Gobik Subzero Bib Tights

The Gobik Subzero Bib Tights are well named – they’re very warm, and ideal for freezing rides. They’re also comfortable, breathable, feel strong and are pretty good at fending off spray and showers. They’re a great choice for the coldest days and nights the UK can muster.

Unlike many manufacturers, Gobik doesn’t put numbers to its ‘recommended conditions.’ It instead says only that these are for, ‘Low and very low temperatures.’ That’s fair enough, as we all experience cold differently. For me – and I feel the cold very easily – these were toasty warm down to 0°C, and I’ve no doubt they’d be great with it colder still. It just never got colder during my test.

The upper end was around 7-8°C, where I’d get a bit hot on climbs and be generally wishing I’d worn something less substantial. The three-layer construction is noticeably thicker than ‘regular’ bib tights, with Polartec Windbloc on the most exposed external faces, heavy lycra below that and a thick fleecy lining inside. All together, it really does feel cosseting, and they’re a little warmer even than the Rapha Men’s Pro Team Winter Tights III I reviewed recently.

They don’t look quite as normal as those Raphas though, as the thick fabric can’t conform quite so closely and will crease in places, though this never affected comfort or caused any issues. I also found the Gobiks slightly roomier than most bib tights (and bib shorts), as my size large test pair – in an oversight I still find mindboggling – actually felt like a genuine size large. Has nobody told Gobik to shrink all their clothes, like everyone else?

It’s a good thing as, although they’re easily stretchy enough to leave movement unimpeded, they’re inevitably not as stretchy as simple thin lycra. I’m skinny and still appreciated the slight extra room in the legs and hips. Anybody who’s properly beefy or stout at least stands a chance of dragging these on.

And yes, the large (my default) was the right size rather than a medium, because as normal the straps were bordering on too tight. (At least Gobik knows to make those too short for anybody with a long torso/short leg layout, just like everyone else does. Phew!) They were only bordering on too tight though, happily, and the broad elastic was as comfortable and secure as any other straps.

The straps feature graphene stitching that allegedly ‘promotes thermal regulation,’ but if these threads were indeed cooler I can honestly say the effect was utterly lost on me.

The windproofing is effective though (the obvious front-facing panels are Polartec Windbloc), and this is something I always appreciate. Insulation on its own fails when the windblast can just reach inside and steal your stash of warmth every time you speed up.

Talking of the inside, I found the pad well shaped and very comfortable, and had no issues with chafing or overly wide edges anywhere. It wraps quite a long way up the front as well, presumably to add a bit more protection for your… lineage… from the elements. Obviously pads are very personal and your mileage may quite literally vary, but Elastic Interface is well regarded and this Graphene model was – again, for me at least – very effective.

Obviously these bib tights are not waterproof, or even particularly water resistant in many areas, but they still do okay when wet. The front-facing Windblock panels actually are water resistant, so your legs are well shielded from spray and rain. The big squares on the back of your calves are reflective (and have a subtle logo I liked too).

The stitching everywhere is very solid and pleasingly neat, while the seams are all appropriately flatlocked or overlocked for comfort.

Value

At €185, which is currently about £160, these seem like really good value. The Rapha Men’s Pro Team Winter Tights III I mentioned earlier are a massive £125 more at £275, and these Gobiks are warmer. The Raphas have the edge in looks, though, if that counts.

The Lusso Paragon Deep Winter Bib Tights are less but still more (do keep up) at £225, though they’re even more protective than the Gobiks thanks to an unusual waistcoat-like top half. Our reviewer Jez was very impressed.

Meanwhile the £265 Assos Equipe R Habu Winter Bib Tights S11 are also excellent, while also being less (than the Raphas) and more (than the Lussos) and more – considerably more – than the Gobiks.

Basically, the Subzero bib tights are easily competing with all these brands for performance, quality and comfort, while being £35-£125 cheaper. You might not be getting the cachet of a big name, but then you’re not paying for it either.

Overall

These are great. They’re very warm, they’re comfortable and they feel properly cosseting when the weather gets truly grim. The sizing is a little bit more true to real life than normal too. They don’t look quite as stylish as some, and the brand name won’t impress the same way either, but such ‘deficiencies’ are slight – and if its performance and value that drive you, they won’t matter in the least.