Bib shorts are essential to any cycling kit, and the right pair can make all the difference to a day in the saddle. They should have a comfortable chamois pad, breathable material, supportive leg muscle compression, and functional shoulder straps.
Santini’s Gravel Bib Shorts are one of the best for long gravel and MTB rides, with wide-leg grippers to keep everything in place and comfortable compression support to help keep blood flowing to your muscles and prevent fatigue from setting in.
Comfort
Comfort is a massive part of any pair of cycling shorts. The chamois, the straps, and the other materials that make up the shorts all play a role in determining how comfortable a set of bibs will be.
Santini nailed this with its Racer bib shorts by using a NAT seat pad with self-massaging micro-circles to make riding long distances feel like a dream. It’s also incredibly breathable thanks to the NEXT core between two foam layers and is designed to soak up shock and wick sweat away.
The fabric is also claimed to have UPF 50+ protection from the sun, which is another good thing for a summery ride. It’s a bit thicker than most, but it feels comfortable to wear and keeps your legs dry.
Design
In the world of cycling clothing, many brands have an impressive heritage. However, Santini stands out as a company that can boast decades of Pro-Team clothing production and outfits the world’s top teams with race-ready gear.
Decades of design and construction expertise have ensured that every piece of Santini apparel is made to deliver maximum performance, comfort, and durability. Sophisticated materials, strategically placed seams, and premium chamois provide superior comfort.
The bib shorts are cut from Santini’s Onda material (‘waves’ in Italian), specially designed to support and fit the thighs without rolling up. The visible waves that run up the legs are compression bands, varying in density over the thigh to provide different comfort levels.
Fit
Santini has a long-standing reputation for producing high-quality cycling clothing. They’re known worldwide and outfit several professional teams and racers.
Their Bib Shorts are among the best we’ve seen in their price range, and we love that they’re comfortable and look the part. The fabric is a stretchy, soft, double-knitted technical microfibre that’s compression-friendly, while the C3 chamois is designed to keep you comfortable after a long ride.
These bibs feature dual front attachment points, one attached to the top of the low waist cycling shorts and another about 3″/80mm further down the inside of the shorts. This unique construction means they attach in places where most bibs don’t, keeping the shorts firmly in place without feeling like they are working too much on your shoulders.
Value
If you are looking for a pair of shorts that will be comfortable, durable, and give you good value, then Santini is the place to look. Unlike many other brands, Santini produces its own designs and patterns, which means that the final product is much more well thought out, and therefore, a lot more time and money has gone into the production.
For the price you pay, these are some of the best-looking bibs on the market. They are clean, simple and beautiful, so they are popular with cyclists.
They come with sizeable elastic grippers that stay in place without digging in, so they don’t cause that dreaded Michelin Man effect. The high-quality chamois are also great, so they will be a well-made and long lasting set of bibs.
The price of these bibs is a bit steep for a first-time buyer, but if you are serious about cycling, then there will be an investment that pays off. Despite the premium price tag, they are still great for all-around use and are one of the most well-made and comfortable pairs we have tested.
