OneTen Primo Bib Knickers

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.

As they're designed for cycling in colder weather they've used a thicker Roubaix fabric around the thighs and the inside of the rear panel is lined with a brushed material to provide extra warmth. The rest of the shorts are made from a fast-drying polyester.

Wide leg grippers are made from a softer shinier fabric and with a few dots of silicone gripper on the inside ensure these shorts stay put on your legs with no movement detected during cycling. The bib straps are made from a light mesh material and evenly spread pressure across my shoulders and they weren't so tight that they felt restrictive.

The shorts fitted well with a good shape around the legs and thighs. The material they've used and the way the shorts are cut meant there was no restriction on the freedom of movement around the knees, so cycling in them was a comfortable experience. And inside there's minimal seaming to reduce the potential for annoying chafing. Some companies resort to complex panel designs around the knee but the simplicity and stretchiness of the fabric ensures the OneTen's perform well without that.

Like the Primo bib shorts Mat recently tested these use a chamois made from XP1 perforated foam. Chamois thickness varies from brand to brand, these are definitely at the fatter end of the scale and proved impressively comfortable on several longer jaunts. It's shaped and ventilated with a dimpled surface to prevent a horrible buildup of moisture.

Some people may well be in tights by now but there are still plenty of people still cycling in shorts. And to them I say do your knees a favour and invest in these well-priced bib knickers. They offer a lot of performance and comfort for only a small outlay, and compare well to similarly priced shorts.

They've very durable too. I've used them in a cyclo-cross race and a couple of mountain bike rides and races, as well as some shorter road rides, and they've stood up to well to the abuse and repeated washing.

Verdict

Superb fit and comfort and a great price makes the OneTen Primo Bib Knickers a good choice for autumn/spring and milder winter days