We've tested 21 bib shorts that should keep you pedalling in style and comfort this summer
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These are the best men’s bib shorts for cycling, as tried and tested by the expert reviewers at BikeRadar.
Finding the best bike saddle for you, with the right shape and padding, is essential for staying comfortable on the bike – as is getting the right saddle height – but choosing the best cycling shorts for your needs is also important.
Of all the contact points on your bike, the saddle-to-posterior interface is the one that has to bear the majority of your body weight for the majority of the time. As a result, padded road cycling shorts are essential if you’re spending serious time in the saddle.
Prices range from around £25 for the cheapest options, up to almost £250 for the most expensive.
As you might expect, there are more duds than bargains at the lower end, but if you shop carefully and pay attention to independent reviews , finding good padded cycling shorts needn’t cost the earth.
In this article, we’ve included the best men’s bib shorts, but we also have a buyer’s guide to women’s bib shorts.
For more detail on essential bib short features and advice on what else to look out for, we’ve got a full buyer’s guide towards the end of this article.
The Assos Mille GT Summer GTS Bib Shorts are the second generation of the premium Mille shorts, aimed at riders who demand top performance for long days out.
The bib shorts have an all-new design that makes them suitable for wearing in the heat of summer. The legs use the lightweight, thin and mildly compressive Ossidia fabric, and the Xbib straps minimise bulk underneath your jersey, helping more heat to escape.
Assos has used its c2 GTS summer seat pad in the shorts, which has a double-layer memory foam construction with a honeycomb-style top layer. The pad is slightly wider than others and proves comfortable even on five-hour rides.
These are high-performing shorts that are totally comfortable too, and some of the best warm-weather shorts BikeRadar has tested, with only the price being a drawback.
The Endura FS260-Pro SL II Bib Shorts come with three different seat pad widths, so you can match them to your pelvis or saddle choice.
The pad has been tried and tested by Team Movistar and has an anti-bacterial treatment.
Endura has made sure these shorts are comfortable and will perform well in the sun. The Lycra is supportive and has a UPF50 treatment. The airy uppers and wide straps keep things comfortable and cool.
The shorts have a laser-cut pocket for any essentials or gels.
These shorts come in two lengths. These are the longer leg versions, which are ideal for taller riders or for those looking for some extra coverage.
The Giordana FR-C Pro Bib Shorts offer a superb fit and great value for money.
The Italian-made shorts have Lycra panels that provide compression, which offers muscle support and reduces fatigue by increasing blood flow.
Generous 7.5cm silicone leg grippers hold the shorts in place and the legs sit nicely. Anti-abrasion Lycra is used on the inside to help increase the longevity of the shorts.
Inside, a multi-layer Cirro OmniForm seat pad sits comfortably, even over long distances.
Combined with good looks, these durable bib shorts are worth every penny.
The Rapha Core Cargo Bib Shorts do everything well without costing a fortune. They are the lower price-point version of the Rapha Cargo Bib Shorts and share many of the same details but, as expected, forgo some premium features.
The main difference is that the Core Cargo shorts aren’t water-resistant. But similarly, they do have large mesh pockets on the thighs, making them suitable for gravel or endurance riding.
The shorts perform much like many more high-end bib shorts. Rapha uses a compression-free, dense-knit fabric for the legs, which were a perfect length, and the high-stretch upper bib straps never got too hot in testing.
The Rapha Classic seat pad looks basic but provides excellent cushioning and dries out quickly.
For women riders, Rapha has its Core Cargo Shorts.
Designed for long distances, the 7Mesh MK3 Bib Shorts don’t disappoint. Delivering exceptional comfort, they led us to ask whether they are the perfect set of cycling shorts.
7Mesh has made these shorts from Miti Gravity Interpower, which is 38 per cent elastane and 62 per cent warp knit nylon. The result is a fabric that is super-soft against the skin and is slightly compressive, aiding blood flow and reducing fatigue in the legs as a result.
The seat pad uses a high-density foam that has been designed to reduce numbness in the perineum area, and almost completely eliminates any unwanted pressure.
Up top, the shoulder straps aren’t excessively tight, giving you room to move, but they still hold the shorts perfectly in place. They are also thin enough to let any heat dissipate.
Overall, if you’re looking for a sleek set of shorts with superb comfort and excellent quality, you can’t go wrong with these bibs.
Assos combines a minimalist approach with technology in these lightweight bibs. With just two panels, this keeps seams to a minimum.
A thin, buttery-smooth, 40-gauge fabric hugs the legs, offering light compression and good support. Extra material up front provides added comfort.
The bib system sees the rear straps attach lower down the back to hold the seat pad in position. This works well at stabilising, even when getting out of the saddle.
The three-layer perforated waffle foam S9 pad has a micro-shock core and soaks up vibrations admirably. It’s not stitched at the sides, allowing it to float and sit with your body for a great riding feel.
This is one of the best-fitting bib shorts and is worth the outlay.
The Assos T.Equipe Evo Bib Shorts are comfortable as soon as you put them on. Smooth Lycra panels, wide bib straps and elastic leg grippers help the shorts feel good even before you start riding.
The Equipe Evo S7 8mm memory foam seat pad is aimed at racers. It looks simplistic when compared to many, but works well thanks to its “floating” design that moves with you.
This movement isn’t noticeable when pedalling, and paired with the memory foam it makes for a comfortable ride.
These are Assos’s mid-range summer shorts and, for many riders, they would frankly make paying double for its top shorts hard to justify.
Developed in conjunction with Team Ineos (now Team Ineos Grenadiers), these race bibs offer all-day comfort while remaining light.
The new seamless Progetto X2 Air Seamless seat pad has a soft, stretchy layer that sits separate from the padding. This allows it to move naturally while the pad moulds to the saddle.
The outer layer is dimpled to reduce skin contact and helps with wicking. It looks crude but it works brilliantly.
On the legs, Castelli combines dimpled aerodynamic fabric on the front for efficiency, while smooth stretchy Lycra on the rear helps with the fit. It feels supportive but not overly tight and the new wide-leg grippers work well without any restriction.
The neat-looking striped mesh bibs breathe well, but these aren’t as wide as some.
Castelli offers a women’s version priced at £150 / $200 / €160.
These might be budget-priced shorts, but the neat panelled design gives them a look of something more expensive. A matching jersey is also available.
The fit is impressive and tight enough around the legs to provide good muscle support without feeling overly compressive.
The legs sit in place thanks to the overall fit and wide bands that stop them riding up. Mesh upper bibs do a solid job of keeping everything in place while helping to keep you cool.
These are less stretchy than some, but fortunately the shoulder sections offer more give.
Inside, the pad performs better than expected at this price. It’s well-sized, uses a variety of thicknesses of padding and is perfectly located to soak up road feedback. There are also air channels to stop things getting overly sweaty.
Decathlon also has bib shorts for female riders priced under £40.
Buy the Triban RC 100 Bib Shorts from Decathlon
Over the years, the dhb Aeron Bib Shorts have evolved into an all-round set of cycling shorts that perform well for virtually all pedalling duties.
The Aerons are made from two sustainably sourced fabrics. One is stretchy and offers light compression and the other is made for maximum moisture transfer. The multipanel design works well. The fabrics aren’t as thin as others, but the shorts never felt too warm.
5cm-deep leg bands with a folded hem and updated silicone grippers work perfectly, and on the top, the bib straps hold everything in place while keeping you cool.
Inside, dhb has used its Paris HP seat pad is claimed to keep you comfortable for up to seven hours in the saddle. Optimised for riding on the hoods it will suit commuters or long-distance riders.
The overall fit and performance of the dhb Aeron Bib Shorts make them great value for money. There is a women’s-specific version too.
Endura’s FS260-Pro Bib Shorts are now in their third generation and offer quality and comfort.
Made from a supportive Italian Lycra, the shorts have a curved race fit designed to be comfortable across riding styles. The fabric has decent breathability and in tandem with the mesh upper, the shorts don’t leave you feeling sweaty.
The 600 Series seat pad has enough stretch to conform to your body shape and, considering the price of these shorts, is superb value for money. It provides excellent cushioning around the sit bone thanks to gel inserts.
Endura has added some great features to these bib shorts. They have reflective detailing and the ‘power bands’ work well to hold them in place.
These shorts don’t quite match the very best bib shorts on the market, but at this price there isn’t much to fault.
Endura’s Pro SL bibs also get an update but keep many of their top features, including the option of three pad widths and two leg lengths.
The continuously variable-profile 700-series pad matches sit bones perfectly to deliver pain-free pedalling even on the longest days.
Endura uses Italian Lycra and the legs feature wide raw-edge grippers with an inner silicone print. The legs sit pretty for a supportive, yet restriction-free ride.
A Coldblack coating reduces heat build-up and there’s UPF50 sun protection. What’s completely new, and a feature we appreciated on long days, is the lumbar support panel that hugs the lower back and sides. This takes the pressure off the wide shoulder straps to the point that you hardly notice they’re there.
The best of the old and some new features have made the Pro SL kit even better.
The women’s version is available with a narrow, medium or wide chamois pad.
The latest iteration of the Le Col Pro Bib Shorts are a hardwearing set of race bibs that work across temperatures and feel comfortable as soon as you put them on.
For these shorts, Le Col has chosen its Lycra Sport fabric, which is designed to offer enough support for long training rides while remaining highly breathable. It provides enough compression to keep the shorts in place and means the straps aren’t pulling the pad up into you.
In keeping with the racing emphasis, the Pro Dolomiti chamois has a small profile that prioritises putting padding where you need it most. The pad sits perfectly when you’re on the hoods or the drops and absorbs road vibration well, helping you clock up plenty of miles.
The execution of these bibs is spot-on and the fit and performance almost justify the price.
There is a women’s-specific version of the Pro Bib shorts too.
The Lusso Carbon v2 Bib Shorts take many of the great-performing qualities of the previous incarnation but now use an Italian-made Elastic Interface pad.
Long Sleeve Cycling Top Made by Cytec, the large pad is said to provide comfort for over six hours of riding and proved great in testing. The triple-density foam delivers comfort and a cutaway channel takes any pressure off the perineum.