Lycra shorts

These Etxeondo Attaque shorts are excellent but there's just one thing that puts us off and that's the small matter of the £230 price tag.

De Marchi's lightweight Contour shorts are aimed at racers, whereas the Pure Classic is made from slightly thicker material and cut in a style that’s slightly more traditional – or ‘sober’ according to De Marchi’s own website.

The Mojos are Ground Effect’s women’s version of the New Zealand company’s top of the range lycra shorts. The men’s counterparts are the Supersonics. Known for producing high quality bike clothing at reasonable prices, Ground Effect design with comfort, style and practicality in mind.

Groun Effect Mojo shorts

The Finchdean bib tights from Wiggle are aimed squarely at winter riders, and will keep you warm through those chilly days in autumn and spring too, making them ideal for commuting, training and early season sportives.

I’ve got thin blood, so in the depths of winter I wear big fat windproof mountain-bike tights, even when I’m out on the road. But once the icy winds disappear around early March, I need something a bit more slim-line, though still nice and warm, and the Finchdeans do just the job.

The best feature of these shorts is the seat pad. It’s synthetic but feels very similar to chamois leather and you can even apply chamois cream if you like old-school lubrication.

It comes with hundreds of little perforations which add ventilation, it’s stretchy enough to fit closely and, despite being just a uniform density, provides enough padding for long-ride comfort without being noticeably bulky. A Coolmax surround is equally good at moisture management.