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review
£125.00
VERDICT:
Pretty much the best all round bibs I've tested, this level of comfort and performance usually costs a lot more
Weight:
250g
Contact:
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.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
- Exceptional
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
- Quite good
- Average
- Not so good
- Poor
- Bad
- Appalling
The Summit line is Pactimo's top end range and after living with these Raptor bibshorts for the past few weeks I can vouch they are very top end and while they're not cheap you would usually expect to pay a lot more for this level of quality and performance.
Colorado based Pactimo have their own factory in China and specialise in custom clothing - they made the original roadcc jerseys - but if you don't want club kit everything is also available in their standard retail range.
The tech spec on the Raptors is impressive, longer than some bike specifications I've seen. Kicking things off is the Raptor material by Swiss company Eschler that has a patterned, almost scaly effect to it which if nothing else certainly looks cool. It uses a nylon outer (66%) which offers great abrasion resistance with 14% Lycra added to create the elasticity giving a mild compression feeling to it.
It's treated with Coldblack, a finishing technology that makes dark fabrics reflect heat rather than absorbing it, keeping the rider cooler in the long run. Unfortunately it hasn't been hot enough to really test it here but the Louis Garneau Course jersey and shorts tested last year used the same stuff and it worked wonders in the sunshine.
The inner lining is polyester (20%) which Pactimo call Flash. Polyester is an inherently hydrophobic material so acts a barrier against moisture being absorbed from the air keeping you dry as you ride.
Loads of technology can't make up for a poor fit though and thankfully with the Raptors it doesn't have to. The cut of the Raptors is pre-shaped which coupled with the supportive characteristics of the material mean they are supremely comfortable and move with you as you stand to climb or crouch on the drops. In fact Pactimo offer a polite warning that bibshorts using their Silhouette Engineering (yep, engineered shorts) will feel odd when you first put them on as they won't feel comfortable until you are on the bike.
The legs stay where they are thanks to 3in wide bands and silicone grippers. Others like Castelli have been using this style of gripper for a while and it's so much more comfortable than elastic.
Cytech provide the Elastic Interface Endurance Anatomic Carbonium chamois, the same that is used in some of Rapha's models plus quite a few others and it's very comfortable even though the padding is quite thick. It's firm enough to stay in position though which is the key, keeping the central channel in place to relieve any perineal pressure.
Pactimo also get high marks for build quality thanks to tight neat stitching of the flatlocked seams and the all round solid feel to the bibshorts. Plenty of miles on various saddles has seen no wear to the Raptor material or the stitching on the inner leg or chamois area. I can't see them wearing out in a hurry.
Overall the Raptors are quite literally beautiful to wear, really comfortable and supportive no matter how long you are in the saddle. The £125 price tag is easily justifiable against some of the more expensive opposition in terms of fit, comfort and all round build quality. Just putting them on makes you feel up for going out for a ride.
Verdict
Pretty much the best all round bibs I've tested, this level of comfort and performance usually costs a lot more
road.cc test report
Make and model: Pactimo Summer Raptor Bibshorts
Size tested: Medium
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?
"Whether 5 hours in the mountains or grinding it out on the flats, the Summit Raptor Bib Short will provide the finest bib short experience you've ever had." is what Pactimo reckon about the Summit Raptor and I must admit I tend to agree.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
*Raptor™ fabric from Schoeller-Eschler with Flash coldblack® technology
*Cytech Elastic Interface™ Endurance Anatomic Carbonium chamois
*Silhouette™ Engineering to provide a superlative fit
*Italian double turned leg band with silicon gripper
*Flatlock stitching
*Sizing S-2XL
*Womens version available
*Custom design options
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
10/10
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
9/10
Rate the product for value:
9/10
You get what you pay for and even a little bit more in this instance.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Brilliantly comfortable bibs which are ideal for big ride comfort.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Just how good they feel on the bike.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing to dislike really.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
About the tester
Age: 35 Height: 180cm Weight: 76kg
I usually ride: Whatever needs testing or Genesis Flyer, fixed of course! My best bike is: Kinesis T2 with full Centaur Red
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,
Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.
With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.
He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.
Latest Comments
- chrisonabike 2 sec ago
Yup - although as a more "distributed" / low cost kind of "good" (which the public purse pays towards) cycling will likely always be susceptible to...
- andystow 7 min 14 sec ago
I suppose I could take a chance on aliexpress, though. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806030349283.html
- quiff 28 min 54 sec ago
If the sashes are original (single glazed?) then it's likely any company quoting will be quoting for new, sympathetic, double-glazed sashes. It's...
- quiff 1 hour 6 min ago
I'm sure they'd ask Lime to do that too. Come and collect your bikes and my neighbour - they're in pieces.
- brooksby 1 hour 12 min ago
Ireland seems to have a lot of problems with their cycle lanes… Almost as many as England
- quiff 1 hour 32 min ago
Fair point - I was restricting myself to pedal bikes. As I've never spent that kind of money on anything though (mortgage doesn't count), it's kind...
- brooksby 2 hours 34 min ago
And finally: I wonder how many of the "more than 3,000" signatures on that petition are actually locals, who live or work there (and are not just...
- Doug_D 4 hours 10 min ago
Another book suggestion - I can highly recommend "Lost Summers and Half-Forgotten Afternoons: A Mint Sauce collection" - a beautifully presented...
- mdavidford 6 hours 1 min ago
I think you're missing an opportunity to pack even more tech into it - add accelerometers that can detect whether they're pedalling or stepping....
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22 comments
Back in stock, discount code also still works!
Finally got mine delivered today (2 weeks
) and look good. A little bit smaller in M than the Craft bibs I wear quite a bit.
Ah well, there goes that impulse purchase. Tried to order on the UK site, but they're out of stock. Not obvious, but when you click the 'colour' option it says 'Please login to be notified when this product is back in stock'.
They do look good, but I suspect my first bib shorts will be Castelli or Santini (in the end-of-season sales).
The Summit Pro (next one down) is available.. twenty quid cheaper on RRP and Pactimo have a sale on at the moment linked to the TdF. Code changes each time the yellow jersey does and is valid for a day - gets you 40% off. The current code is NIBALI and expires midnight tomorrow IIRC.
Did my first ride in these shorts today and not bad. The pad is quite thick, a bit softer than expected and also very generously sized so my sitbones are on the pad with no problems.
Only did 50k, but overall the shorts do feel quite solidly made and not bad at all for £62.50. But really need a longer ride to fully get a feel for them.
Delivery was very quick too - ordered 26th Sat, arrived 28th Mon!
Having got my Strava miles in and got the code I ordered shorts and jersey. Both arrived yesterday and just been out for a quick ride out. Quality and fit are great. Very nice kit. Even better value at half price.
Have a Pactimo Jersey with one of their arty designs and I'm very fond of it ^^.
Like the sound of these shorts but must ask how is the pad placement? My rear end is perhaps a bit bigger than usual so what happens is that my sitbones end op on the tapering part of the pad instead of the wider more rearward bit. This also pulls the padding back from "scranus" so less padding when in the drops/faux aero. Just had to send back some otherwise nice Sportful shorts - really good pad but just was not in the right place for me.
Thanks for any advice.
Thanks for that link to the Strava discount and the British store. Just ordered half price shorts and jersey - nice £102 saving. (Realised if used my wife's logic there
)
I have one of their jerseys and have been looking at these, but are the legs longer than the average short?
Can't be compromising those tan lines now!
A touch longer than Castelli or DHB etc, maybe 10-15mm. They look longer in the photos as they hadn't been ridden in. Once you start pedalling they settle into position.
Thanks very much Stu.
Much appreciated.
What size did you test, Stu? I'm 181cm and 77kgs so almost the same as you.
Toward the top of the blue box it says he was testing size medium. I'm also a similar build (182cm/78KG, 31in waist), and I'm a medium in just about every brand out there that I've tried so far, though obviously that's a rule just waiting to be proven by exception...
If I can work out how this 50% discount for riding 350 miles thing works, I'll be quite tempted to grab a pair. But not for £120. I've never actually ridden in bib shorts, because I've always been happy with regular shorts, but I'm more and more tempted to get a pair to see what the fuss is about -- they're clearly by far the popular choice now.
[Just had a look at their site, and it was easy enough to get the discount code]
I've ordered from the UK shop, and it accepts the discount code, so the final price inc 2nd class delivery is £62.50. If they are as good as advertised / reviewed, could be a bargain!
Cracking, cheers for update.
Now that IS what I call 'mid-range'!
I picked up a Pactimo soft shell at the London Bike Show. Was so impressed with the quality I have now bought two short sleeve jerseys and a gilet. Really is top stuff, but I have only bought with discount codes or from the outlet to keep the price more reasonable.
£125 !!!! Mid Range!
Get over to Ribble for some excellent value Lusso bib shorts for £40 to £50.
£125 shorts are considered 'mid-range', hmm...it's subjective I know, but really I'd say mid range is a fair few quid less than that...
Love me Pactimo stuff, but no Summit gear yet. For those that might have done 350 miles in June (loosely, see link for more details), Pactimo are offering 50% off the Summit line which has got to be a bit of a bargain. Have a butchers at the rules here...
http://www.vamovo.com/pactimo-the-summit-experience/
..at least, I hope it's still possible to add stuff.
I added my rides from strava from this month - boom! instant discount code.
Just wondering about actually buying them and the whole shipping from the US malarky...
[EDIT] By default, they don't ship abroad. I've mailed them about it. any news, I will follow up here.
Nice one !
I seem to remember I had to go through the UK store (not obvious from the website) to be able to order to the UK.
http://www.pactimo.com/shop/uk/
..although not sure how that ties up with the discount. Be good to hear what they tell you. Cheers.