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rh+ Distance bib tights

7
£130.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Thermal bib tights with a decent pad and other good features.
Weight: 
300g
Contact: 
www.veroli.co.uk

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The RH+ Distance bib tights have a high build quality and neat features.

The Distance bib tights are made using what RH+ call Icedry Gold 200 fabrics – intermediate weight thermal fabrics designed for mild to cold conditions. What that actually means is that these tights are made from fleecy Nylon/Lycra fabrics (like Roubaix Lycra) and they provide a good level of warmth for most off-season temperatures.

I'm just back from an 8°C ride and the level of insulation was spot on, although I'll want some windproof panels when the temperature is a few degrees colder.

The build quality is really high with the majority of seams flat-stitched to avoid any discomfort, and I didn't get any rubbing around the back of the knees, which is where some can be annoying. Those side panels have different levels of stretch from the main panels, but I can't say that I particularly noticed that in use.

The ankles come with very good zips, the pullers of which lock into place without rattling, and they're reflective for a little extra nighttime visibility (wear overshoes and you'll cover some, but not all, of that reflective material).

The leg openings are edged with gripper elastic like you get on many shorts these days. I'm a big fan of its use here. It holds everything in place well without feeling at all tight.

RH+ use similar stuff for the bib section. Well, the braces are wider but they're similarly stretchy. If you get them sweaty, they do seem to stay damp longer than a mesh equivalent but they're still very comfy.

The seatpad, an Elastic Interface model made for RH+ by experts Cytech, is called the Uranus. That's either a really unfortunate choice of name or a deliberately really funny one; we can't quite work out which. It doesn't provide the densest padding ever but you get two different depths of foam, a central channel to relieve pressure, and plenty of stretch. The fabric that sits next to your skin wicks well and dries fast. I've done three hour plus rides using this and been perfectly comfortable, although I might want a bit more cushioning if I was out all day.

£130 certainly isn't cheap for a pair of fleecy bib tights but these have a high-quality feel throughout with some good features that elevate them above the crowd.

Verdict

Thermal bib tights with a decent pad and other good features.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: rh+ Distance Bibtight

Size tested: Medium Black 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?

RH+ list these features:

* Preshaped anatomic structure

* Ultra-flat seams

* Stretch microfiber braces

* Anatomic waist cut

* Inserts with differentiated stretch

* Leg gripper with stretch control visible elastic, depth 4 cm

* Bottom leg zipper with camlock

* Reflective applications at bottom leg

The leg grippers on ours are actually 3cm-wide while the braces are 4cm.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The good ankle zips and grippers.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Maybe.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 43  Height: 190cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,

 

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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