bib tight

Mavic's Echappée bib tights provide good warmth with windproof front panels that have withstood the coldest winter days.

These Storck Bib Tight Winters come with windproof and water resistant panels and several other neat features, although they're certainly an expensive option.

So, those windproof/water resistant panels are the ones that go over your knees and your quads – the most exposed areas. They're fleece backed and stretchy so they're perfectly comfortable as you pedal. Most of the rest of the lowers are made from a fabric called Notorious which has a fleecy, ribbed inner surface that holds a lot of warm air around your legs.

The Castelli Velocissimo bib tights are good, comfortable bibtights for cold – but not the coldest – rides

The Velocissimos are made from Castelli's Thermoflex fabric which is a soft, brush-backed Roubaix-type material that's very stretchy. It's not as thick as some and there are no windproof areas but it's warm stuff.

Northwave's Blade bibs are good-quality Super Roubaix tights with enough warmth for most winter conditions and a decent Elastic Interface pad to keep you comfy.

The fabric is Super Roubaix (polyamide/elastane) throughout apart from a mesh section over your upper back. Chances are that you've used Super Roubaix before: it's brush-backed fleecy stuff and mega-stretchy both up and down and crossways so you can get a close fit without any restriction when you pedal. It moves moisture away from your body quickly too so you don't get drenched in sweat.