Altura Women’s Synchro Progel Bib Shorts
£55 » women
+ Great value, comfortable pair of bibshorts
- Short legs might not appeal to everyone
It may seem hard to believe for the uninitiated, but £60 quid these days only gets you fairly basic bib shorts. That was why we are pleasantly surprised to feel the quality and experience the top performance of these excellent offerings.
With an 8 panel layout for great fit, soft and stretchy fabric and a mesh bib they feel superb on, and this is backed up by many sessions on the bike where they were nothing but comfortable.
Silicon grippers on the leg keep them in place perfectly on long rides, although it is worth noting that the legs themselves are pretty short, finishing quite some way above the knee.
We also love their look, with contrasting stitching lifting them from just a plain black while some subtle reflectives help with some added low-light visibility.
Gore Bike Wear ALP-X Windstopper Soft Shell Shorts
£110 » men
+ A protective weather resistant short
- Durability is a little lacking for full-on mountain biking
When last autumn arrived we reached for these Windstopper shorts and have barely taken them off since. They are cut reasonably close fitting, but being made from a stretchy fabric they get away with it without being restrictive.
Purely an outer short, not coming with any kind of pad, the design is best described as ‘no-fuss,’ with a discreet zipped pocket behind each thigh for small items as the only storage. A buckle at the waist draws them in nicely.
Although not waterproof, the Windstopper fabric resists splashes and showers perfectly well, only soaking through with extended spray from the back wheel or in pouring persistent rain. Even then it soaks through so slowly it doesn’t chill, so they bridge the gap between normal and waterproof shorts nicely.
X-Bionic The Trick bib shorts
£180 » men
+ Technologies that work
- Nothing
At £180 these bib shorts are pretty much without peers but the quality and technology arguably reflects that price tag.
The technology is designed to stop you overheating by allowing a thin film of sweat to build up, then excess sweat is wicked away through channels to areas where it’s evaporated. Rather than just being random areas these are zones are where your muscles can benefit the most from the cooling effects of evaporation. In practice this approach certainly feels like it works with just the right amount of heat being retained and modulated.
In use, the lightweight, stretchy Polyamide material is soft and supple next to the skin, and you barely notice the bib straps once they’re on, while the legs are close fitting but not overly tight. There are no silicone grippers but they stay perfectly in place even after out-of-saddle efforts.
The seatpad is one of the most comfortable we’ve tested with just the right amount of padding in all the right places.
Sportful No Rain Bib tights
£95 » men
+ A great fitting pair of tights, repelling light drizzle
- Don’t go assuming they are waterproof – they aren’t
We have worn these thermal bibtights now for three winters. We love them.
The material is hydrophobic, and they are excellent in drizzle, but don’t go assuming they are waterproof – they aren’t. We find that any direct splashes easily penetrate (there is no physical barrier to stop them sluicing through) and heavy rain quickly soaks in.
Even discounting anything more than a light rain resistance, you are still left with a fantastic quality, close fitting pair of warm bibtights that hold their shape and fit well even when soaking.
The seatpad is good for all-day riding, never causing us any problem even in the grimmest of conditions. One of our testers is actually on their third pair, but the first pair are still going after three years, only showing signs of wearing out now.
Endura Women’s Hummvee Lite Short
£55 » women
+ Lightweight and great looking pair of shorts
- Seat pad a little thin for long days in the saddle
We felt the £55 price of these baggy shorts was pretty reasonable, then we realised it included a detachable liner with pad taking it to a new level.
The quality and durability proved excellent throughout the test period and an understated look with subtle pink highlights look great.
They are definitely a summer short, with a light and stretchy fabric further cooled by ventilating mesh panels around the hip and a loose, airy fit. A hard wearing Cordura panel on the seat means durability isn’t compromised.
Plenty of pockets – 2 hip and 2 zipped thigh – should hold most of your small items and, although the liner is quite thin and flexible, and probably suited best for shorter rides, the fact that it is detachable means you can use the outer shorts with other thicker or differently profiled liners if you prefer.
Sweet Protection Mudride Waterproof Shorts
£130 » men
+ Built tough and look great on the trail
- The waist is not really high enough, leaving a gap
Waterproof mountain bike shorts have a hard life; but these are equal to it.
Heavy denier Cordura type fabric lines the high wear areas of the backside and thigh, while the rest of the fabric used is lighter but still tough. It does add up to a heavy short, but it all feels as bombproof and new after the test as it did before.
The cut is excellent, ending just below the knee with drawcords we tended to snug up when the going was cold and wet, or open out to ventilate when the weather improved. Sweet have articulated the knee so that pedalling comes more naturally to the cut.
Long ventilation zips down the back of the thigh help greatly with moisture management, and there are a couple of hip pockets.
Yes they are pricey, but they feel they will last a few seasons of grubby abuse.
Craft Shield Bib Shorts
£120 » men
+ Water resistant bibshorts are unusual but welcome!
- Tight leg cuffs and very expensive
With a water resistant treatment, these thick bibshorts from Craft are designed to take you through some questionable weather while keeping your important quad muscles warm and dry.
True to this concept water does bead on them and run off without soaking in, but with no actual barrier to prevent it heavy rain did penetrate the open weave fabric. Not a big problem as they are actually an excellent cool weather bibshort even without that feature.
The seat pad is one of the best we have planted our backsides on, keeping everything perfectly in shape even over long rides. Wide bib straps are comfortable and perforated to keep them breathable. We do find the broad elastic leg cuffs a little on the tight side and while fit is personal, we rarely have this issue.
Mavic Crossmax Ultimate Short
£70 » men
+ A lightweight but tough short for long days in the mountains
- Pricey without a seat pad
You will have to go a long way to find a better pair of summer riding shorts than these Crossmax Ultimate. The light fabric used in the construction is virtually dry every time they come out the washing machine, so needless to say they dry very quickly on the trail too when we are unlucky enough to get caught out in the rain.
The design is very plain, without a lot of bells and whistles, buckles and pockets which we actually appreciate. It keeps them light and uncluttered – just a great fitting pair of shorts. The only Velcro in evidence cinches the waist up, and the only pockets are two small zipped numbers.
It is worth noting that Mavic also offers a seamless liner made of extremely breathable and cool mesh with a superb seat pad. We were sent a pair with our baggies and can vouch they are worth every bit of the £57 asking price.
Polaris Cadence Women’s Cycling Tight
£55 » women
+ Excellent soft and stretchy fabric, comfortable and warm
- We found the seat pad too small, causing some chafing
Initial impression of these Polaris tights is excellent. The soft thermal fabric employed throughout is warm and breathable, while the broad waistband makes light work of holding them in place firmly but comfortably.
The legs are, if anything, generously long and are finished with some excellent foot stirrups that keep them in place nicely.
On the bike we did get a few negative comments though, with some testers reporting back with some chafing from the pad. The complaints seem to centre around it being a bit narrow, with heavy stitching around the edges that cause problems after only an hour.
This can be a personal fit issue though, and otherwise they are excellent, so we would recommend you try before you buy if possible.
Giordana Forma Red Carbon Bib Knickers
£100 » men
+ Fantastic fit and seat pad make for all-day comfort
- Nothing
These Giordana three quarter knicks aren’t cheap, but they ooze quality and top finishing from an Italian company well known for expertise and innovation, well beyond their price tag.
We love the wide, stitch-free bib straps that never chafe or slide off, and the Super Roubaix fabric strikes just the right note of warmth and stretch to be super-comfortable all day.
The chamois is second to none. As top of the Giordana range it incorporates memory foam, variable thickness padding and even impregnated Aloe Vera to fight bacteria. Put simply, it’s the most comfortable we’ve ever tried!
So with their great fit, sag free fabric and contouring cut we recommend you dig deep and try these for your next marathon road ride. Your backside will thank you.
