Primal Icon Men’s Helix 2.0 Bib Shorts

The 'new and improved' Primal Icon Helix 2.0 Bibs are a step up and in the right direction for the American brand. The main upgrades to the leg bands and chamois stitching make for a comfortable fit, even over long summer rides.

• Pros: Great fabric comfort and fit around the leg bands
• Cons: The price and, for me, an oversized chamois

The Helix bibs are at Primal's upper end, a little below its top end QX5s, but come in at a slightly questionable £135. At that sort of price, they are competing with the likes of Castelli's Free Aero Race Bibshorts and Sportful's Total Comfort Bibshorts, and I'm not wholly convinced they do enough to justify it.

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Let's start with the fit. They size up a touch bigger than you might expect: I was testing a pair of XS which were perfect, when usually I'd be in a pair of smalls to fit my stick legs. Having said that, overall fabric comfort and mobility was brilliant. As with the matching Helix jersey (review to come), it is a tight 'Pro Tour Fit', but not overly so.

The multi fabric design, with the thicker Vero material around the legs and the thinner Z92 gridded patch at the small of your back, offers plenty of flexibility when both in and out of the saddle. The Vero material is certainly a little warmer, but not overly so even in the heat. Primal claims it allows 'top-notch compression and abrasion resistance' which I would agree with.

The fabrics are quick wicking and the Z92 patch helps to reduce the ever-present lower back sweat patch. This same material appears around the cuffs of the shorts, although not in the same gridded pattern. This is where the new 'Laser Cut FlexPro Leg Band' shows its strength with a strong yet comfortable grip, without pulling on your bulging thighs.

The Promesh bib straps sit comfortably, with plenty of stretch to allow free upper body movement. One negative comes from the relatively thick edge seams; although not uncomfortable, they protrude noticeably through a tight top like the matching Helix jersey. Having said that, the flatlock stitching elsewhere between the various fabric panels is very tidy, with barely a loose thread to be seen.

My main complaint is the size of the HX8 Carbon Chamois, though this is a personal thing and it might suit you perfectly. In fairness, it is comfortable with its varied levels of thickness around critical areas and seamless design, but for me it's just too large.

Going back to our review of the Primal Helix in 2013, it would appear the same problem was evident then too. The size and width of the chamois at the rear is big and means it doesn't mould terribly well to form. Only once, ridden over a period of weeks, did I find the chamois softened up a little and was more manageable. Even so it just seemed like plenty of unnecessary excess padding that sits away from the contact areas.

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That said, I had no issues of soreness even after some long rides and in changeable weather, so the antibacterial and antimicrobial nature of the fabric seems up to the job.

In essence, there's a lot to like about these shorts, especially if you get on with the oversized chamois, though they're a bit overpriced in my opinion. Maybe that's down to a tight bum and a tight wallet. The asymmetric design is nicely understated, especially when compared to Primal's jersey designs, and the quality of finish is excellent. Maybe the Helix 3.0 can hit the mark?

Verdict

A tight fitting and well made pair of shorts that do the job but at a high price and with a chamois you might find too large