-TEX® OUTER FABRIC
• Fully Seam-Taped
• Custom Shaped TF3 Shoulder, Elbow and Knee Pads
• Scotchlite™ Reflective Areas for Visibility
• High Performace, All-Weather, All-Purpose Riding Tools for 'No Limit' Touring, Dual Sport, and Off-Road Riding

But goretx nonetheless

RC light imported....so that means no modifications?

I need a RC light with rotated forward arms, extra room in the knees and back.