The Best Cycling Bib Shorts Reviews: Added, Comfort, and Aero

July 3, 2019

While even the best bib shorts may look like something from Magic Mike, they do serve a purpose other than showing off your chiseled abs, defined pecs, and pert glutes. MAMILs (look it up), pro cyclists and even some normal people swear by bib shorts for their comfort and streamlining, wind-defeating qualities. 

Bib shorts hold your chamois in place, reducing the potential for chafing; and keep your shorts up too. Since there's no waistband or uncomfortable drawstring – bib shorts stay up with lightweight breathable shoulder straps – they're more comfortable than regular cycling shorts, helping you stay in the saddle for longer. (However, if bib shorts are just too specialist for you, fear not. We also have a guide to the best cycling shorts, which anyone can wear.)

Bib short prices range from around £50 well up into the hundreds. The budget doesn't necessarily mean bad anymore, but you do get what you pay for. And given that your cycling shorts are the main thing between you and your bike, it makes sense to invest in a decent pair.

What are the best cycling bib shorts?

We still think that the Assos T.Equipe_s7 Bib Shorts are the best you can buy. They provide an excellent level of comfort and stretch, with nine artfully arrayed panels of purest manmade fiber – as shown in a way that leaves little to the imagination in our main image.

The right bib shorts for you will depend on what sort of riding you want to do. Some of the options in our guide below are better for long distances; others for shorter training rides. We've also covered a range of prices, so you can be sure you'll find the best bib shorts for your budget.

The best bib shorts for cycling

1. Assos T.Equipe_s7 Bib Shorts

These racer-approved bib shorts let you move in all manner of ways

Best bib shorts: Assos T.Equipe_s7

Specifications
  • Best for: Race fit
  • Sizes: XS, L, XL
  • Material: Nylon, polyester, Spandex
Reasons to buy
  • Light and comfortable compression
  • Excellent foam padding
Reasons to avoid
  • Initially a little pricey (although now affordable with discounts)

 have a lot to recommend, not least the fact that they're the chosen short of the BMS Racing pro team. Nine panels ensure an optimum range of movement no matter the twists and turns, and this complex construction conspires with the light compression fabric to make one of the most comfortable bib cycling shorts out there. 

The padding is ingenious too, with what reviewers called “spot-on” memory foam placement and variable compression for maximum comfort. At the time of writing, Wiggle customers have awarded them a fantastic 4.7/5 stars over nearly 300 reviews,  making them one of the best bib shorts you can buy right now.

2. Endura Pro SL II Bib Shorts

Technically advanced bib shorts with an option for all shapes and sizes – and UPF 30 sun protection

Endura Pro SL Cycling Bibshort II Long Leg
Specifications
  • Best for: Padding
  • Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
  • Material: Nylon, polyester, elastane
Reasons to buy
  • Non-IR-absorbent material
  • Three pad options+Superb quality
Reasons to avoid
  • Can get a little warm

Featuring something intriguingly called ‘coldblack’ technology, the Endura Pro SL II Bib Shorts are ideal for use as a single layer in warm weather. The clever material means that these black shorts absorb less infrared than regular ones, keeping you cooler, and also provide minimum UPF 30 protection from the sun. It’s the fit that sets them apart though.

With a great range of sizes from the oft-neglected XS to XXL, three different pad width options to suit all hip bone configurations, and two leg lengths, there a brilliant bib short option in the range for riders of all shapes and sizes.

3. Rapha Souplesse Detachable Bib Shorts

A brilliant bib short for female cyclists with a magnetic clasp for fast removal

Rapha Souplesse Detachable Bib Shorts
Specifications
  • Best for: Racing, training
  • Sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL
  • Material: Nylon, polyester, elastane
Reasons to buy
  • Detachable bib strap 
  • Comfortable woman-specific chamois
Reasons to avoid
  • Very expensive

Buy the Rapha Souplesse Detachable Bib Shorts

Rapha’s latest women’s bib shorts boast a redesigned chamois and a sturdy, magnetic clasp system for quick removal. Designed for racing, the new Rapha Souplesse Detachable Bib Shorts have been extensively tested by CANYON//SRAM riders – and Rapha says the improved chamois design has been three years in the making. Certainly, it’s excellent.

More streamlined, less bulky and made from lightweight, high-density foam, the chamois has extra padding at the sit bones and delicate areas for increased comfort. We also like the self-cantering magnetic fastening, which is easy to unclasp during toilet breaks.

The shorts themselves, meanwhile, give a comfortable, secure fit, with no chaffing from the gripper. At £195, they aren’t cheap. But for racing and longer, fast-paced rides, these bib shorts are comfortable, convenient and a pleasure to wear. 

4. Giro Expert Bib Short

Super stretchy spandex offers a maximum range of movement in this highly rated shorts

Giro Chrono Expert Bib Short - Men's Black Small
Specifications
  • Best for: All distances
  • Sizes: S, M, L, XL
  • Material: Nylon, Spandex
Reasons to buy
  • Close-fitting but stretchy
  • Holds shape well
Reasons to avoid
  • Not for pros

While the Pro version of Giro’s bib shorts costs a good deal more, their little brother comes up trumps with some pretty premium features of their own. 

As a first pair, or mid-level option for cycling wardrobes of all sizes, reviewers say the nylon-spandex blend is like a second skin, the perfect combination of form-fitting and comfortable in a thin fabric that’s pliable enough to move with you but holds its shape after washing. The chamois is agreed to be comfortable across long distances too: supportive, pressure-relieving and breathable.

5. PEdAL ED Odyssey Bib short

Multiple pockets for those longer rides where more carrying space is needed

Specifications
  • Best for: Long distances
  • Material: 73% Polyamide 27% Elastane
  • Season: Spring/summer
  • Fit: Performance
  • Features: Three rear pockets, mesh-lined cargo pocket, reflective elements
Reasons to buy
  • Extra carrying capacity 
  • Cool styling 
  • Really well made
Reasons to avoid
  • Quite small; go a size or two up

• Buy direct from PEdAL ED

An ideal companion to the Odyssey Jersey, the PEdAL ED Odyssey Bib short are ideal for long hauls. Though you wouldn’t really know it without looking closely, this bibshort features a capacious mesh cargo pocket at the rear, just above the derriere, and two hidden pockets on the legs which are easy to access thanks to their upward-opening; objects won’t fall out while you ride thanks to the clever lip which keeps them in place.

On the inside, the renowned Cytech pad offers loads of comfort for your backside on longer rides, while the fit is snug without being overly restrictive. Once again, as with the Odyssey jersey, you might want to go up one or two sizes. In fact, it's even more necessary, as the straps can be a little tight on the shoulders if your torso is on the longer side.