Lusso Active Aero Cycling Bibshorts

Lusso has headed down the windcheating route with its Active Aero Cycling Bibshorts, using fabrics to give you an aerodynamic advantage against the elements – backed up with some very bold claims indeed. Comfort is great, mind, so any speed benefits are a welcome bonus.

For a lot of riders, Lusso's stance on British manufacturing is a big draw so it's good to see that this has continued, with these Aero Actives being created in Manchester. Quality is top notch and all of the stitching and panels are finished to a very high standard so I can't see any longterm issues with durability.

The fabric used for the main sections of the shorts comprises two Italian made fabrics. Front and back, the Active Aeros use what looks to be a dimpled type surface on the outer while smooth on the inner.

It's a decent thickness and feels very robust which is at odds with how soft it feels against the skin, plus there is plenty of stretch in the fabric for a close fit – borderline compressive in fact.

The second material used for the leg side panels is much thinner, basically seethrough on the grooves, and this one really does have a lot of give to guarantee a skintight fit for those aerodynamic gains.

Forty-five millimetre leg grippers keep the shorts in place and even with the large internal seam they spread the load without any form of pressure points or discomfort. The thin line of silicone stops them sliding up if your legs are sweaty.

Up top, the bib uses a lot thicker material than many we see, and you can get a little warm when really cranking out the effort. Compared with the shorts section, the bib straps don't have the same level of tension in them so they are comfortable against the skin and don't feel restrictive.

For the full pro look you also get a radio pocket at the rear of the bib section, plus a guide to keep the headphone wire in place.

Elastic Interface supplies pads to a lot of shorts manufacturers, so it's no surprise that Lusso has followed the same path. The pad in question uses various densities of foam padding in two steps, raising them above the central relief channel.

The first step is a constant height right the way around, with the second being thicker at the rear and tapering off a few mm at the front.

It's a comfortable design, and considering the aero intentions of the bib shorts, you're likely to spent a lot of time crouched over in the drops so the much less padded front means you don't get any bunching.

It remains comfortable, too, whether you are out for a short, hard blast or a longer jaunt of four hours or more.

At a penny shy of 100 quid the Lussos aren't cheap, but in terms of quality and comfort they certainly aren't overpriced. For instance, they are a cool £40 cheaper than the Gore Oxygen 20 bib shorts, which use a pad from the same manufacturer and claim to have all the attributes of the Lussos.

Race-orientated shorts also come in the form of dhb's Aeron Speed bibs which at full retail will set you back £80, so there are options out there for various budgets.

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And do the aero claims justify paying a bit of a premium? Well, that is something only you can decide, but if you look at the opening section of the report below you'll see that Lusso saw a 19-second saving over 10 miles when paired with one of its Active Aero jerseys.

True, it probably doesn't really affect most of us in the real world, but when it comes to aerodynamic savings I've known people to spend a lot more for similar gains in a time trial, for instance.

Overall, I'd say the Lussos offer an impressive all-round package, with the aero benefits, if true, the icing on the cake.

Verdict

Bold aero claims, but impressive shorts nonetheless for those who like to go fast in comfort