I've been testing women’s bib shorts for BikeRadar for the past four years, with a fresh group test each summer, and riding in a range of other models for the past 10 years.
Many will argue that a good pair of bib shorts is the most important investment you can make when it comes to your cycling kit and accessories (and it's an investment indeed at the kind of prices we’re looking at today, especially for those new to cycling).
So much has changed in the world of women’s bib shorts over the past decade, but these are the insider tips I can offer after trying so many different models over the years.
Do you really get what you pay for? Or can you find quality at a more modest price? Read on to find out.
Brands still don’t universally include easy-pee designs
This is my biggest bugbear when it comes to women’s bib shorts.
We’ve been blessed with a range of new designs over the past five years or so that enable women’s bibs to be pulled down at a loo stop without having to remove a jersey or other layers, thanks to stretchy bib straps, zips or popper clasps.
Yet what eludes me is why we can’t have these across the board. These designs are now so good that they don’t compromise fit or performance at all (let’s not go back to the early days of the Endura zipped drop-flap), so I don’t see why any rider wouldn’t want this incredibly handy feature.
We’ve never been more aware of how important proper hydration and nutrition is, and unless you’re using your bibs only for short commutes, it’s likely that at some point in your ride you’ll need to pee.
Not only can an easy-pee feature save you time, it can also prevent you having to strip near-naked if you need to take a nature wee.
Some brands (such as Castelli, Endura and Rapha) only offer the feature in a few of their models, whereas others don’t have easy-pee functionality at all (MAAP, Le Col, Santini).
Kudos to brands such as Velocio, Iris.cc, Universal Colours and Petrichor Projects for wonderful easy-pee designs across the board, though.
Cargo bibs aren’t only for gravel
Cargo bib shorts only landed a couple of years ago, yet they’ve skyrocketed in popularity. But what do we mean by this exactly? Cargo bib shorts typically feature pockets on the outer thighs for a phone, snacks or spares, with some models also boasting pockets on the lower or upper-back.
With a trend for more casual attire in gravel riding and bikepacking, pockets have migrated from jerseys to shorts, enabling us to feel the breeze in a flappy T-shirt without losing out on storage space.
Whether riders prefer leg pockets, back pockets or both seems to be a highly personal preference. In a recent ‘highly scientific’ Instagram poll of 229 cyclists that I ran, 66 per cent of riders preferred thigh pockets only, 7 per cent would rather only have back pockets and 27 per cent preferred to have both.
I’ve heard friends utter that “cargo bibs have ruined me, I can’t buy shorts without them now” and “I bought my first pair last year and they’re the only ones I wear now”.
One friend cited poor shoulder flexibility as their main reason for opting for cargo bib shorts, because the thigh pockets can be reached much more easily than jersey pockets.
Another Instagram poll showed 83 per cent of riders are more likely to opt for cargo bib shorts for their next bib purchase (256 votes compared to 54 votes for standard bib shorts).
Out of 294 voters, 80 per cent would use cargo bib shorts for both off-road and road cycling, compared to 15 per cent who would use them for off-road cycling only and 5 per cent who’d use them solely for road cycling.
One thing is for sure – cargo bib shorts are here to stay, and that’s why they’ve been the theme of our 2025 women’s bib shorts group test.
Good leg grippers continue to elude (some) designers
Sausage leg is a horrid phenomenon that no cyclist – woman or man – should have to go through in 2025.
If you’re lucky enough to have not come across this phrase before, it’s when your leg is squashed, typically by an overly tight leg gripper or leg warmer, causing a bulge either side that resembles a link in a chain of sausages. Put simply, it’s not a good look.
Whether you opt for a raw-cut Lycra leg hem or an elasticated gripper, these should be sized accordingly, so the leg is supported and not crushed into an unusual shape. Sure, nobody wants the hem of their shorts to go walkabouts, but we certainly don’t need to head out with poorly fitting kit.
It’s an established fact that women carry more body fat than men, perhaps contributing to this effect, yet it seems in some cases this has not been taken into account when designing clothing for women.
The number one culprit in my experience is an elasticated leg gripper, and narrower widths (around 1in) tend to exacerbate the effect more than wide leg grippers.
In reality, the only way to work out whether you’ll get sausage leg or not is to try a pair on before you buy (or carefully at home before keeping or returning). These days, I tend to opt for a more sleek raw-cut leg hem rather than elasticated leg grippers just in case.
Pricing does not necessarily reflect performance
Don’t get me wrong; there are some really pricey bibs on the market that are really, really good – the Velocio Luxe being my key example. I’ve had two pairs of these shorts, and they fitted and performed flawlessly, with the best easy-pee design, a supremely comfortable chamois and really lovely leg grippers (not to mention fun colourways), at a price of £208.
On the other hand, I have tried some really pricey bib shorts that haven’t fitted well and lacked an easy-pee feature, which retailed for a mind-boggling £250.
Of course, inflation plays a role here and we live in a very different world economically than eight years ago. I remember my first pair of ASSOS bib shorts bought for £150, which was a huge investment back then (and seemingly much pricier than anything else on the market).
These days, you’d struggle to get much for less than that, so finding the best shorts for you before you shell out has never been more important.
Consider looking to lesser-known or perhaps less ‘trendy’ brands for great deals on bib shorts, or entry-level ranges from better-known brands, such as the Rapha Core range or Velocio One.
I tend to find that these share 80 per cent of the performance of the brand’s top-level models at a much lesser price.
