Olympia AST results

Lano

Lano

I was so much older then
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
17
Location
Lefors, Texas
Bike
ST 1300
Now that they have been out there for awhile, how do you feel about the AST? Would you make the choice again, has it held up for you, shortcomings, plus's. Price wise it appears to be middle of the road. Would you go up or down if you had to do it over?
 
+1 AST for Fall-Winter-Spring, then Airglide mesh for Summer.
Of the different brands that I tried on (Rev'it, Joe Rocket, one more I forgot), the Olympia jackets fit me best.

Love the Please See Me neon yellow, been using it since Fall 2006 and I haven't been hit, so it must work! :)
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I like it a lot. It keeps me warmer in the winter with fewer layers (maybe I'll afford heated jacket this year...). Hot when it gets hot out, but it has decent venting for early spring and most of fall. It kept me very dry in a 9 hour rain storm from NC to MD. I think I'm going to get one of their mesh versions this fall to use next summer. Much better quality than the Tourmaster gear I've had in the past.
 
Thanks everyone. So much better to get real world opinions than the manufacturer's hype.
 
UNTMatt, I have read your posts on the Ranger pants. That steered me away from them for sure. The AST was high on everyone's list last winter. Just wanted to know if it was holding up. Thanks.
 
I had 0 problems during my "once around" tour this year. I used my AST jacket for about 80% of the ride because I also carried a mesh jacket for the hotter parts of the ride. All the adjustments allowed me to get real comfortable in the jacket. I loved the AST in the cold/cool mornings. I didn't need the liner untill the temps got below 45. The AST had a small leak in the left arm vent at the elbow bend area but after zipping and unzipping once the leak never researfaced, even during some pretty long rides in the NW coast in the rain. The pockets never leaked, even the non sealed ones stayed dry.
The liner also got used on the mornings under my Mtoboss mesh jacket on the days I knew it would get above 80. Easier to pack the liner than swapping jackets midmorning.
 
I have the Bushwaker and an airglide 2 .Still deciding whether to take the bushwaker or Airglide to Minden.
 
There are deals to be had. I just purchased one on ebay for $179.99 plus $14.99 shipping. Getting ready for winter early.
 
I've had my AST/Ranger combo for a year and a half, maybe 9,000 miles. They have been great! The AST vents pretty well, although if you are tucked behind a Barndoor XXL windshield you won't get much flow-through. I've experienced just a little rain leakage at the chest and arm vents, but that was after four hours in a real frog-strangler. Some care is needed in sealing the zipper flaps to minimize leaks. I find the AST comfortable up to 80 degrees and useable to 85. Lots of pockets. Pretty well made. Love the hi-viz yellow!

The RangerII pants are OK, too. There is no venting but they seem well-built and durable. I found the full-length Velcro side-zipper flaps a pain to un-stick for un-zipping but solved that by sticking 6" strips of Velcro 6" apart along the length so there is less of a struggle.

Conclusion? Well worth the money, IMO. Quality of construction and materials is not up to the Roadcrafter 2-pc, but there are some nice design features not found on the RC. And then there is the price difference. I'd buy again.

pete
 
I have the Bushwacker Jacket too. It works well for me even in hot weather due to the extensive mesh and find I don't need to use the waterproof liner till it gets down to the 40s. Then it's warm enough till the end of the year which comes in Nov for me in Mn.
 
Hi All,

Can some one out there tell me where i can get Olympia AST jacket in Taiwan or Asia?

i am looking for it for a long time, it is quite hard in purchasing.
 
We both use them. They have held up so far. Had them a few years. Using Airglides in the summertime on short trips, and the AST year round if we are going on long trips.
 
Hi All,

Can some one out there tell me where i can get Olympia AST Jacket ?

I am in Taiwan, prefer shipping service can support out of US and Canada.

It would be great seller has an account on the E-bay, is safety for deal.
 
One thing: The AST's aren't as waterproof as they make them to be. Both mine and Lois's AST leak when riding through rain. It's leaking through zippers, and some seams. As a result of this, and a few other factors, we have decided to replace current Olympia touring gear with Aerostich gear.
 
Tor said:
One thing: The AST's aren't as waterproof as they make them to be. Both mine and Lois's AST leak when riding through rain. It's leaking through zippers, and some seams. As a result of this, and a few other factors, we have decided to replace current Olympia touring gear with Aerostich gear.
Click to expand...

The Nikwax or CampDry or other waterproofing stuff didn't help? Or not enough?
 
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