Buyers Guide

What to look for?

There’s nothing worse than going out on a ride where you feel every bump on the road because the padding (seat insert) is not doing its job or you feel restricted in your leg movement because the material is not stretchy enough to give you the flexibility you need.

Each manufacturer has a bewildering list of technical specifications in their product descriptions. As a general rule the more panels a pair of shorts have (six or eight) the better the anatomical fit and comfort. However, this is not always the case, as some companies are using less panels to get a comfortable fit, such as the new 2010 Castelli single piece of fabric bibshort, with all but one seam.

Most of the leading brands have a range of bibshorts with entry level prices through to the high end performance shorts. The top end bibshorts use a mix of technologically advanced fabrics in a bid to create shorts that give ultimate comfort and aim to feel totally free of any restriction.

In our opinion, if you can come off a ride having not given a moments thought to your riding comfort, you have the right shorts for you.