Alé Women’s PRR Thermal Bib Shorts

You can see Alé’s new 2016 kit here and buy it from a local dealer, but stock is still on the way and these PRR shorts for £61.36 at Wiggle are a bargain.  We would suggest these are best for someone who is already an Alé customer and knows their fit with the brand – sizes usually come up quite small in true Italian fashion.

Review: PRR Alé Alé Women’s Winter Jacket and Bibs

These are high end bibs – with a fleecey thermal fabric they’re designed to be worn in spring and autumn, when it’s just warm enough to pop on shorts but there’s still a nip in the air.

Alé have used their ‘W4H’ chamois, which is constructed from elastic micro fibre, with the padding at key contact points. The wings are flexible to allow for movement as you pedal and material is wicking and quick drying.

Probably our favourite feature is the ‘free’ system – the bib straps are made from a light, stretchy material and having tried these out we were hardly aware of them at all.

The legs feature a 60mm elastic leg band with silicone woven in to keep them in place, distributing pressure to avoid any constriction.

Here for £61.75. 

dhb Aeron Women’s Halterneck Bib Shorts

We’ve always been impressed with these halter neck bibs from dhb – in fact they won ‘best on test’ in our recent ‘Ready, Steady, Pee!’ round up to see which bibs allowed for the quickest stops.

Halter neck bibs allow you to get all the added comfort of bibs, but they’re so easy to remove without taking off your jersey – we really think it’s the best idea.

On top of all that, these bibs use great high quality Italian fabric, with a CyTech Tour HP Super Air chamois which is designed to cater for up to five hours in the saddle. The leg grippers are wide to prevent any sort of muffin-leg fiasco, too. DhB bibs genuinely seem to be the best value on the market at the moment, and Wiggle’s own brand offer a wide range of different prints and styles.

Here for £65. 

HOY Vupine Senko Women’s Bib Shorts

Just in, we’ve already had a chance to put these  HOY Vulpine bibs to the test and have to say they’re a pleasure to wear. The brand have stuck with their full body approach on the top half of the bib, giving you extra support and an in-built base layer.

HOY Vulpine: Sir Chris and Nick Hussey Chat Women’s Bibs and Magical Mitts

The pad is a pro level CyTech construction with added breathability, and we particularly liked the wide laser cut straps at the shoulders and soft leg grippers.

Granted, you’ll need to take your jersey off if you need to stop for a wee in these, but it’ll only take a second and of course you’ll be riding for longer than you will be pee-ing (hopefully!)

These are £125, here.  

Castelli Velocissima Women’s Short

If we’re completely honest, at TWC we’re really big fans of bibs. However, we know they’re not right for everyone, and if you’re after waist shorts then Castelli are a good place to start. These high wicking shorts feature a ‘flat form waist construction’ front and back which means the waist will sit against the skin snuggle without digging in.

These also use  the Castelli Kiss Air Donna seat pad – one we absolutely love for providing all the comfort we need whilst being notably less bulky than so many options from competitors. The leg grippers are also wide to avoid digging in and there are some reflective details.

The brand has a reputation for being pricey, but these are £75 and we always find Castelli bibs and shorts to be some of the most comfortable around.

Giro Chrono

A more pricey waist short, these come in at around £120 but we couldn’t recommend them enough!

Having ridden these with the Giro development team in Switzerland, we’re still wearing them regularly  over six months on. Available with a galaxy print to match the jersey or in plain black these are waist shorts that we can truly forget about when riding.

The waist sits high and is wide enough to spread compression, making it barely noticeable. The back features lumbar support compression to look after your back, and these feature Giro’s very own Custom Chrono Expert Chamois that kept us smiling despite 80 miles in an unfamiliar saddle…

See them and select a local dealer here. 

Chapeau! Ladies Classic Bib Shorts

These haven’t changed since we reviewed them last summer – and in our opinion that can only be a good thing! Designed for every day riding, these are Chapeau!’s entry level shorts but we felt they were more than sufficient.

The shorts use a multi-panel design, which means they move around the contours of your body, and the legs finish around mid thigh in quite a traditional, ‘euro’ style fashion that will suit those who prefer longer legs. The back and straps are made from a mesh design, and a gripper holds these down – though it is notably thinner and tougher than some other options on the market.

Throw in the female specific pad, flatlock system and printed labels to avoid chafing, plus the cute polka-dot design, and you’ve got a great pair of shorts.

See them here for £70.

Morvelo Women’s Unity Evo Bib Shorts

Morvelo are known for their awesome patterns and styles, and we love the edgy design on the Unity Evo bibs. It’s not all about fashion though, these use an Italian chamois to ensure comfort, with a durable lycra. These are another more ‘Euro style’ long leg option and the gripper band is wide enough not to cause discomfort whilst still holding the shorts in place.

The bib strap design is a little different to the other options here, and takes a little bit more ‘climbing in and out of’ but it’s a good option for those that don’t like having something either side of the boobs.

See them here for £90. 

We hope there’s something in there you’ll like! For the next couple of months, you’ll probably want to team your shorts with leg warmers to take the edge off the slight spring chill. Check out these shoulder season riding essentials for more ideas on accessories to make summer kit work through spring and autumn.