Upon first impressions these shorts ooze quality, the different materials feel soft, there are grippers on the legs and the pad looked plush without being too bulky. When first tried on they felt extremely supportive and compression like, comparable to a pair of Skins bib shorts which I own. The front comes up well over the stomach and the braces sat comfortably in place. After reading the technical guide I discovered they are made from a material which features Coldblack technology to give compression and stretch to enhance blood flow without overheating.

I also realised that i didn’t know a pair of cycling shorts could be so complicated and technical. I’ve always gone for shorts primarily on how comfortable the pad looks and tended to stick with brands I know work for me. These bibs retail at 160 euros and are definately the most expensive I have ever worn but would they be worth it.

I’ve worn them for three rides now all over 3 hours in length and I can honestly say yes they are worth every penny. They are the most comfortable shorts I have ever worn, so snug you hardly know they are there, the multi-stretch and multi-density material moulds itself to your body and stays there, no bunching or ruching anywhere and the leg grippers stay firmly in place whether in or out of the saddle.

The pad is a design that is new to De Marchi from a company called Cytech. The model featured in these bibs is the WRM, specific to women and has a high density layer around the sit bone and saddle pressure areas designed to help get rid of any vibrations that are typical of road cycling. The pad material is also bacteriostatic (a new one on me)  to help prevent formation of germs and odours rather than removing them chemically. Clever stuff, and in this case all relevant because the pad is extremely comfortable, whether sat at the back of the saddle when climbing or powering along flats on the drops I felt no discomfort at all. Like the rest of the shorts the pad also fits snugly and doesn’t feel bullky or nappy like at all and never felt sweaty or uncomfortable.

They will definately come into their own on longer days in the saddle and are way too good to be used on turbos or rollers, although after wearing these a few pairs of my shorts will be relegated to turbo shorts!

Pros

Supremely comfortable

Excellent fit

Cons

Expensive (but worth it)

Not readily available in the UK

Price: £132.00, available from De Marchi.

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Why not take a look at our Buyers Guide: Road Bike Accessories or take a peek at our First Impressions: Le Col Sport Women Road Cycling Jersey and Shorts.

And if you’re stuck for finding a fuelling snack that will keep you going all mooring, why not check out our Blueberry Quinoa Parfait recipe.