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Shutt VR Team Bib Tights

9
£99.00

VERDICT:

9
10
Excellent bib tights in every aspect, with a special mention to the very comfortable pad
Weight: 
280g
Contact: 

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UK brand Shutt VR has delivered a very well designed and thought pair of bib tights with this Team model. Everything from the fabric selection, panel positioning and the custom designed chamois pad is spot on and they are a joy to wear, whether out for a quick blast or one of those off-season base mile epics.

  • Pros: Comfy pad, panel positioning, price
  • Cons: Erm...

Shutt VR has developed its own pad for the Teams rather than buying a product off the shelf from one of the big manufacturers. It's done a very good job too. My initial ride in the bib tights was a five-hour, 90-mile jaunt around the local countryside which is always risky, but the Shutt VRs were, well, unnoticeable. When kit is that good that you don't give it a single thought while in the saddle, then that's a resounding success.

> Buy these online here

When I first put the bib tights on I did feel the pad was a little on the bulky side, with its varying thicknesses of foam panels surrounding the pressure relief channels. Once on the bike, though, that soon disappeared and the plushness was well received, especially for the type of rides you are likely to do in the winter months. Longer and a little slower possibly, where you can often find yourself spending more of the ride sat in the saddle and in a more upright position.

Shutt Velo Rapide Team Bib Tights - pad.jpg

For racier riding, though, things still work and that added padding doesn't bunch when you are crouched over, hunkered down on the bar.

Shutt Velo Rapide Team Bib Tights - riding.jpg

For warmth, the Shutt VR Teams use Vuelta Lycra for all of the panels below the waist. This has a fleece-style brushed back which sits against the skin and is both soft and insulating.

Shutt VR doesn't make any windstopping claims but I had no issues when riding in the recent cold northerly winds, and while we are yet to have any early morning frosts down here in the south west I don't see an issue when the temperature drops below freezing. (I'll update this review if they prove me wrong.)

Shutt Velo Rapide Team Bib Tights - front.jpg

Breathability feels perfectly acceptable too. On some rides where the sun came out and I was sheltered from the wind things did get a little warm, but I didn't feel as though I was overheating.

The material also has a water-repellent treatment which works well against light drizzle or riding in the mist and fog. Anything heavier and it'll get overwhelmed, but you do stay warm even when wet so it's no biggy.

Shutt Velo Rapide Team Bib Tights - detail.jpg

There is plenty of stretch in the material to allow for a full range of unhindered motion when pedalling, plus you don't get any bunching behind the knees at all.

Shutt Velo Rapide Team Bib Tights - back detail.jpg

The fabric used for the bib section is similar but nowhere near as thick, so you get the cosiness of the brushed fabric without overheating. Nice wide straps and a central back section fit close without causing any pressure points, especially where they pass over your shoulders.

Shutt Velo Rapide Team Bib Tights - straps.jpg

I'm not a big fan of zips at the bottom of the legs on tights, especially if they sit at the rear, a place where they can rub against zips on overshoes and cause discomfort. The Shutt VRs just use an elasticated hem and silicone gripper and it works a treat; they don't move up your legs at all.

Shutt Velo Rapide Team Bib Tights - cuff.jpg

One hundred pounds isn't that rare a price point for a decent pair of bib tights and I think it's money well spent here. As I've said, the fit and performance are absolutely brilliant, and when it comes to quality things continue to impress. They're Italian made, and all of the stitching looks neat and tidy throughout; they feel like a much more expensive pair of tights. They look it too. I'm a fan of the Shutt VR logo, and with their coloured band around the bottom of the thighs they look like a bib shorts and leg warmer combo.

> Buyer's Guide: 16 of the best bib tights & trousers for winter cycling

All of the branding has been screen printed too, so nothing will be peeling off in a couple of months. Another cool little touch is the sizing and information label which is made out of a kind of clear plastic which doesn't irritate at all.

We've recently reviewed Rapha's Core bib tights which look to be very similar to the Shutt VRs but £20 more expensive, while Pearl Izumi's Pro Pursuit tights, again very similar, are £129.99. The Shutts are looking very competitive indeed.

On the whole, the Shutt VR Team bib tights are a welcome addition to an autumn/winter/spring wardrobe.

Verdict

Excellent bib tights in every aspect, with a special mention to the very comfortable pad

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Shutt VR Team Bib Tights

Size tested: Medium

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?

Shutt VR says, "Specifically designed for Autumn, Winter and Spring riding, our Team Bib Tights will serve you during late or early season training and racing. The aerodynamic cut and custom Shutt chamois make these bib tights practical, comfortable, and perfect even in the harshest weather conditions.

"The Vuelta LYCRA® fabric with water repellent treatment has an interlocking microfibre knit that controls stretch whilst providing highly breathable insulation that is super soft to touch. These bib tights will keep the chill out whilst wicking moisture away."

The Team bibtights are a great combination of material choice and cut to offer an ideal piece of clothing for almost all winter weather conditions.

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

*Water repellent Vuelta LYCRA®

*Anatomic race cut

*Silicon grippers

*Custom Shutt Chamois

*Sizes - S to XXL

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
9/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
9/10

The sizing reflects the charts.

Rate the product for weight:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
10/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Usual stuff: 30 degree wash and they came up clean.

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

Brilliantly, very warm and sublimely comfortable.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The pad works better than I first thought it would.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing really, but if I was being picky I'd like the colour band to go all the way around the leg.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

The Shutt VRs are just great bib tights, as simple as that. The fabric works, the cut is spot on and the pad is ideal for all types of riding.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 38  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: Kinesis Aithein

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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4 comments

Avatar
BrokenBootneck | 6 years ago
0 likes

Our club kit supplier, no complaints about the quality. 

Avatar
ro55ifumi | 6 years ago
0 likes

Purchased a set of these and all of the review is accurate. Quality from a British company and Italian made item . My go to bib tights

Avatar
Team EPO | 6 years ago
0 likes

Have now worn these on both my mountain bike and road bike and they are excellent. Were also sent next day.

 

Well worth the money.

Avatar
Team EPO | 6 years ago
2 likes

I have just ordered a pair and have a 15% off discount code of WELCOME2017

It flashed up when I was looking at them so maybe everyone will see it when they go online but if not enter WELCOME2017 at the checkout stage.

 

 

 

 

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