aerostich AD-1

[mclayton]

have tried Darien pants before and didnt like the fit. the legs were too large and floppy. like the fit of the roadcrafter pants, but dont like the weight and bulkiness. has anyone tried the AD-1 and if so, your opinion of them especially the fit.

[LARK]

I just bought a pair but won't ride in them until this weekend. I suspect how they fit in the legs may be dependent on how your built. I'm 6'0" and lbs. with a 32" inseam. I'm your typical 50+ year old guy with a bit of a gut. My waist is really about a 39 and Aerostich recommended I get the 38"x32" regular. They fit me great. With the V in the back around the waist they'd probably still fit good if I dropped 20 lbs. I wear Levi 505 relaxed fit jeans and they fit the same. Now the knee area is pre curved somewhat so when standing the armor sticks out a little but it's perfect when seated. Overall I'm very happy with the fit and quality of construction. I intend to use them as a replacement for wearing jeans and not an over pant. Because I was going to only wear briefs underneath I wanted a pant with the most jean like fit. Aerostich said the AD-1 was it. They have a slightly more tailored fit that the Darien. Hope this helps.

[mclayton]

thanks, that does help. would like your impressions after your ride this weekend.

[RedMac]

I've had a pair of AD-1's for 2 years. Love them.

 

The only issue I've had is that I like to keep my wallet in the pocket on the left front leg, which will leak water in heavy rain. Otherwise they are great. Nice fit, look good, other than the aforementioned issue with the pocket, very waterproof.

 

On hot days I zip down the the zippers to the knees from the top and get pretty good cooling air.

[LARK]

thanks, that does help. would like your impressions after your ride this weekend.

 

I rode about 1 1/2 hours today. The weather was cloudy and about 70F. I was on my 2012 GS Adventure. I found the pants very comfortable. As I mentioned before I didn't use them as an over pant. All I had on underneath was underwear. The knee armor is located in a nylon pocket that is secured with Velcro inside each leg. Very comfortable. If you look inside the pants you'll see all the welded seams. They're extremely well executed and very flat. I didn't even notice them while wearing the pants. Breathable? That's a tough one with only one ride but I'll give it a shot. The front of the pant does block more wind that a blue jean. That's because of the armor and all the pockets add additional material beyond a single layer. Now on the back side of my legs I could feel the difference. I don't think the material breaths more than denim it's just the Gore-Tex against your bare shin feels cooler if that makes sense. My first ride seems to back up my initial impression when I opened the box....this is high quality gear that'll be at home on my BMW or Harley.

[mclayton]

thanks, I am sold.