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.
According to dhb, the Finchdeans are the same cut as dhb’s other range tights – the Merstons – and made from the same ‘thermo-stretch’ fabric, which provides a nice snug fit around the legs and rear. The difference is the addition of windproof and water-resistant panels on the knees. These work well in that they keep your knees warm, but the fabric doesn’t quite have as much stretch – fine when you’re riding, but I wonder if these knee panels will start to look baggy after a few months, especially when you’re off the bike.
The bib was a good fit too, and the zip at the front very handy when it comes to loo-stops. A nice touch is the little flap of material over the top of the zip, so it doesn’t dig in your chest when fully done up.
The tights seem well-made, although only a few of the panels are joined with flat stitching; most seams are not flat, not even around the seat area. This didn’t actually cause me any problems, but check this for personal comfort if you’re trying them on.
The tights have a padded insert, billed as ‘Cytec Endurance 2 X-Tract’. On my rides it certainly seemed to whisk the moisture away from the nether-regions as much as can be expected, and there was no sigh of chafing. Just as important, the pad wasn’t too thick, which is a good thing if you normally wear (also padded) shorts under your tights.
The tights don’t have loops to go under the soles of the feet; instead they have a strip of silicon gripper round the hem. The fit round the ankle was just right for a perfectly average guy like me, but if you’ve got slim dainty ankles you may find them a bit loose, and longer-legged riders may find the gap between shoe and tight is larger than they’d like. Not such a problem if you’re wearing overshoes, but even then a bigger gap means slightly colder ankles.
There are vertical zips at the ankle too, which I didn’t need to use to get the tights on and off. Maybe I should though, to save sketching the fabric unnecessarily. There’s also some reflective piping round the zip – a bit of extra safety for those late evening commutes or training rides.
Verdict
Overall, the Finchdean bib tights are ideal for commuting, training and early season sportives. They’ll keep you warm on winter days when the temperature hovers around freezing, and are ideal for rides during the colder bits of autumn and spring too.
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road.cc test report
Make and model: dhb Finchdean bib tights
Size tested: M
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: 49 Height: 5ft 10 / 178cm Weight: 11 stone / 70kg
I usually ride: an old Marin Alp My best bike is: an old Giant Cadex
I’ve been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: touring, club rides, sportives, mtb,
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