I thought about buying these bibs for weeks before taking the plunge. I’ve invested heavily in Spatz upper body kit since December but hung back a bit on the shorts.
I fancied the brown ones and ordered medium based on my being 70kgs and 182cm. Unfortunately when they arrived they were too big. I was a little surprised. The straps were loose on my skinny shoulders and the pad didn’t feel compact. Spatz were good enough to exchange them for small and they are perfect but bear in mind that I’m over 6ft tall you’ve got to wonder if size small would fit someone weighing 60kgs and under 5,6 tall.
I’ve test ridden them twice. The ultimate test in my pain cave and a short road ride. Performance wise they’re spot on. Very comfy with the best leg grippers I’ve ever worn. No slippage there. I think they’d cope very well with long rides indeed.
One of my concerns with any colour other than black is sweat management and by that I mean dark spots in dodgy places. Predictably after an hour on the static bike with just a fan on my upper body there was a visible large dark spot from the crotch up to my waist. This is the same with black but obviously less visible. However after 10 minutes on the road this had disappeared in the cooler air and I don’t expect it to be an issue on long outdoor rides. I love this brown colour. It goes with my dark brown shiftr jersey and almost any other colour. I suppose a couple of sweat marks is the price we pay for being a bit radical in our colour choice 🤣.
They are a great length just a couple of inches above the knee. I had a mole removed a few years ago on my right lower thigh and the test of a good short is when that area is covered in the sun. These shorts even in small cover it completely. 👍.
The convoys are made from a slightly thicker material and they are plush. You can feel the quality as you pull them on. I’d happily wear this in low teens temperatures. The pockets at the rear may well be useful at some point for gels. But whatever you put in them will get wet with sweat eventually. I stuck a mini pump in there and it felt fine against my back.
Pros. Plush and luxurious feeling against the skin. Grippy on your thighs. Comfy premium pad.
Cons. Watch the sizing. I’m medium and large in Spatzs upper body kit and small is as low as these shorts go in size. Premium price but you get what you pay for. These bibs will last for years.
