P2P is 60 cm/23.6" and relaxed I have a chest circumference of approx. 111 cm.
Shoulder is 49.5 cm/19.5"
The jacket is tight, but not so tight that I can't wear anything underneath.
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Aero Board Racer Leather help
- Thread starter Cortexas
- Start date
Shoulder is 49.5 cm/19.5"
The jacket is tight, but not so tight that I can't wear anything underneath.
Cortexas
Familiar Face
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- 73
- Location
- Austin, TX
Thanks for the pics! Badalassi is a beautiful leather. I think I read in another thread that you had put Gussetts on a board racer. It add much range of motion? Did it add some bulk to the upper back in a good way I want my racer to fit a bit more like a jacket than a shirt and I’m wondering if the gussets might help make that a reality.
That was my Sheene (Café Racer) with the shoulder gussets.
They will do a bit, but at least with the ones I've had so far, less than expected. If you really want freedom of movement, I think footballs (the gussets on the armpits) or action back are better. But I don't like action back. The shoulder gussets are now also my second choice because I think they make the back look too bulky. With a strong drop p2p to hem, I think it sometimes looks a bit disproportionate.
Pics
They will do a bit, but at least with the ones I've had so far, less than expected. If you really want freedom of movement, I think footballs (the gussets on the armpits) or action back are better. But I don't like action back. The shoulder gussets are now also my second choice because I think they make the back look too bulky. With a strong drop p2p to hem, I think it sometimes looks a bit disproportionate.
Pics
Cortexas
Familiar Face
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- 73
- Location
- Austin, TX
Do you know if Aero can do football gussets on a board racer?
They will only do it on designs that historically came with them, like the US Navy jackets or the Irvin.
@MrProper I quite like the look of shoulder gussets but my experience has been that they feel very different with different makers' patterns. Schott's feels almost like a full action back; Vanson's was close.
I can hardly imagine it, but it costs nothing to ask. With a café racer there is the option of shoulder gussets or no shoulder gussets. I have not yet seen this on a boardracer.
Footballs will change the pattern of the sleeve and that makes me wonder why they would get involved. The feature probably won't be asked that often. Whether it looks good on a boardracer remains to be seen.
I have the footballs on my Irvin and I think they're great.
Just ask.
Aero posted on here before when someone was advising to request underarm footballs on a jacket to say they only do it on those military designs that already had it.
Canuck Panda
I'll Lock Up
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- 4,666
Board Racer Seven with shoulder pleats,
Boardracer with center pleat,
My Boardracer Seven has stock back design, I wished I had gone one size bigger and with the center pleats.
I've got Aeros with full action back, shoulder gussets and center pleats. I find that full action back works about the same as the center pleat in terms of range of motion. The shoulder gussets are the least effective imo, but I am biased against them.
The sleeve has a lot to do with range of motion too. And the BR has very slim upper sleeves. The CR has bigger upper sleeves and more shoulder room, but smaller collar than the BR... I still favor CR over BR though, mainly because it has bigger upper sleeves for easier movements. My CR with a full action back instead of the shoulder gussets,
Boardracer with center pleat,
My Boardracer Seven has stock back design, I wished I had gone one size bigger and with the center pleats.
I've got Aeros with full action back, shoulder gussets and center pleats. I find that full action back works about the same as the center pleat in terms of range of motion. The shoulder gussets are the least effective imo, but I am biased against them.
The sleeve has a lot to do with range of motion too. And the BR has very slim upper sleeves. The CR has bigger upper sleeves and more shoulder room, but smaller collar than the BR... I still favor CR over BR though, mainly because it has bigger upper sleeves for easier movements. My CR with a full action back instead of the shoulder gussets,
Cortexas
Familiar Face
- Messages
- 73
- Location
- Austin, TX
This is great info! It seems the full action back would be hard with the board racer pattern unless it’s heavily modified. I’ll ask Carrie and see what she says. If shoulder gussets are the only realistic option without heavy mods, do you think it is worth it or no?
Canuck Panda
I'll Lock Up
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- 4,666
If you are going through TB, they had a vintage Bates before, which is very very similar to the BR, but with a special type of under shoulder yoke gusset. This would be the perfect world scenario, if TB can get Aero to make this Bates design BR reproduction.
This type of shoulder gusset not only good for range of motion but also gives the wearer very athletic shape, while not actually super tapered in dimensions, just looks like it. This would be a perfect world scenario imo. I would totally upgrade my BR to it if someone did the trial pattern run first, haha.
This type of shoulder gusset not only good for range of motion but also gives the wearer very athletic shape, while not actually super tapered in dimensions, just looks like it. This would be a perfect world scenario imo. I would totally upgrade my BR to it if someone did the trial pattern run first, haha.
AeroFan_07
I'll Lock Up
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- 5,699
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- Iowa
I would highly advise going through Thurston Brothers if you are based in North America.
The fit-jacket process is well worth it to get the fit correct.
The Board Racer is a very slim-fit jacket. On a BR, I would take a "46" or even a "48". Whereas a 4-pocket Cafe Racer I fit very well in a 42, or a "44" if I wanted room for a sweatshirt. I am 6' 1" tall and 195 lbs. I owned a Size 42 Horween CX Steerhide 4-pocket CR from 2014 - 2019 and it was my favorite Aero jacket, also my first one to buy it new while Thurston Brothers still had their physical store location.
The fit-jacket process is well worth it to get the fit correct.
The Board Racer is a very slim-fit jacket. On a BR, I would take a "46" or even a "48". Whereas a 4-pocket Cafe Racer I fit very well in a 42, or a "44" if I wanted room for a sweatshirt. I am 6' 1" tall and 195 lbs. I owned a Size 42 Horween CX Steerhide 4-pocket CR from 2014 - 2019 and it was my favorite Aero jacket, also my first one to buy it new while Thurston Brothers still had their physical store location.
AeroFan_07
I'll Lock Up
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- Iowa
Or you could just order a brand-new Bates Competition CR - although it's a 6-12 month wait for it
https://batesleathers.com/competition
Seeing the price, this seems like a no-brainer.
I'd assumed all Bates were around $3k because of their cross-zip.
AeroFan_07
I'll Lock Up
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Yes, I too was surprised. I am in talks with Dawn about one.
I'd definitely second not going with FQHH for something like a Board Racer or Café Racer. I have a CR in heavy steer hide, another in battered seal and one in Vicenza - the latter two are by far more comfortable, flexible and practical. The tan steer hide CR is a nice jacket, but it's not very 'wearable' in the ways that my fqhh Highwayman is or any of the other looser patterns I have in fqhh are. Vicenza or goat would be my choices.
Yep both CR and 20" shoulders
Cortexas
Familiar Face
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- 73
- Location
- Austin, TX
Yes I ordered mine in black Vicenza. I know some guys do BRs in FQHH but I could not imagine how uncomfortable that would be at least for the first 3 years.
Yeah, it sucks. The tan steer hide CR I have is a nice-looking thing, but it's unwearable
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Have you considered ordering some leather samples? Getting a feel for the different types of leather offered might help. If you want something that doesn't need break in.. maybe their soft grainy steerhide? I quite like the sample I got of it but I don't know if there are things that are only noticeable on a full jacket.
Cortexas
Familiar Face
- Messages
- 73
- Location
- Austin, TX
Yes I did get samples. I liked the Vicenza and Badalassi best. I didn’t learn about the soft grainy steerhide until after I got my samples. Im gonna definitely consider it for my next jacket. My fit jacket came in Vicenza and I felt it had plenty of weight to it. Obviously the CXL stuff is heavier but Vicenza definitely felt substantial enough.
