I was lucky to get the Loeka Kulla Bottoms, which are breathable, waterproof, riding pants for Christmas and couldn’t wait to try them out! I was out on the trails within a couple of hours of opening gifts.
Below is a description of these pants found on Loeka’s website:
Loeka’s seam sealed Kulla Bottoms will keep you warm, dry and riding all winter long and looking good. The light-weight, yet very durable 320D polyester can handle everything you and mother nature throw at it. While the articulated knees keep you moving freely and the mesh lining, sided zip vents keep you comfortable and cool. Staying active on your bike in winter just got stamped with no more excuses!!
Okay, I confess, I had tried on these pants before Christmas and dropped a couple of “not-so-subtle” hints that I wanted them… I chose a size small instead of extra-small for one simple reason: they weren’t long enough in the area between my waist and my hips. The extra-small were the perfect length in the legs for me and were a great fit in the waist, but left me with an unsightly camel toe. Um, yeah… So a small it was! I’d rather have them a bit too big in the waist and a tad too long than that.
The first ride I took them on we had a nice sunny, although cold, day. The only thing I wore underneath on this ride were my padded cycling shorts and it got a bit cool when we stopped. I didn’t wear a belt and that might have been a mistake. Luckily my shorts underneath prevented anything from being visible. The velcro strip on the bottom when done up all the way prevented the legs from being caught in the chain and there was lots of room to move. The only thing I would change is to have one or two more velcro strips on the lower leg as well as the ankle to prevent the “parachute” effect.
My next ride had everything! A bit of snow, a bit of rain, lots of mud… I wore leggings underneath for this ride and found I was overdressed so I’ll need to play around to find the perfect layering. There are zippered side vents on these pants, but I forgot they were there so I’ll have to try those on a future ride. The pants are definitely waterproof, and riding on the “Wet Coast” that is definitely a plus!
The other nice thing about these pants is the long zipper on the lower leg. It allows you to get the pants on or off without taking off your shoes, or put some armour underneath if you’re planning on ripping down the DH runs. They left plenty of room for armour as well.
Overall, I found them very comfortable and would recommend them. They have plenty of room to layer up underneath and plenty of room to move. However, if you are long in the waist these pants are not for you.