Heretic Riding Pants CORSA LMX-COMB

Hello, this is Aikyo.

Today I'd like to introduce you to Kadoya's CORSA LMX-COMB riding pants.

This season, I was asked by Kadoya to review their new products, so I borrowed these new riding pants as my first review.

Recently, riders' values ​​have become more diverse, so many products are being developed with trial and error to strike a balance between usability on a motorcycle and design.

This is just my personal opinion, but I get the impression that Kadoya's products are not only great for ease of movement and protection on a motorcycle, but also have many versatile items that are easy to wear around town.

The CORSA LMX-COMB is exactly that type of pants, easy to wear around town and easy to enjoy as they age over time.

Now, let's start by introducing the details.

detail

Product name: CORSA LMX-COMB

Color: Navy, Black

Sizes: S to 3L

Price: ¥25,300

The main features of this product are the material and silhouette.

The main material is 100% cotton 13.5 oz selvedge denim .

Riding pants can be stressful if the fabric becomes tight when you lift and lower your legs, so these days it's common for them to be blended with stretch fabrics such as polyurethane.
It is not uncommon for pants for workers to contain around 10% blended fabric.

However, polyurethane deteriorates more easily than cotton, and it is said that the percentage of polyurethane that can be blended into pants without noticeable deterioration is around 2-3%.

If you want to wear them for a long time and enjoy the aging process, it would be better not to use stretch fabric, but this will make it difficult to move around.

Also, if the silhouette is not very form-fitting, the fabric will flap around when riding at high speeds, and the protectors will not fit properly, so most riding pants have a regular or tapered silhouette that contains 2-3% stretch fabric.

So what about CORSA LMX-COMB ? It's 100% cotton selvedge denim and does not contain any stretch material.
Instead, it has a wide silhouette from the thighs to the hem.

With this specification, the fabric may flap depending on the wind direction and speed when driving on the highway, and the fit of the knee protectors may not be very good.

However, I feel that the designer's intention was to create a design that is casual enough to be worn on the street .

If it's 100% cotton, you'll want to enjoy the changes that occur over time.

CORSA LMX-COMB denim is made with selvedge fabric .
Selvedge is denim fabric woven on old-fashioned looms with the edges of the fabric secured against fraying.

If you turn the hem inside out, you will see that red thread is used on the edge of the fabric, a feature known as " red selvedge " among fans of vintage denim.

It is made on an old-fashioned loom that is no longer in use, so it is woven with less force than regular denim.
Therefore, they are soft and become more comfortable as you wear them.
Furthermore, even within the same fabric, the density varies slightly, allowing you to enjoy the unique changes that occur over time .

This selvedge denim is paired with a polyester mesh lining and washable leather on the inner thighs .

Polyester mesh fabric is sewn into the front of the pants to accommodate protectors.
This mesh covers the area below the knee where the protectors are located.

Therefore, you can adjust the length by hemming the pants.

There are three white strings running horizontally in the protector pocket, which can be cut to adjust the position of the protector as needed.

Washable cowhide leather is used from the inner thigh to below the knee.

Washable leather basically requires almost no maintenance, so even lazy riders can use it with confidence.

The aim of using this material is to provide a grip on the tank and seat similar to that of leather pants , thereby assisting riding.
However, in recent years, it seems that it is expected to function more as a heat guard than as a grip support.

In particular, due to recent exhaust gas regulations, there are an increasing number of cases where lean combustion with a higher proportion of air compared to fuel is required.
As a result, the engine tends to heat up.

In addition, the summers have been extremely hot in recent years, so it seems that the demand for heat guard pants to prevent low-temperature burns on the inner thighs is gradually increasing.

It was strange that Kadoya, a long-established leather goods manufacturer, hadn't released this product, but it has finally appeared in this year's fall/winter model.

On my beloved CRF250 Rally, the inside of my knees get hot due to the way the muffler is routed.
The area that people want to protect from heat may vary, but I feel that the CORSA LMX-COMB covers a relatively wide area.

Personally, I would have liked it to cover up to the calves, but considering the wide silhouette and the need to hem it, it may have been difficult to adjust it any further.

One of the reasons why the designer feels that the piece is going all out for a casual look is the rivets used on the pockets and other areas.

Riding denim uses low-head rivets, and some products don't even use rivets at all.
However, the CORSA LMX-COMB uses standard rivets, so you need to be careful not to hit them when maneuvering the vehicle, but standard rivets look better.

Another point that makes it feel like Kadoya is that the rivets and buttons have no stamping on the surface, but when you look at the back, you can see that they have the YKK logo engraved on them.
Ideally, we would like to make the YKK presence known, but we have deliberately made it less conspicuous, giving it a solid, rugged image .

In terms of appearance, the leather patch attached to the back waist area is also distinctive.
It features words like "KADOYA," "ASAKUSA," and "TOKYO," giving it the feel of a downtown manufacturer.

In addition, washable leather is used on the back pocket to enhance the texture.

The front pocket is deep enough to fit a large smartphone with some room to move out.
The knee area also has double fabric to prevent tearing in the event of a fall, and the top has a pocket, so you might want to put your smartphone there.

Size

Wearer's specs: Height 164cm, Weight 59kg, Hobbies are cycling and light weight training

I usually wear size S or 28-29 inch jeans, but in the fall and winter I often wear thick tights over them, so I chose size M this time.

It's one size larger than usual, so I thought I'd need a belt, but the waist is surprisingly tight, so I recommend going up one size even if you plan to wear it for three seasons.

The silhouette is quite wide from the thighs to the calves.

Even when my thighs were really sore from cycling, there was still a little room around the thighs and plenty of room around the calves.

The hem is also wide, so it is best worn with boots tucked inside .
If you are wearing it privately, it is recommended to fold the hem twice to show the red selvedge .

I tried using it on a motorcycle

Even though it's October, the temperature is 29°C.
On a sunny day, I set off on my beloved CRF250rally with CORSA LMX-COMB tires.

It was a sweaty day, but the jacket had just the right amount of breathability and the mesh on the front meant I hardly felt any heat.

I didn't feel any wind coming in around my thighs, which were tight, but I did feel a bit of wind around my calves, which were looser.

The washable leather makes it easy to grip with your knees and prevents your buttocks from slipping off, which is likely to help reduce fatigue on long-distance tours.

However, there are also negative points.
When riding a bike with a high seat height, such as an off-road bike, you need to move your buttocks when stopping, but it's difficult to slide, so you need to gain a little momentum.

Regarding the flapping that I was concerned about, the CRF250rally's cowling prevents the wind from hitting your legs, so there was no flapping even when I was going fast.

If the fabric were thinner it might flap around, but it seems fine for long distances and touring.
However, this may depend on compatibility with the vehicle model.

The protector also fit relatively well, so I felt secure.
However, this is because I have thick legs and knees, so it may not be a good fit for slimmer people.

This might be the perfect riding denim for middle-aged riders.

It is said that if you do nothing, your muscles will gradually weaken as you age.
At the same time, your metabolism slows down, making it easier for you to gain weight around your stomach and legs, making it difficult to maintain your figure.

In that case, you may find it difficult to move around in tapered or regular silhouette riding pants.

On the other hand, slightly wider pants can also make you look slimmer when paired with your regular outerwear.
It's also a great choice for those who want to look fashionable while riding a motorcycle.

In addition, a special leather jacket was released this season to commemorate Kadoya's 90th anniversary .
It might be a good idea to coordinate it with these pants!