I’ve tested three pairs of bib shorts with 3D-printed pads over the last year and have come to a simple verdict – they just aren’t as comfortable as a traditional pad.
3D-printed technology isn’t new in the cycling world – look at 3D-printed saddles, for instance, which have come to dominate the top-end of the market with their claims of increased comfort.
That domination hasn’t translated to bib shorts, though – or at least not yet.
Elastic Interface was the first to the punch with its N3X 3D-printed pads, first seen at Eurobike in 2022, but they only started to make their way onto production bib shorts in mid-2024.
According to Elastic Interface, 3D-printed pads are more comfortable than a traditional option because the brand has more control over their technical properties, such as the density, during construction.
The open-cell lattice structure is claimed to improve airflow, while the unnamed hydrophobic material used in the 3D-printed sections is said to be quick-drying and ideal for hot conditions. Elastic Interface also says the technology is more sustainable.
At the time of writing, there are only four bib shorts available with these pads – Gore’s Ultimate Men’s Bib Shorts, Rubber N’ Road Control 3D, X-Bionic’s Corefusion Compression bib shorts and Twofourseven’s THE Bib (the latter of which I haven’t tested).
Read on for my reviews of these bib shorts and why I think the technology is yet to find its stride.
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Two options
Elastic Interface makes two 3D-printed chamois pads – the Endurance Gamma N3X features on the Gore and X-Bionic shorts, and the Endurance Sirio N3X is found on the Rubber N’ Road shorts.
The Endurance Sirio N3X is more endurance-focused, with the pad measuring 2mm thicker than the Endurance Gamma N3X at its mid and end points (14 and 15.5mm versus 12 and 13.5mm).
The technology sounded just the ticket for me – I frequently ride big distances and am training for some ultra-endurance gravel races, so I need bib shorts I can rely on all day long.
Like 3D-printed saddles, the tech is very expensive, with the cheapest Gore Ultimate Men’s Bib Shorts on test retailing for £251.99 / €279.95.
How I tested
Having carried out the main BikeRadar men’s bib shorts group tests in 2023 and 2024, I’ve developed a methodology for my testing.
Each of the shorts is subjected to a mix of short and long rides on both road and gravel, with all of them being tested on at least three four-hour rides. I also tested each pair of shorts on at least one ride over a century.
I rode them all in temperatures encompassing high single digits (with knee warmers, to see how the grippers interact with them) to higher summer temperatures to see how they coped in the heat.
The shorts were assessed for fit and I made a point of not washing the shorts before the first ride, so I could monitor if any of their properties changed after washing – something I definitely wouldn’t expect on bib shorts costing north of £250.
The shorts were each used with at least three saddles to see how they interacted with them – I find these can often give different results.
Gore Ultimate Men’s Bib Shorts
- £251.99 / €279.95 as tested
- Sizes available: S, M, L, XL, XXL
- Actual weight: 188g (L)
Gore’s shorts were my first experience of the technology and, of the three shorts on test, these have the most minimalist design. The brand says the shorts are the perfect companion for long road and gravel rides, and provide “the ultimate support for intense rides”, suggesting they’re also at home in a racing scenario.
I found the Ultimates to be a competent but not spectacular pair of bib shorts. The shorts' fit is excellent, with the straps reassuringly tight off the bike but comfortable when assuming a riding position.
An interesting touch is that Gore uses a suspended insert (separate from the main panel) for attaching the front of the pad, which eventually meets the front of the hem.
The brand says this helps keep the pad in place. This was the one element of the fit I didn’t quite get on with because it makes the pad fit quite tight around the front – but it may work better for you.
On my first couple of rides, I found the suspended insert quite uncomfortable, particularly when out of the saddle, but fortunately, the material broke in after a few rides. However, the fact the fit is tighter in this location was still something I noticed throughout testing, and something to bear in mind.
I found the 3D-printed chamois reasonably comfortable on all my test rides, but not quite up there with many traditional pads because it's on the firmer side. On my longest, 10-hour gravel ride, I started to be more aware I was wearing the shorts after six hours, but I wouldn’t say I was uncomfortable by the end of the ride. This was also true on some of my longer rides on the road.
On the plus side, ventilation is a real highlight of these shorts and even after riding in temperatures bordering 30°C, I never felt the pad get saturated with sweat.
These shorts would make for a formidable racing option because the 3D-printed pad delivers top performance without the bulk, combined with impressive ventilation – but I think Gore slightly overstates the shorts' versatility for longer endurance rides.
Otherwise, the only other real flaw with these shorts is the leg grippers. In hot weather, I consistently found the legs would move slightly if I touched them (for example, to scratch an itch), with the sweat underneath effectively causing them to slide.
This isn’t something I’d expect to see on bib shorts costing £251.99 / €279.95 and it feels like a design oversight.
If Gore had positioned these shorts as a race-oriented option, they would score very highly, bar the leg-gripper flaw.
- Read more: Gore Ultimate Men’s Bib Shorts review
Rubber N’ Road Control 3D bib shorts
- £447 / $560 / €521.95 as tested
- Sizes available: XS, S, M, L, XL
- Actual weight: 217g (L)
Rubber N’ Road is an independently owned, boutique brand based in New York. It manufactures all its garments in small batches and employs recycled fabrics where possible to avoid overproduction and cut down on waste.
The Control 3Ds are comfortably (uncomfortably?) the most expensive bib shorts I have ever tested, but the high-tech Endurance Sirio N3X pad isn’t the only star of the show – there are plenty of other thoughtful features for the fearsome £447 / $560 / €521.95 price tag.
To justify the cost, Rubber N’ Road says on average, five to six seamstresses will have worked on a single pair of bib shorts, which puts its stitching costs through the roof compared to the majority of other clothing brands.
The most impressive aspect of these shorts is undoubtedly the brilliant fit. The chamois sat in just the right place for my build and I found the legs have a pleasing amount of compression. The bib straps have a comfortable, secure hold, too. I also liked that the shorts are relatively high-waisted without being intrusive.
While the 'ultra-soft main fabric' isn’t as luxuriously soft as the materials used on the Velocio Luxe or Castelli Espresso shorts, it feels very robust and compressive, evidenced by the slightly heavier 217g weight (the more minimalist Gore Ultimates come in at 188g for an equivalent size large).
There’s scope for improvement on the leg grippers, though – there’s too much gripper material inside, which makes them feel heavy. While it’s a plus the legs always stay in place with their almighty strong hold (even with knee warmers), the brand could halve the number of grippers and probably maintain the same result.
Just as on the Gore Ultimate shorts, I found the Endurance Sirio N3X ride on the firm side. While it’s thicker and has more squish than the Endurance Gamma N3X, the improvements in comfort appear marginal.
On my longest, 220km audax I tested the shorts on, I started to get uncomfortable around the six-hour mark. I’ve had better experiences with other cheaper bib shorts with ‘normal’ pads, such as those listed above. Therefore, these wouldn’t be at the top of my pile for an epic escapade.
Like the Gore shorts, the fact that the pad remained bone-dry at the end of a ride, even in warm weather, is notable. It might be a benefit for riders who are particularly sweaty.
It’s also difficult to justify the £447 / $560 / €521.95 asking price. The Control 3Ds undoubtedly trump the Gore and X-Bionic shorts in terms of fit and comfort (and some consideration has to be taken for supporting an independent brand). However, I would rather own two pairs of bib shorts at the £200 mark, such as the Castelli Espresso (£160 / $170 / €150 / AU$250) or Q36.5 Gregarius Pro (£181 / $251 / €181) and have some change left over than invest in these.
X-Bionic Corefusion Compression bib shorts
- £325 / $330 / €330 as tested
- Sizes available: S, M, L, XL, XXL
- Actual weight: 196g (L)
Swiss brand X-Bionic has also jumped on the 3D-printed pad bandwagon, with its Corefusion Compression bib shorts using an Endurance Gamma N3X pad.
X-Bionic says these shorts are designed to maintain the rider’s body temperature at 37ºC and claims they’re ideal for “intense training sessions and long rides in hot temperatures”.
The shorts also really stand out with a ‘Partialkompression’ panel on the back of each leg, which look akin to a soldier's armour.
What X-Bionic calls ‘Thermosyhphons’ are embedded into the back of the bib straps to wick away sweat.
The Endurance N3X Gamma pad is a little different from the one found on the Gore shorts because it features perforations, presumably to increase ventilation on hot rides. I also really like that the crotch section is nice and soft, reminding me of Assos’ Cento Evo bib shorts – not only a highly rated option, but one of my all-time favourites.
The shorts' fit is mostly excellent, with the legs offering a reassuringly strong hold, while the bib straps are a little less aggressive in how tightly they hold you than the Gore and Rubber N’ Road shorts.
There’s a bit of bunching towards the front of the pad, but this didn’t affect function. I also really appreciated the lack of seams and how they aren’t in places where you’d feel them.
But there’s one major flaw – and that’s where the pad sits. It doesn’t come up far enough from behind. Fit is subjective, but these were the least comfortable shorts of the trio.
I consistently began to feel uncomfortable around the four-hour mark.
While I like the theory behind the pad perforations in that they improve ventilation, they didn't do much in warmer conditions and I could feel myself sweating at 22ºC.
The grippers were very good, with no bunching, and they worked well with knee warmers, proving a simple design can be effective.
Of the two shorts with the Endurance Gamma N3X pad, the Gores are where I’d spend my money – the pad crucially sits in a better-considered place overall and the more minimalist design results in better overall performance.
3D-printed technology isn't the answer to seated discomfort
It’s interesting that I’ve not been wowed by either of the 3D-printed pads on any of the three bib shorts.
My biggest grievance with the technology is the pads are generally too firm – and that firmness made itself apparent on the longer rides I tested these shorts on.
The problem isn’t thickness – despite the Rubber N’ Road shorts sporting the Endurance Sirio N3X pad, I still found the pad too firm on longer rides and there wasn’t a great deal of difference between the two pad options.
To me, it feels very much as though we’re in the first-gen tech era – and we can hope for great improvements as that tech evolves. It’s usually in the second or third generation that the biggest developments are made, if you look at tech in general.
And if the 3D-printed tech really is so revolutionary, why haven’t other major clothing brands, such as Castelli, Rapha or Assos, jumping on the bandwagon?
Instead, these brands' higher-tier offerings continue to use traditional pads and seemingly for good reason – in my experience, they’re vastly more comfortable.
I’m not drawing the line under 3D-printed chamois yet, but there’s some work to be done before it can compete fully with established bib short chamois tech.
