The Aerostich Darien jacket shown in Tan and Gray.
My first experience with Aerostich riding gear came in 1983 while I was a staff editor at Cycle magazine, when the then-fledgling Minnesota company turned out its first riding suit, the Roadcrafter. It was a revelation at the time, and it became my go-to choice for commuting. After logging uncounted thousands of miles in that suit, in the early 1990s I tried one of Aerostich?s new two-piece suits, the Darien jacket and pants. Since that time, I have always had Darien and Darien Light suits on hand because they are exceptionally tough and durable, and they flat-out work and work well through a wide range of riding conditions.
Quality zippers, seam sealing, hook-and-loop adjustment straps and a Gore-Tex layer help make the Darien a top choice among riding jackets. Magnets in the neck area firmly anchor the collar tabs when unzipped to prevent flapping. But they can be a bit fiddly when closing things up; you need to use the hook-and-loop-lined throat strap to complete the seal. Made in the USA, the Darien uses a functional three-quarter-length design, built with abrasion-resistant mil-spec 500-denier Cordura Gore-Tex breathable/waterproof outer fabric that is seam-taped to create a truly waterproof garment. As such, it eliminates the need for a separate rainsuit when traveling?a big plus for dealing with varying riding conditions and saving precious packing space. The jacket includes removable hard-shell TF3 elbow and should...