Roadcrafter Light - Initial Thoughts

Another gorgeous day with few clouds and bright, fresh snow covering up all of the dirty snow. At this time of year, this is the sun position at solar noon, i.e. this is as high as the sun got today. But we are starting to get some thermal gain as you can feel a little warmth when looking towards the sun. This is in contrast to December and January, there is very little warmth from the sun.

When I arrived home, there was a box waiting for me with my Roadcrafter Light. Back in November, I had a hard time deciding between the grey with hi-viz or the hi-viz with grey. I ended up ordering the grey with hi-viz. Around two weeks ago, I got an email indicating that the grey was back ordered and it could be several months before the material gets in. The material for my other choice was in stock and they would be able to start making it immediately. Back in November I tried on the recommended size and it was too tight lengthwise so I'm glad that I actually went to the store to try it on. Just as the sales person indicated, it fits perfectly. I was a little skeptical as it is a long. I guess I have a long torso and short legs.

The TF3 armor seems pretty thick and rigid but according to the documents, that could be due to the cold. I had also ordered the back pad but it wasn't in the shipment and just sent off an email asking about it. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the "Light" is no longer made in Vietnam but is now made in the USA. At least according to the label. It also included a packet of zipper lube but not really sure if I need it yet.

There is a reinforced opening for the power cord for the heated gear to pass through but I haven't figured out a good location for the Gerbings dual controller. For now it is simply attached to the lower pocket using the clip on the controller. Looking forward to trying it out tomorrow! If nothing else, I should be easier to see…

Saturday Morning Update - It cooled off overnight and we are seeing more of the normal winter weather. Clear and cold. It was -22°F when I left the house this morning. A good test for the new suit. I went for a short ride to meet some others for breakfast and afterwards rode around some, stopped for coffee at College Coffeehouse before heading back home. With just the heated liner, I was able to feel the cold in some areas like the back of my upper arms where there are no heat wires. I don't think that the Gerbings liner has much, if any, insulation. With my fleece liner over the heated liner, I was toasty warm. At these temperatures, both the Gerbings gloves and liner were on full as well as the heated grips.

This is probably my lower limit for riding as the visor would ice up whenever I slowed down or stopped. The pinlock insert really helps prevent fogging but once ice forms, it doesn't melt quickly. Opening the visor causes the fogging to ice up at these temperatures. The visor is more of a problem than staying warm. I also would like to find a better location for the Gerbings controller as I can't simply glance down and see if the lights are blinking green and amber. The controller shuts down and blinks red if the voltage drops too low if, for example, the engine needed to be restarted. Usually, I don't think about it until I start feeling the cold.

I had a tiny concern about all the hi-viz as ChrisL from EverydayRiding mentioned that he wouldn't want to have to look at that bright color all the time. But just about all of it is outside of my normal vision while riding.

Aerostitch says ten seconds on or off for the Roadcrafters but I'm in the minute plus category. But it takes me longer than that to put on my boots.

Just thought I'd throw in the photo depicting a discussion over who gets the sunny spot…

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