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www. FavoriteRidesAndDestinations. com | ridermagazine. com

SPRING 2017 ISSUE 01 / VOL. 02

WE ALL KNOW THE BEST WAY to stay warm on the bike is to layer up. Many textile riding jackets come with insulated liners that zip or otherwise fasten into the shell for convenience. Quite often these liners aren’ t designed to be worn apart from the shell, however, so you have to carry a separate sweater or casual jacket for use off the bike. Unless I’ m testing the ensemble, on cooler rides I typically leave a jacket’ s dedicated insulated liner behind and bring an Aerostich Darien fleece jacket liner. Formerly only sold with Aerostich’ s rugged Darien jacket, these days Aerostich offers two versions separately.

The gray TLTec Wind Pro model is made of thick, 200-weight, wind-resistant“ super fleece” that is extremely breathable, yet provides four times better insulation and more draft resistance than common department store fleeces. The blue TLTec Wind Blocker liner version( shown) is made with a slightly thinner, but even more windproof 100-weight fleece that offers a slightly higher insulation level( as measured in lab testing, says Aerostich) than the thicker Wind Pro model. It also wicks moisture better than other windproof fleeces, yet breathes well for all-day comfort. I have both models, and while the Wind Pro is softest and coziest, I can attest to the additional warmth and less bulk of the slightly more expensive Wind Blocker. I also like its blue color a bit better.

A key feature that sets a Darien liner apart is its reversibility. Worn with the fleece side in and slippery black Supernyl side out, textile outer jackets slide on over it easily, the liner is warmest and it repels water— with a good armored jacket over the top it has to get pretty cold before I need another layer. Reverse the fleece liner and open the underarm vents( designed to line up with similar vents on the Darien jacket) and it’ s about half as warm, like having two jackets in one. This cooler setting is handy for wear-carrying the liner when it’ s not really cold and your hands are full, you’ re afraid of leaving it behind or when you just need a light water-resistant windbreaker.

Cut, sleeve length and construction— the rotated sleeves for example— are all tailored for a good fit under a riding jacket. Like the Darien jacket, pockets abound on the Darien liners, but only on the Supernyl( nonfleece) side. Two large chest pockets, a pair of handwarmer pockets and two large zippered cargo pockets let you load up the liners like a tank bag. They also have large full-width zippered back pockets for stuffing the liners into themselves for easy carry or use as a pillow. Integrated webbing loops make it easy to strap the stuffed package to the bike or wear on your belt.

At $ 247 for the Wind Blocker and $ 227 for the Wind Pro, the Aerostich Darien fleece liners are well worth the cost for their warmth and versatility. Aerostich also offers Kanetsu electric styles, fleece pullovers and fleece liner pants. Mark Tuttle

For more information: Visit aerostich. com