Shorts & 3/4s

Castelli's Inferno bib shorts, as you can probably guess from the name, have been designed to excel when riding in the hot weather. They've used seven different fabrics to make a short that keeps you cool and prevents overheating, combined with one of the most comfortable inserts, the Progetto X2 Air, I've ever tested.

The Etxeondo Orhi Bib Shorts are a new product from the Spanish company and are their second most expensive offering. They're very well designed with a racey fit and comfortable chamois and the bold leg hem gives them a distinctive look. Well suited to riding in hot weather, with key mesh panels to aid breathability.

Primal's Axios Helix bibshorts go together, as you've no doubt guessed, with the Axios Helix jersey we've also tested. The Helix range is Primal's more race orientated collection and the bibs themselves carry the description 'designed for competition but built for everyday rides'

Spanish clothing brand Etxeondo have launched the Etxeondo Bira Bib Shorts at the lower end of their usual price list to create a more 'value for money' range. Whether you consider £79.99 for a pair of bibshorts value for money or not, its hard to argue with the quality.

The Forza Italia 2 bibshorts are very good value in terms of performance against price. You're getting a lot of shorts for your money.

Storck's Pro Bib shorts are a comfortable choice for getting in the big miles.

These are from the German bike brand's first collection of clothing and they're a really good start. The lowers are made from three different fabrics that are flat-stitched together so you're barely aware of the seams.

The Sugoi Icon bib shorts deliver on all fronts in a fit-and-forget way. For long hours in the saddle, that's just what you want.

OneTen is this in-house clothing brand from distributor Hotlines and when they launched their winter range last month the Primo Bib Knickers instantly stood out. It's important to keep your knees wrapped up in the autumn (I can't stress the importance of this enough) and bib knickers, or three-quarters as they're sometimes called, do a very good job of insulating your knee joints.

These dhb Vaeon Roubaix bib shorts are made from slightly thicker fabric than your standard summer shorts, making them perfect for end-of-season road races, cyclo-cross and sportives in cooler conditions, or just faster rides when you want to get a final few decent miles in before winter arrives.

The dhb Aeron Pro Bib V2 bib shorts are a higher specced tweak of the Aeron Race I have also reviewed. dhb's shorts are frequently good value for money for the levels of comfort and performance they offer, and I had high hopes that the V2's might be just the ticket for long days out on the bike.