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Roadcrafter vs. Olympia Phantom

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TexTrain99

TexTrain99

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Location
Humble
I commute to work in Houston. My commute is about 35 miles on HOV and Freeway from Humble to the Hobby airport area and back. I currently wear a 1st gear mesh jacket with liner, gloves and a RF-1000 Shoei helmet. I try to ride everyday that isn't raining or below 45F. Needless to say I have decided getting a suit is a good way to go.

I decided early on the Roadcrafter was the way to go as it usually gets good reviews and seems to be designed to be worn over clothes. My business attire is business casual. I also like the hi-viz yellow option.

Recently I have seen a couple of riders in the hi-viz Olympia AST jackets and a Phantom suit. I've been on the Olympia web site and like the Phantom.

Heck, with the price difference between a Roadcrafter and Phantom, I could afford to go with a Phantom and thier Stealth one-piece as a hot weather option. OR the fiance and I could get matching suits, how cute is that?

Is a Roadcrater or Phantom really wearable in Houston in July/August?
What should I know about each before pulling the trigger?

Thanks for any input.
 
I can't see how anyone would be able to wear a Roadcrafter in Houston during the summer sitting in traffic(lived in Katy/Houston for 28 years) :eek2:

Instead of the Stich, I got the Motorport Kevlar Mesh gear... great during the summer :clap:

I have a Stich too... but I live in Denver now and it works up here with no humidity :trust:

JMHO :lol2:
 
TexTrain99 said:
Is a Roadcrater or Phantom really wearable in Houston in July/August?
What should I know about each before pulling the trigger?

Thanks for any input.
Click to expand...

The Roadcrafter is unbearable in hot weather, 85+. The vents work ok while it is cooler. The crotch will seep a little water in heavy sustained rain, and the workaround is not allow water to puddle in the seat. I didn't know about the leak when I bought one.

Otherwise it is easy to get on/off and has great protection. It is in my view a good 3 season suit. I bought 2 sizes over normal jacket size.
 
I have worn a 2 piece Roadcrafter for 10 years summer and winter, but I would not commute in summer Houston traffic with it. It has been great 80-90% of the time, but mine is used mostly for trips. In the summer, I wear shorts and t-shirt underneath, in the winter, I layer with silks or fleece and electric jacket. I could not imagine wearing a 1 piece either as the 2 piece Roadcrafter offers more versitility. Because I already own a 2 piece Roadcrafter, I would look at the Darien jacket and pants instead. The Roadcrafter has a permanent liner that makes it hotter and heavier whereas the Darien is unlined. Aerostitch even makes a Darien lite which uses lighter weight material which would be lighter and cooler still. To me the cost of a Roadcrafter or a Darien is justified because they will make alterations for a better fit and the product is built to last. It can even be sent back for repairs if needed.
 
I wear a heavy one piece suit on my commutes and trips year round. I have vents in the pits and across the back so I'm not bothered by the heat too much. That's saying a lot for a Philly native who loves the cold and hates TX heat.

Aerostitch has an advantage to the consumer in that they give you a standard test suit to try, then they will make yours with the alterations to fit your body. There's a slew of alterations they can do such as a nip and a tuck here and lengthening sleeves and legs... I had one a long time ago but sold it because it wasn't waterproof enough for my journeys. I got wet crotch, inseams and chest. The zippers aren't the water proof type nor do they tape the seams. It's made to get in and out of real quick and that's the compromise. Short commutes such as yours should be fine. The guy who bought my Stitch still has it and loves it. Rides in the rain too, but doesn't tour like I do.

I've seen the Olympia and it looks nice but have no experience with it other than reading one review in Cycle World. It was favorable.
 
Last time I was at The BMW dealer on the south side of Houston they had some of the Olympia Phantom suites. I tried one on, and I recommend you do the same. It might be dryer than the Stich, but it is a **** to put on. Velcro flaps on every seem, spent too much time dealing with them than there worth.
I bought the stich used for about the same money as the Phantom and have NO regrets. In and out in seconds !
 
Roadcrafter has the get it on and off down to a science. The Olympia can't touch it for speed.

I like the venting system on the Olympia AST better. I wear my AST and Ranger II's year round here in DFW just keep in mind either suit will be hot in the summer.

I can vouch for the Olympia Airglide being very well constructed if you go mesh.
 
MikeB---That is what I was thinking for the 10 months of summer we have down here. Use the Phantom for the other two months. I can get a phantom and a Stealth for the cost of one Roadcrafter.

Do you have the Stealth? Does anybody around here? How would it fit over office clothes?

Thanks for the good info everybody.
 
The Stealth works very well over office clothes. And I can't imagine it being any easier to get on and off with the zippers that go down to the thigh and up to above the hip. And for those that want some high visibity, the hi-vis yellow stripe is tasteful and effective. It is definitely the answer for Texas summer commuters. I'm thrilled Olympia listened and gave us exactly what we were asking for!

I have heard feedback previously about the inconvenience of the velcro on the Phantom, but mainly from shoppers. I don't hear it often from most people once they own it for a while. Could be a combination of the velcro weaking a bit over break-in use, combined with a little more familiarity after figuring out exactly what has to be open how far to get a particular body in and out. Still, for Houston commuting, the Phantom could probably only be a 6 month suit. I'd say go with the Stealth for now and see if you really need something else come fall.
 
TexTrain99 said:
MikeB---That is what I was thinking for the 10 months of summer we have down here. Use the Phantom for the other two months. I can get a phantom and a Stealth for the cost of one Roadcrafter.

Do you have the Stealth? Does anybody around here? How would it fit over office clothes?

Thanks for the good info everybody.
Click to expand...

I did try it on a couple weeks ago at Gulf Coast BMW (College Avenue),.
You should stop by and try it on see if you like it, I know I did. :rider:
Mike
 
gore-tx said:
+1
I actually have been eying this one piece suit. Moto Liberty in San Antonio is ordering me a greey one in XL. That suit is fantastic!
Click to expand...

How's the selection down there? I've been thinking about heading down that way to check out the Phantom and Stealth myself.
 
Not a one-piece, but to vouch for Olympia quality I am very content with my airglide jacket/pant combo. Materials first-rate, keep cold/wind at bay down to 40's, withstands a considerate rainstorm for some time (eventually some water leaks between jacket/pant, no biggy though), and quite affordable to boot. :clap: And since the jacket is hi-viz yellow, near misses have dropped too.
 
Ditto on all that - I've had my Airglide II hi-viz jacket & black pants since August. ~4k miles in summer & winter, all good.

Though I'm glad I backed up the retina-burn yeller jacket with a Stebel Nautilus. I was northbound last week on Shepherd, between Richmond & West Alabama. This woman in a white BMW convertible was at a cross street eastbound, and wanted to cross. I was going ~35mph in the left lane, about 1-2 car lengths ahead of an SUV in the right lane. BMW lady starts pulling out, is going to launch me into a superman across her hood. I lean on the horn, she stops with her bumper on the double yellow.

At the next red light, the woman in the SUV to my right rolls down her window, and says, "I think you need a brighter jacket!"
 
I'm headed over to British USA/Gulf Coast BMW after work this afternoon to check out the Olympia stuff they have in the store. Hopefully they'll have a Stealth and a Phantom. Hopefully they won't have a clean used Thunderbird Sport on the showroom floor.

On a side note, my fiance doesn't think my tongue-in-cheek comment about having matching suits was all that funny. Now it will probably happen just to spite me. Women, pfft!
 
Texfire said:
How's the selection down there? I've been thinking about heading down that way to check out the Phantom and Stealth myself.
Click to expand...

If their SA location is anything like their Dallas location, you won't find a better shop to purchase gear at anywhere. Motoliberty rocks.
 
Motoport, motoport, motoport. Don't buy anything until you take a very serious look at this stuff. My wife and I did the research and both use it. Beats Roadcrafter every which way you compare them and Roadcrafter is pretty good stuff.

If you look at the Argentina ride report I posted here you can see the two suits we wear. Hi Viz, custom-made, completely waterproof and mesh for the summer, liners for the winter.

http://www.motoport.com/

Steep
 
Re: Roadcrafter vs. Olympia Phantom (updated)

Well, I pulled the trigger and got the Olympia Stealth one piece suit in pewter and hi-viz yellow. The guys at Gulf Coast BMW/British USA were good to work with. They only had the silver and gray version so they are bringing in my suit. Should be here early next week.

I tried on the Phantom. Certainly has a lot of velcro. Everywhere. Lots. Once in the suit it was comfortable enough and fit well on the bike. I can just imagine that sitting in stop and go traffic at 5:30pm on 1960 E in July/August would be like taking a suana in ****. So I'll revisit the Roadcrafter vs. the Phantom next fall as a winter option.

I tried on the Stealth and it was lighter, of course, and was very comfotable on the bike as well. Not as many pockets as the Phantom but maybe thats why I have a tank bag. Getting in and out with work clothes won't be an issue.

Heck, I liked it so much, me and GF are headed over there during lunch today to have her try one on and maybe order it. I am hoping hoping hoping she decides on the silver and grey instead of the pewter and neon yellow. Probably won't happen though. At least our helmets are different color.

I'll report back after I wear the suit for a week. We are also planning a little juant to Corpus and back to catch a CC Hooks game on the 5th so we will get to road test the suit as well.
 
The Olympia hi-vis is definately hi vis. I've got no complaints on my AST and it pays off in inclimate weather big time.

Do note, the hi vis shows dirt...bad. My wife doesn't care for the fact that my jacket looks like it's been worn for over a year. The dirt doesn't seem to wash out so well (I think it's supposed to go to the cleaners but I just wash the AST in cold water, handwash cycle w/Woolite).
 
Artcwolf said:
If their SA location is anything like their Dallas location, you won't find a better shop to purchase gear at anywhere. Motoliberty rocks.
Click to expand...

They don't have quite the selection of the Dallas location yet as it's a very new store. However, I was told that anything can be brought down in 1 business day via UPS or FedEx ground (I forget which).

The staff there however is killer! Extremely knowledgable about the products they sell, which to be honest, these days is a freakin' rarity.

I bought some random pieces of gear from the Dallas shop years ago and had fantastic customer service, so I was really excited about this. :)

They will be my first stop for anything I need for quite a while now. :rider:
 
Sounds like I need to give them a visit, but I think I'll call and make sure they have a Stealth and Phantom in my size before making the trip. I want to try them on before buying.
 
I'm pretty sure they had the mesh/vented one (whichever one that is) hanging up in a couple of sizes.

Then again, they could be sold. I haven't been back by there in a few weeks. :)
 
Just called the San Antonio store on the phone. They have the mesh in a couple of sizes but not the one I wanted to try on. They're going to be ordering more so they have the full range of sizes. They are not planning on getting the Phantom in the SA store until the fall, since it's already getting a little warm for it.
 
Cool, that makes sense though. The Phantom (from what I read) would be pretty warm for south Texas most of the time. :o

Good stuff. :)
 
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