Free Wheelin'

On the far western reaches of Superior, the greatest of the Great Lakes, you will find the largest American city on a lake – Duluth.

With the Atlantic Ocean, some 2,300 miles away, this Minnesotan city is the world’s farthest inland port accessible by ocean-going ships on the planet, and products and cargo leaving here reach all parts of the world. But I know of one particular product that not only has reached the far corners of this world, but has done so in style, with ruggedness and tenacity, and more than a thousand smiles.

Just up the hill from the harbor on 18thStreet is a three-story brick factory building that got its start as a candy factory – a century and a bit later it is now the home to Aerostich – and the origins of the textile riding motorcycle suit.

These days you can go into any motorcycle shop around the world and you will find some sort of non-leather textile riding gear. But know that the origin of this easier and more comfortable style of riding wear got its start here on the western edge of Lake Superior.

Back in 1983 Andy Goldfine, a life-time Duluthian, was dismayed at the loss of textile jobs heading out of his city, state and country.

He was also a lifetime motorcycle rider who had an idea for a new type of riding gear. Something light-weight, a suit that would be easily worn and removed while wearing regular street clothes underneath – a riding suit that would offer comfort, style, and, most important, protection to the rider. With new advances being made in the textile industry, most notably Cordura and GORE-TEX, he created what is now called the Roadcrafter Classic. There had never been anything quite like the Roadcrafter, but as word spread around the close-knit group that is our riding community these suits began to be seen on the road more and more; and riders quickly learned the benefits of the Roadcrafter suit – It’s superior protection, ease of use, bright colors, waterproofness, and for us – the ability to look like a civilian off the bike.

I am one of the faithful and have been using Aerostich riding suits for decades now, and they are long-time supporters of Backroads – so I am admittedly a bit biased. But it is easy to shrug off my last statement – as I wholeheartedly believe in both my Roadcrafter Suit and my magazine.

Hey, you’re still reading.

I got a chance to visit Aerostcih this past summer, sadly regretting that our own Mr. Happy did not make the trip with me; as all Mr. Happy Puppets had their birth (sorta) in this very building.

I was heading in from the west and the sudden vista of the Great Lake and the city below was more than breathtaking. 

I had wanted, and promised, to make the pilgrimage to Duluth for years, so it would be great to see Andy and crew again and to take an inside and up-close look at their operation.

I got there early on a Monday morning, and just minutes behind me was Andy Goldfine himself, on a very neatly set up Honda XR650 reworked as a Japanese Super Motard. Simple and basic – it looked like a machine that put the FUN in functionality, and an urban weapon for sure.

In addition to running Aerostich, Andy is also the man behind Ride to Work Day – with a mission of getting riders to use their machines all the time, and not just on Sundays. Yes, he rides to work every day – and can prove it. Ride to Work, encouraging all riders to ride their bikes to work on the second Tuesday in June, was born in 1992.  2025, its 33rd year, it will be Tuesday, June 10. 

Meanwhile, back in Duluth, Andy showed me around the home of Aersostich. The first floor is a large showroom, that carries some of the most interesting motorcycle gear, gadgets, and doodads – and it is a farkler’s dream. We took a walk through the offices, Andy’s desk looking a bit more orderly than mine – but anyone can do that – ask Shira.

I got to meet a few new faces, and my friend Sir Jeff, and, of course, Lynn Wisneski, without whom Aerostich would not be nearly the finely oiled and precision machine it is. 

Every Starship Commander has a #1 – Lynn is that.

We rode upstairs, on the oldest commercial elevator in the city, and the doors opened up to show were rolls and rolls of fabric – awaiting to be rolled out and vacuumed in place while an ultrafast cutter makes precise patterns. Almost every Roadcrafter suit is created for individual demands, sizing, and color choices.

From here these precise patterns are brought to the men and women who do the actual stitching and creation of the Roadcrafter suits, and you know who they are as everyone here signs their work.

Workmanship like this takes time, and the average suit takes many hours to be built.

After our walk-about I sat down with Andy for a short chat, that happily ran longer, and it was great just to talk motorcycles, riders, and the industry as a whole with a man that has keen intellect and knowledge about how we are as a sport and industry, and where we might go in the future; and I left the talk with a renewed zeal for these two-wheel contraptions that are such a part of our lives.

Although Aerostich started with a revolutionary riding suit, over the years it has become so much more, and its catalog now carries hundreds of products. From apparel to accessories, many that cannot be found anywhere else, and even products that are not really real – but would be neat if they were. 

From the beginning this company was built around, and about riders; and we riders are a serious bunch, but seem to have more fun than most others on this planet. From what I saw in my short few hours with Andy, Aerostich and crew in Duluth are seriously both having fun and keeping us on the road. Even if you do not ride your motorcycle to work every day – make sure you do on June 10 – I know we’ll be on the road!