Mini Reviews of Women's Bib Shorts - Some Brands "Get It", Some Don't

Some time ago, a discussion about womens bib shorts came up on the LovelyBicycle! blog. The usual issues were covered: lack of availability generally, lack of choice for sizes and body shapes and of course the inevitable challenge of the Toilet Break, or as some manufacturers delicately if somewhat obtusely put it, the "Bio Break"*. 

At some point in the middle of the discussion, I was struck with the impulse to dig out all the bib shorts I owned and take comparative photos. So I abandoned the computer for 15 minutes, dashed upstairs, upturned a few drawers, arranged various samples on the bed, snapped a couple of shots, then uploaded them to a photo website so that I could post a link to share with the other ladies in the discussion. On each of the two photos, I jotted down the brand and style name of each item, a link to where they can be bought (ideally where more details are provided directly by the manufacturer) and then a summary of what I personally thought of each pair. 

A suggestion was made that I blog about this myself. I certainly intended to but somehow it didn't really make it onto my To Do list. 

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I had a clear-out of all the cycling kit that I don't wear regularly, for one reason or another. When it came to the bib shorts, I realised my experiences over the past few years have refined my preferences considerable, down to the point where I really only ever wear Gore branded bib shorts or bib longs.** So everything else went into the Outbound bag. And I decided it might be helpful to capture and preserve my "overviews" (not "reviews") in a more accessible place, i.e. here on the blog. 

So without further ado - I present a selection of bib shorts of various designs, highlighting where I think some manufactures have successfully figured out the whole Women's Bib Short "thing" and where others are just playing a Gimmick Game. 


Styles of Top

From left to right: 

1. GORE BIKE WEAR'S POWER 2.0 Thermo LADY Bibtights - Y FRONT
2. ICEBREAKER GT RHYTHM Merino bib shorts - Y FRONT
3. PEARL IZUMI WOMENS AMFIB DROP TAIL bib tights - ZIP VEST
4. dhb LADIES VAEON 3/4 Padded Bib Tight - PULL-UP VEST
5. GIORDANA bib short - "SUSPENDER/BRACE" STYLE STRAPS 

Styles of Bottom, i.e. dealing with the Bio Break or Not, that is the question

Same shorts, from left to right: 

1. GORE BIKE WEAR'S POWER 2.0 Thermo LADY Bibtights - 2 ZIPS AT SIDES OF WAIST
2. ICEBREAKER GT RHYTHM Merino bib shorts -- NO LOO BREAK DESIGN
3. PEARL IZUMI WOMENS AMFIB DROP TAIL bib tights) - "DROP TAIL" DESIGN (vest style top tucks in, pull elasticated waistband of bottoms up over the hem of vest)
4. dhb LADIES VAEON 3/4 Padded Bib Tight - NO LOO BREAK DESIGN, SIMPLY PULL ON/OFF. 
5. GIORDANA bib short - NO LOO BREAK DESIGN, SIMPLY PULL ON/OFF. 

So how did I find these in use?

1. GORE BIKE WEAR'S POWER 2.0 Thermo LADY Bibtights - No issues on bike. Use for loo breaks requires a little practice to wriggle the seat of the shorts down enough. At first you fear stretching/tearing the material but it's more robust than it looks. Fabric is stretchy, fleece-backed but not overly thick. These tights are unpadded, which I have found to be versatile as I can layer them in winter over various shorts chosen according to the chamois pad I prefer for the type of ride I'm doing.
   VERDICT: Best to date.
2. ICEBREAKER GT RHYTHM Merino bib shorts - I know it doesn't look like it in the photo but the straps and clasp rest higher on my chest than with the Gore pair, and they tend to slip askew. The fabric is a quite heavy merino so works really well in winter with my Ibex leg warmers of similar weight. Loo breaks require removal of jersey to pull entire garment down. Clasp can be niggly so I always base layer, which does mitigate chill factor during loo breaks. Chamois pad quite comfortable even for long rides.
   VERDICT: Good for rides of 5-6 hours in cold temperatures.
3. PEARL IZUMI WOMENS AMFIB DROP TAIL bib tights) - Functions okay for loo breaks but top tends to ride up and/or bottom drag down a bit so a gap opens up when in road riding position. That's always annoying and a deal breaker for me. Top is lightweight lycra; bottom is roubaix/fleece, so intended for winter wear. 
   VERDICT: Did not work for me. It's one thing to have a loo-break feature work for the loo break but quite another for it to spoil the rest of your ride.
4. dhb LADIES VAEON 3/4 Padded Bib Tight - Top is a bit compressive, which I like. I found the chamois to be uncomfortable on rides longer than 10 miles. No loo-break feature but for commuting, that's not an issue.
   VERDICT: Versatile spring/autumn commute wear.
5. GIORDANA bib short. This was a Xmas present, possibly from Wiggle. NEVER WORN.
   VERDICT:  N/A

* Contrast this with the much wider availability of men's bib shorts, which, as far as I can tell, come in variations of what is still one basic design concept, as the whole "Bio Break" is, apparently, a much simpler proposition for them. The variations tend to address "technical performance" e.g. fabric, cut and fit. Whereas for women, manufacturers who still haven't sussed the whole issue of how to incorporate a design that allows the wearer to get (partially) in and out of them for very short periods of time without taking all the rest of her kit off offer think they can get away with just one option as to fit, fabric performance etc.... so long as they are offering a BioBreak solution! That's the gimmick. As to every other possible feature we may be looking for in a pair of bib shorts, we have to take whatever we can get. 

** Having 'settled' with Gore, I am aware I am not watching this segment of the market with the same focus (and frustration) as before, so it's very possible that great strides have been over the past year to increase the range and availability of women's bib shorts that actually do what they're supposed to do. I do know however that quite a few brands continue to ignore the issue altogether, offering bib shorts cut to fit women's bodies but with exactly the same design features as their men's range. I am not knocking this. But it does mean that I will likely never ever try the bib short version of what I consider to be hands down the best women's (non-bib) shorts on the market. Which is a bit of a shame.