Aerostich Darien Pants
AEROSTICH DARIEN PANTS
CW EVALUATION
A bull's-eye on a narrow target
IN COMING UP WITH A NEW PRODUCT, every company faces two different tasks: first, defining a consume need, and then designing something to meet that need. Products fail when companies screw up on either definition or execution. And sometimes a product scores a bullseye on such a narrowly felt need that only time will tell if there's really a market for it.
Such is the case for Aerostich's Darien pants. a near-perfect answer to a question you may not yet have asked, or have even thought of: What kind of water-resistant overpants would complement Aerostich `s own Darien (or another companys) streetoriented, enduro-style riding jacket?
The Aerostich (8 South 18th Av enue West. Duluth, MN 55806; 800/ 222-1994) answer to that question is a pair of unlined, jeans-like pants craft ed of 500-denier Cordura nylon and laminated with a (iore-Tex film. As well as a normally placed zipper and snap at the fly, a full-length zipper runs down the outside of each leg, from waist to ankle. To et into these pants, you simply unzip the leg zippers from ankle to mid-thigh, and step in. The large leg openings allow this maneuver over normal clothing, full leathers, or even bulky riding boots. You then close the fly with normal zipper and snap, buckle the Fastex buckle of the supplied nylon belt, zip the two side zippers down, and snap the ankle snaps shut. If necessary, you can snug the Scotchlited velcro ankle tabs at this point, to real/v insure no wind whistles up your leg.
The entire procedure takes longer than putting on a one-piece Aerostich suit, but the pants offer a different package of amenities in exchange. There are two jeans-like pockets in front, and one in back. Velcro patches on the left thigh allow the fitment of one of Aerostich's optional plastic map holders (S20), and Temperfoam pads help protect the knees. And the pants are wind tight and very water resistant, more so than the normal Aerostich suit. Along with a Darien jacket, they kept one Ci'cle World staffer dry and warm during a week of riding through drizzle in the Alps, and recently did the same for another while commuting on an unfaired bike during a rainy Califor nia winter. [)rawbacks? We found only one: It takes some fumbling to get to the wallet in the hip pocket of your normal pants.
What the Darien pants offer in com bination with a Gore-Tex enduro jack et is slightly less convenience, but more versatility than a normal Aeros tich one-piece suit. You can easily pack them and a pair of Totes as emergency rain gear if you feel like starting a ride with jacket alone, or peel them off if a brisk morning ride turns into a hot afternoon one.
Of course. versatility and quality have their price. The Darien pants sell for $287 (available in even 30-48 waist sizes: S50 extra for custom a! terations)-if bought along with a Darien jacket, that makes for a $754 riding suit. That price may keep the market for Darien pants small, but using them will quickly convince you that they certainly fill a need.
