Morvelo Rue women's bib shorts

On first impression the Rue women's bib shorts from the Brighton-based Morvelo design duo looked extremely promising with lots of panels, nice colour scheme and a generous pad.

Morvelo have been steadily increasing their women's range over the last few years, ensuring the construction, fabrics and unique designs are akin to the men's range.

The Rue bib shorts were actually part of Morvelo's Spring/Summer collection but are still available on their website. After perusing the rest of the brand's fun and colourful offerings for women, it seems that the bib shorts from the recently released new season collection are also based on the same cut and fabrics.

The most noticeable thing when putting on the Rue bib shorts is the compression fit. The Italian MITI Spa Power Lycra feels snug around the legs but it's a nice comforting, supportive kind of snug not a boa-constrictor-death-grip kind of snug.

The panelled construction added to the feeling of being supported in all the right places, with no bagging or tight spots around the shorts. This was also noticeable in the mirror where I was surprised to see my inner thigh didn't seem to bulge out as much as it usually does in defiance at being encased in unforgiving fabric.

The printed gripper elastic leg bands were much softer on the skin than the irritating silicone gripper bands that some brands insist on using and I was a fan of the plum purple colour.

I had initial reservations about the mesh strap going straight up my middle and then over the shoulders but I didn't notice the lightweight strap at all once the shorts were on and it wasn't restrictive in the slightest.

The Rue Bib Shorts come with an Italian Dolomiti dual layer perforated chamois, which in normal speak means two layers of foam with air holes to let the moisture out. The aircell memory foam is designed to reduce pressure points, the first thicker layer acting as a shock absorber, supporting the hip and pelvic bones and the second layer allowing ventilation.

I found the pad extremely comfortable. At first it felt thicker than the pads in my more frequently-used shorts but once on the bike it wasn't invasive at all. My undercarriage felt completely supported from the first try, which unfortunately for these shorts coincided with my weekly attempt at intervals on the turbo trainer.

They coped remarkably well with my sad sweaty efforts at seated sprints, hips rocking all over the place – in fact, not a chafe in sight. During longer steady four to five hour rides, there was no change in comfort level so I didn't have to think about getting out of the saddle to give my derrière a rest.

Most of us have bib shorts we know are more suited to shorter rides and bib shorts we know are more reliable for long days in the saddle. I can safely say the Rue bib shorts fit into both categories quite happily and were more than a match for my 100km+ fail-safes, the Rapha Women's Classic bib shorts.

The ventilation actually worked very well on longer rides; where as some other bib shorts can start to act like a sponge and then become damply uncomfortable the Rue shorts took it in their stride and managed to stay fairly dry.

The colour scheme of the bib shorts wasn't overly feminine and I liked that they were more colourful than typical lycra offerings. The pattern wasn't what I would usually go for but the fact they had a matching jersey made it more appealing.

Morvelo have an eclectic range of kit designs so I'm sure most types of riders will find something they like.

The reflective tabs on the back of each leg were a nice thought, adding a touch more confidence in my visibility during night rides. It's also heartening to see Morvelo offer these shorts in a large range of sizes (XS - XXL).

Overall, I was really impressed with the performance of the Rue bib shorts especially when compared to more expensive offerings on the market.

Verdict

Good value, comfortable and supportive shorts