I tested out the Cortech’s Women’s LRX Air 2.0 Mesh Jacket and Vice WP Riding Shoe. I put the gear through the wringer – testing its performance in SoCal’s sweltering August heat and relying on it to survive my first accident. In this post, we’ll focus on the jacket.

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The Jacket

Cortech designed the LRX Air 2.0 to be a versatile summer jacket. It has two layers of removable liners, making it work for slightly cool (~70F I’d say?) to scorching hot weather. Its Aqua-Therm® liner and water-resistant outer layer make it wearable in wet weather. It also has full armored protection—shoulder, elbow, and back protectors. For convenience, the jacket features a ton of pockets— zippered chest map pocket, hand pockets, internal pouch and mobile phone pocket. (I only needed the phone pocket some of the time, but it’s nice to know it's there if I need it.) And the jacket comes in three colors: black with white details, black with pink details, and all white.

Ventilation: That's the Name of the Game

I was really impressed with the LRX Air’s ventilation system. When you get moving, the jacket picks up the breeze like a wick. Even in 90+ degree weather I felt cool; the air really moves through it. At stops, it’s a slightly different story. I’m not sure if black was the best color to choose for the LA heat (Oops).

I imagine this jacket would be great for cooler temperatures as well. It comes with layers on layers of protective fabric, providing a lot of insulation. And the layers are easy enough to take on and off that it really is like having three different riding jackets.

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The Innermost Layer
The Inner and the Middle Layers Together: Pockets, Pockets Everywhere

Jacket-On-Pavement

Now let’s talk about protection. Unfortunately, I took a tumble about a week ago...

I’m not happy about it. But on the flip side, I can sit here with authority and tell you that Cortech’s gear is a great investment. My torso and feet were almost completely protected. I have a decent bruise on my elbow, but it’s child’s play compared to the bruises on my leg (I was only wearing denim jeans – not a good call.) I guess I fell pretty hard, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by the condition of my Cortech gear. As you can tell by the pictures I’ve posted, my phone got off scot-free in the mobile phone pocket …though, that may have been due to the nature of the fall rather than the quality of the gear.)

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And here’s the full jacket after the slide, looking virtually good as new:

A big thank you to Cortech for the LRX Air’s Armor-Link 3 Mesh shell with Denier Ballistic Polyester shoulder and elbow impacts panels. And thanks also for its CE-approved elbow and shoulder armor and tripe-density back protector. Not exactly sure what that all means, but the stuff worked and I’m mighty appreciative of it.


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