Modern Vespa

I'm looking for a one-piece textile suit, to make clambering in and out of my gear when commuting a bit easier and hopefully keep the rain out of my crotchoid region.

Unfortunately textile one-pieces are thin on the ground anyway, very rare in the UK, and apparently not made at all for women.

Any suggestions/experiences to share? I'm 5'2, average build, looking for something waterproof and armoured that won't break the bank. I don't mind ordering from the USA but I'd want to be very sure I was getting something that would fit me.

Go to http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Roadcrafter-One-Piece-Suit-p-16133.html For the best one piece suit in the world, some say the only.

They can make it to your measurements and they hit it very close.

These suits have been sll over the world.

The one thing Aerostich don't seem to do is their smallest size in a short leg fitting - the very thing I'd need! But everyone recommends them highly, so maybe I'll pluck up my courage and go down that route.

Olympia sells a one piece suit, that is less expensive. Hard to say what the sizing is from their website;
http://www.olympiamotosports.com/phantom/Phantom.htm
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/olympia-moto-sports/phantom/

Regards
Harvey

Aerostitch can make your suit to your specific requirements, including shortening or lengthening the trouser length as well as arms. What they did for me was to send me a stock size to test fit, then, with me on the bike and the Aerostitch person on the phone, we walked through what adjustments were needed to get the suit to fit right.

Aerostitch can make your suit to your specific requirements, including shortening or lengthening the trouser length as well as arms. What they did for me was to send me a stock size to test fit, then, with me on the bike and the Aerostitch person on the phone, we walked through what adjustments were needed to get the suit to fit right.

Most of the people that I've talked to recommend Frog Togs. Don't know if they're available in the UK though.

I wear my Aerostitch Roadcrafter suit every day. I can get in and out of it in 30 seconds. The Olympia suit is cheaper - but hard to get in and out of.

I also own a Darien jacket/pants set.

Aerostitch make it for you - be honest with them when you call, and confirm riding position. Follow their maintenance and care instructions for a ten year plus lifespan. Your fashionable scootering shop parka color coded to your messenger bag won't be in style next year at 1/3 the cost so why even try?

At the recent exchange rates it might be possible to fly there (yes, I saw the UK part of things) get measured, and have them ship it to you rather than shipping it back and forth a couple of times. That part of the country is nice this time of year - the mosquitos have been frozen off, but it's not into the six month ice skating season.

I've been in temperatures ranging from 38 to 124 F, and ridden up to 900 miles A DAY in it's womb like comfort. It has too many pockets, so expect to loose your key/lunch packet/wallet a couple of times until you get a system down.

Frog Togs ARE NOT SAFETY GEAR. Frog Togs are great when over the top of your other safety gear. Great rain gear, but not safety. FT MC gear is black - while I understand there is a bunch more dirt at 60mph in the rain, it's dark and raining - their stuff needs more Scotchlite!

That's a glowing review, Ritch - just the kind of thing I was after. I could do with something that will last me more than a couple of years.

And yes, I want something armoured - already got a waterproof oversuit to put on top of everything else!

I'm going to try and try on an Alpinestars Drystar over the weekend, as it seems to be the only thing readily available in this country, but the photos I've seen make it look very long in the leg. Watch this space.

Some people have recommended insulated work coveralls. (Like construction workers wear.) They do make them in women's sizes, they are just a little harder to find. They cost less than $100.

+1 to Aerostich. The normal knocks against them are:
1: Not cool enough for hot summer days
2: Not fashionable
3: Too expensive
4: Not CE rated

I've got a Darien jacket, and swear by it. Liner in, it's warm enough for brisk Minnesota riding conditions, and liner out it's ... useable in the summer.
In the summer, it's a very warm jacket, until you start moving. Sitting at stop lights next to a bus that's spewing warm exhaust is miserable. But even a 30mph jaunt is enough to let the vents do their work and chill you down. (The company suggests that the chest pockets are waterproof enough that you can pack them with ice for extreme days- and keep cooler that way. I can vouch that 4 cans of cold beer tucked in there offers a nicely airconditioned experience... )

As for #2, fashion is in the eye of the beholder. I'm already a dork on a moped, so my riding gear is perhaps not that big a concern.

#3- What price for saving your hide? I did have a 40mph step-off in my jacket. The Jacket was ground up from the shoulder to the wrist, but I didn't have a scratch on me. That was enough to convince me to repair the jacket rather than replace it with a cheaper one.

#4- The overall qualities of the Aerostich gear are fantastic- the armor they use doesn't fit the CE standards for a few various reasons. The armor is half 'soft' and half 'hard'. The half 'soft' part is what the CE apparently doesn't like, but Aerostich argues that the armor provides comfort and protection ehre it's needed. It's semantics and you can find details of the arguments if you dig around on the web.

+2 to aerostitch. If you were to call them on the phone I think that they could get a custom fit pretty close. My wife did when she ordered a pair of Darien pants and the fit was as good as you can get. They really take some time to try and get it right for you. Their Roadcrafter suit has been a benchmark product for years, and for commuting is the easiest suitup I have seen. Good luck in your search!

Well, I'd just about resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't be finding an off-the-peg textile oversuit and I'd even sent off for some Aerostich fabric swatches...when what should turn up on eBay but a Gimoto touring suit in XS for £150.

At that price I was prepared to take a punt on it. I've been wearing it for a week now and I'm just about getting the hang of putting it on and off

I'll post a full review when I've been wearing it a while. Impression so far: scores more on looks than comfort, but a more than adequate piece of kit. I'd still like to join the Roadcrafter Club but I have more important things to spend money on first, and this should get me through a winter or two!

Thanks for all the help and suggestions, everyone.