One-Piece Suits

I'm toying with getting a one-piece textile suit. The options that I can pick up locally are the BMW Coverall, Olympia Phantom, and an end of line Spidi Admiral E-Type (with the non-drysuit zip). There's not a lot of difference between them in terms of price.

I've taken a look at the BMW suit, and there doesn't appear to be any reinforcements on impact points such as the knees and elbows. Does anyone know if this is a problem?

Being shallow, I like its style. It's a simple design, and lacks the enormous number of straps that festoon the Olympia.

The Olympia seems to get generally good reviews, but I've heard it can leak in wet weather. My biggest concern is that I've heard reports of the double stitched seams coming apart, which doesn't exactly fill me with confidence.

I read that Gadget Boy didn't have a lot of luck with his Spidi, I think that it was with the (older style) zip, but haven't tracked down the full story. I'm not sure that the Admiral will fit, as the sizing chart says it's a 33.5" inside leg, and I'd need another inch or more on top of that.

I'll probably drag myself down to Guildford next week and take a better look. My suspicion is that they're going to be much the same, and it'll be a case of picking whichever fits the best.

I used an over suit for years in Scotland. Probably the only thing you can wear which will keep you warm & dry.
I used cheap suits but made sure they had welded seams & were big enough to go over the top of all my normal gear at the side of the road without tearing them with my boots. You look a dork & MUST have a pee before you put it on but it's worth it to be comfortable & focused in bad weather.
I hope this helps!

ive got the phantom .
Im very happy with it I didnt pay much for it either.
Waterproof ? yes, very . Ive ridden through lots of rain in it.
Great for cooler weather but I dont like it when above 65 degrees.
I never use the liner but it sure locks in the body heat.
Buy these suits big. If its too tight you will hate it.

Weird. My experience is very much the opposite, though I'm very happy with mine, too.

I find it's not very waterproof. It stayed waterproof for the first six months or year that I owned it. I wore it in a few rain showers and the most I got was a little wet on my arms. Over time, I've found that the zippers leak pretty badly. That said, I've not found it to be too terrible to stop to put a light rainsuit on, under which I'll stay completely dry.

It is good for cooler weather. I agree with that. I've regularly worn it down into the 30s, and once or twice into the teens.On the opposite end, I can wear Phantom up to about 80 degrees comfortably. Around 85 degrees I'm pretty warm. 90 is about the absolute maximum, though I've worn it in hotter weather than that for short spans.

I've used the liner in mine maybe twice. Even in really cold weather, I've found it simpler just to layer up my clothing underneath, and a heated vest does wonders.

I had to buy mine one size smaller than normal. I put on the large suit and I was swimming in it. There is way too much material around the arms and waist. With the medium on, the suit is a little too short for me, but at least the excess bulk is a little more manageable. I have the cinches all about as tight as they will go. Apparently they make these for very large people.

Overall, I think it's a good budget suit and it's held up well. Hard to say how many miles are on mine, but it's probably around 40,000. Still looks pretty good. As you mention the suit has acres of pockets, zippers, velcro, and fasteners. I think they could lighten it up by 20% if they just took out half the pockets. I think there are ten pockets on the suit. There must be twelve feet of velcro and more than that in zippers.

I can't speak about the seams. I did have one buddy who owned the Olympia Stealth (I have one too) who had a minor wreck. His suit got pretty tore up, though he came out ok. I don't know if a better suit would have fared better or not, but I was quite shocked at how much it came apart. I haven't read or heard of anyone else's experience.

Jamie

Aerostitch Roadcrafter #1

i have been thinking of getting a one piece aerostich roadcrafter suit but am unsure which one. the original roadcrafter with new waterproof zippers should be great but it is bulky and may not fit in one of my jesse boxes when i get to work. the roadcrafter light & ultra light may fit in the jesse box but i believe you have to buy the armor separately, which brings the price up above the original roadcrafter. as i said my main concern is what ever version i choose it has to fit in one of my jesse boxes when i get to work as i have no ware else to keep it while i am working. for reference, my olympia jacket (forget what model) or my road gear jacket along with my olympia ranger pants fit into one of my jesse boxes.

I have both an Olympia Phantom and a Teiz Lombard one-piece suit. I primarily use them as work commuters. When you wear a suit and tie, there is nothing quicker and easier than a one-piece suit. Both of them are in high-viz colors.

Living in Seattle, water resistance was very important to me, and I decided against the Aerostitch for this very reason. I wash all my textile gear once a year with Nikwax, and I have not had a problem with leaking or significant water intrusion. It is important to ensure that the flaps are secured over the zippers.

In terms of sizing, my thought is to buy one size up if you will be wearing normal clothes underneath without the liner. If you want to use the liner and wear normal clothes, buy two sizes up.

I have been happy with both suits. I wear two-piece outfits for my other riding.

I'd say that the best one piece suit today is from Teiz. There is a huge thread on their stuff in Vendors. Excellent pricing and top quality.

http://store.teizms.com/

Have worn a phantom for about 5 years and am pleased with it overall. Like others have said, it was very waterproof initially, but that has worn off over time. I do need to retreat it for better waterproofing. I usually just carry a lightweight rain suit to wear overtop. This year one of the arm zippers has broken and needs to be replaced. I have worn it in temps from the low 30's up to the mid 90's. Only worn the liner with it a few times, the liner is VERY warm. I have actually worn the liner by itself to shovel snow, and found myself sweating with it on.

For the price, I would buy another one. However, the last gear I have bought is a mesh jacket. I plan to buy a pair of mesh over pants next.. IMO a two-piece suit that zips together is more versatile.

I have both a Roadcrafter 1-piece and an older version mesh Teiz Mojave 1-piece. Fitting the RC is more involved as getting the elbow and knee pads to fall in the right place may require buying a custom suit. Without the back and hip pads, it rolls up fairly compact. Quality and customer service have been excellent in my experience. The Teiz suit fits slim and when the tag says "tall" it's really tall. And that's a good thing. The pad placement on the Mojave is adjustable via Velcro in the pad packets. I doubt the level of protection is as good as the RC, but for hot weather, I'll compromise a bit. The Mojave suit is well made and it's very comfortable. The reviews of Teiz suits and customer service have been very good. I saw a rider wearing a Teiz one piece hi-viz a few weeks ago, hi-viz was an understatement.

I have a 2 piece Roadcrafter that I very very rarely take apart, so it might as well be a one-piece. I ride to work every day and wear the RC every day. If I'm at a meeting somewhere other than the office and I can't walk there, I have found that the RC fits fine into my Givi E52 top box. Otherwise I just hang the suit on back on my office door. If have a lot of stuff with me filling the panniers on my FJR, I have a long cable and a lock that I use to lock the suit to the bike. That works fine unless the weather is wet!

If you don't have a door, maybe you're in a cubicle or something, how about getting a coat stand and hang the suit on that?

Ian

I have had a phantom for 2 seasons now. They are great, I can ride in shorts and a tee and be comfortable when I get to where i am going. It holds up well in rain, and the liner is damn warm in the winter down to about 30F. Zippers are a pain, I had one stuck for the good part of 2 months.

Picked mine up very lightly used, only for about a month, and Olympia refused to assist, as the warranty is not transferable.

Its starting to get tattered around the seams where velcro lives, and needs a good cleaning, Which I am told needs to be done in a special way to keep it waterproof.

The rear pocket is useless for more than a few sheets of paper, unless you like to choke yourself.

Part of me wishes I went with a 2 piece suit. Some days its just too hot to wear, luckily I had a Joe Rocket mesh jacket before.

Thanks.

The Roadcrafter is tempting, particularly as it's possible to tweak the fit. Larger sizes tend to be cut for the more portly gentleman, and the upper body gussets option mean it's possible to get a trimmer fit.

My concerns would be buying something unseen, particularly when it's hard to check the sizing before I ordered it; the waterproofing doesn't have a good reputation; and I'd like to upgrade the armour.

the only time mine leaked was when i thought i had closed the zipper vents all the way but had not.
The liner i just threw away I knew i could never take that much bulk.
I guess you could say im swimming in mine but that leaves lots of room for layers if need be and i'll take too loose over too tight
I got this suit when it first came out and got in the 250 dollar range .
I had tried the Areo RC and sent it back because I was not happy with waterproofness
So far the phantom has not disappointed me at all.

FWIW, I have an older 1 piece RC ( Size 46 custom tapered...athletic cut I think?) w/ Bohn back pad installed and I could roll mine up and fit in the right side Jesse bag. Jesse's we're on a BMW 1150 GS Adventure.

It was tight but doable without feeling like you were wrecking your suit. I'm sure that without the Bohn back pad it would be a lot easier. .

No way it would fit on the exhaust side case since I didn't lower my exhaust which meant the left side case was smaller.

Not sure how much of what I said will help you but I hope it helps, Rob

Nothing inspires more piece of mind while riding than a 'Stich. Great product from a great company. Timeless.
Ron

I know lots of folks here love their Aerostich RC - but I had 1 for 5 years and hated it. It leaked consistently and obtrusively (on my crotch and arms), fit like I was wearing adult diapers with a load in them, was hot in summer and cold in winter, and never loosened up even after 50,000 miles so it felt like a suit of armor. Again - I know others think they are better then TV but I was not a fan.

I have the Olympia Phantom and find it much better all around (except in ease of off/on- there I admit the RC is the king). I will probably get a Teiz Navigator set up next - great write up on WebBikeWorld.

i have the spidi admiral suit. seemed real nice for a while, but the zipper failed on it after about 1.5 years. i think it had to do with the road grime on there, eating away at the slider. (think sandpaper) and eventually the slider would not close the zipper anymore.

i ended up putting a heavy duty zipper on it instead. more along the lines of a ykk carhart zipper. it leaks now, but i can still wear it.

if going out and buying a suit again, i would go with the aerostitch.

Roadcrafter user for about 4 years. Just had mine retrofitted with the new zipper. So far, no crotch leaks although the real test will be how it will perform through one of our wet winters.

The side and pit zips are still the same non-waterproof originals but I've never had water intrude from those locations.

With the big Aerostich back protector installed, it's tough to fit it into a pannier but piece of cake without it.

I don't care how it looks or how others thinks it looks. I ride rain or shine and they don't.