Your recommendation for bib shorts and longs

[The Ghost]

Hi folks,

I hope you’re not struggling too much under the circumstances and that you are well.

 

Do you have a bib / longs / chamois/ riding pant for road duty that you recommend or really appreciate above any others?

Maybe you even have different ones for different conditions. I’d love to hear what you enjoy using.

[Butterbean]

I have a selection...

 

Vermarc MTN branded bibs. Thin chamois, great lycra and the shoulder straps are this great webbed fabric. They're a solid 9/10 for me, and I only really start feeling sore after three or four hours on the bike. Use these for training and the indoor trainer mostly, but quite happy to ride with them on the weekend. They're not flashy but they work incredibly well.

 

Assos.. Have some of the green pad and pink pad lowest of the range ones... Still Hella expensive. They're good. The pink ones have a strange fit and I don't like the low cut front, but everything else is good. Shoulder straps on both a tree comfy, and definitely my go to shorts for very long rides.

 

But top of the pops - giordana FRC bibs. Super quality, from the pad to the lycra and shoulder straps, it fits my body best by far and the pad is otherworldly. They're not even top of the range goirdanas but theyre incredible. Leg grippers seem fragile at first but they've held up perfectly well. I really like the seam placement on these too.

 

I'm 125kgs on a good day at the moment, use a spez romin 155 saddle, and have my bikes fitted to me. So there's a little background - generally as the fatty I am, a bike saddle will hurt no matter what, but those bibs above do a phenomenal job of keeping my relatively comfortable.

[The Ghost]

Thank you,

Always good to hear what folks are enjoying

[Andrew_Smith]

I have used Ciovita, Castelli, Vye and Giordana.

 

I can confidently say that my Giordana bib is the most comfortable out of the lot. 

 

(I ranged the comfort from weak to best)

 

Ordered the RS S9 bib from ASSOS. This will be a gamer changer for me or not.

 

'Dale highly recommended them to me as it is the only brand his uses.

 

Let's see post-lockdown how they perform.

[Chris_]

My oldest and best ever pair are Moa (Nalini I think), very thin and super comfortable.

 

Other pair is Sportful, mid range I think, but I don't like them much, the chamois just doesn't feel great. 

 

The rest are tri-suits...    Which somehow are always the most comfortable despite being barely-there.

 

I like a thin chamois and I remember struggling to find a replacement pair a while back. I am tempted to try some Assos though given all the online sales, but I'm very nervous to blindly buy these types of things without physically 'holding them' and trying them on.

[Butterbean]

My oldest and best ever pair are Moa (Nalini I think), very thin and super comfortable.

 

Other pair is Sportful, mid range I think, but I don't like them much, the chamois just doesn't feel great.

 

The rest are tri-suits... Which somehow are always the most comfortable despite being barely-there.

 

I like a thin chamois and I remember struggling to find a replacement pair a while back. I am tempted to try some Assos though given all the online sales, but I'm very nervous to blindly buy these types of things without physically 'holding them' and trying them on.

If you like a thinner chamois the assos aren't the way to go. The chamois is on that cusp of too much, in my opinion. I like a thin chamois too and the vermarc are great. The giordana also have a thicker chamois but unlike the assos it feels like it doesn't bunch up or get creased, so they're supremely comfortable without feeling like you've stuffed a pillow in your Gooch.

[Thomo]

Assos will always feature (for good reason) and many other European brands will come a close second, of which the more common are Nalini, Santini, Giordana and Vermarc.

For me, density is an important quality in a chamois as is the positioning of the chamois in shorts. (something SA manufacturers can be a bit hit and miss on)

Also, the combination of saddle and shorts plays a big role in comfort.

 

PS some good deals (note: not cheap) on Assos at Cyclelab/CWC at the moment.

Edited April 18, 2020 by Thomo

['Dale]

I have Assos longs, fleeced, knickers and regular as I train throughout every season.

 

Made for comfort, style and durable as Wolverine.

[The Ouzo]

The pink ones have a strange fit and I don't like the low cut front, 

My new Ciovita have the low cut front.

At first I didn't like it as without a top on it lets my gut hang out, but you see, I'm not hung like a horse and when a toilet break is needed I can't just pull my junk out the bottom of the leg like some people, this means that with my normal bibs there is a bit of disjointed yoga getting a strap off the shoulder under my top to get the front of the shorts to drop so I can get my junk out.

But with the low cut Ciovita this Yoga session before a pee is not needed, so I have come to like the low cut front.

 

Plus they are the most comfortable bibs I've every owned.

[Jewbacca]

I have a pair of Adidas Bibs which are hands down my favourite. I have Assos which run them close, some Enjoy which don't fit me at all and some others which don't deserve a mention.

 

The Addidas ones are the most comfy hands down. For me

[Thomo]

The Addidas ones are the most comfy hands down. For me

Wasn't Adidas and Mavic associated at one stage.? So they come with that pedigree.

[Jewbacca]

Wasn't Adidas and Mavic associated at one stage.? So they come with that pedigree.

I'm not sure... I know that Adidas bought 5/10 so I'm sure they have some cycling pedigree.

[The Ghost]

My oldest and best ever pair are Moa (Nalini I think), very thin and super comfortable.

 

Other pair is Sportful, mid range I think, but I don't like them much, the chamois just doesn't feel great.

 

The rest are tri-suits... Which somehow are always the most comfortable despite being barely-there.

 

I like a thin chamois and I remember struggling to find a replacement pair a while back. I am tempted to try some Assos though given all the online sales, but I'm very nervous to blindly buy these types of things without physically 'holding them' and trying them on.

For a thinner chamois try the Pearl Izumi Pro Bib maybe.

[The Ghost]

My new Ciovita have the low cut front.

At first I didn't like it as without a top on it lets my gut hang out, but you see, I'm not hung like a horse and when a toilet break is needed I can't just pull my junk out the bottom of the leg like some people, this means that with my normal bibs there is a bit of disjointed yoga getting a strap off the shoulder under my top to get the front of the shorts to drop so I can get my junk out.

But with the low cut Ciovita this Yoga session before a pee is not needed, so I have come to like the low cut front.

 

Plus they are the most comfortable bibs I've every owned.

Bwa ha ha ha ha ha

Awesome post

[The Ghost]

So keeping in mind that I only have MTB kit for now, I have some Cape storm shorts (don’t like), some Endura Humvee shorts (the inner is meh and the outer is tough and rugged, but noisy and not a joy), a Velotex bib (comfortable chamois and fit but the silicon bites into the leg like a bear trap) and a Specialized Atlas shorts. The last are my favourite, a thinnish chamois stitched into a sort of thin mesh bib with the most comfortable elastic retention and a pair of shorts that go over them.

[The_Hitman]

I have Vermarc, Ciovita, Assos S7 and RS9. In terms of durability Assos all the way... comfort, well Assos again! RS9 is next level...