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review

B'Twin Aerofit 900 3/4 bib tights

5
£49.99

VERDICT:

5
10
Not a bad effort but left a little wanting at this price
Weight: 
242g

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Aerofit 900 is B'Twin's top end range and with a decent looking pad, cut and design these three-quarter-length bibs look pretty good, but don't compare well with similarly-priced opposition.

Putting on the Aerofit 900s for the first time there is a lot to like. The 80% Nylon/20% Lycra mix of the main leg part of the garment is stretchy enough to be easy to get on but not overly so that it still provides a decent level of support for your muscles.

The bibs are light and offer a good fit whether you are standing or in the saddle. The straps themselves are unobtrusive where they pass over the shoulders and they're comfortable without a base layer.

At the other end you get elastic grippers to hold them in place at the calf and they do the job well without gripping too tightly.

The only thing I'm not a fan of is that the material has a cheap feel to it. It's very thin and quite fragile compared to the similarly priced dhb Vaeon bib three-quarters. Although the B'Twins seem to be standing up to plenty of wear and tear at the moment it'd be interesting to see how they are in the long run. Saying that though the two-year warranty would come into play if anything goes wrong.

Once on the bike the pad feels pretty good with a mixture of gel inserts and foam padding plus some channels to avoid numbness. It's a bit on the thick side for me I found it comfortable for 90-minute to two-hour rides but once over that I did find numbness was an issue.

The lower back panel is made from Equarea fabric which is designed to be worn next to the skin to work as a breathable wicking material. It's a good idea to position it here as when in the race position (these are pro level shorts after all) the wind blows along your back and does remove a lot of excess heat.

Overall, The Aerofit 900 three-quarters are almost there but not quite. Most of the B'Twin range impresses due to the fact that its pretty good and its really well priced. The Aerofit's have snuck into the territory of the aforementioned dhb Vaeons priced at £47.99 and unfortunately the French supermarket's offering just doesn't quite meet the standard. The lightweight fabric does make the 900s ideal for cool summer morning or evening rides though, rather than just Spring or Autumn so you'll get plenty of use for your money.

Ironically for a pro short, the thickness of the pad would suit the more upright rider. If, like me, you tend to ride with quite a drop from saddle to bar you'll notice a fair bit of bunching which can result in numbness once the computer clicks over the two hour mark.

Verdict

Not a bad effort but left a little wanting at this price

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road.cc test report

Make and model: BTwin Aerofit 900 3/4 Bibknickers

Size tested: Medium, Black White Red

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The Aerofit 900s are marketed as B'Twin's Pro level range and although they have a lot of redeeming features they are up against some tough opposition.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

*80% Polyamide /20% Elastane construction

*Gel pad with varying thickness

*Mesh bibs

*2yr warranty

*S-2XL

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
6/10

Neat and tidy enough but cheap feeling material.

Rate the product for performance:
 
5/10

Considering they are marketed as Pro level shorts they don't quite meet the grade for performance due to the bulky pad.

Rate the product for durability:
 
6/10

So far so good but they do feel flimsy. They are backed up by a two year warranty though.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
6/10

About right compared to the opposition.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
5/10

A good cut and the bib straps are comfortable though the pad lacks long distance comfort and only gets worse the harder and faster you ride.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Up against the likes of dhb, Northwave and Altura the similarly priced B'twins aren't as good in terms of quality or finish.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Not bad but a few issues with pad comfort and overall feel.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

They are a good shape.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The overly thick pad and the price is a touch high.

Did you enjoy using the product? Not really my cup of tea.

Would you consider buying the product? No.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? I'd suggest it along with others.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

The Aerofit 900's are scored 'okay' as this is really all they are. There is nothing that really stands out and makes you think wow! At the fifty pound price point they are up against the market's big hitters and they struggle to compete.

Overall rating: 5/10

About the tester

Age: 35  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Whatever needs testing or Genesis Flyer, fixed of course!  My best bike is: Kinesis T2 with full Centaur Red

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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