Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

review

dhb Aeron bib shorts

9
£75.00

VERDICT:

9
10
Excellent quality, comfort and performance for an impressive price
Weight: 
195g

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 mean

Good 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 dhb Aeron bibshorts have long been favourites of mine, and thanks to some updates to the fabric and pad these 2019 versions are the best yet.

  • Pros: Brilliantly comfortable pad, excellent fit
  • Cons: Barely anything

dhb has gone with Italian fabric manufacturer MITI and its Granfondo material for the bulk of the new Aerons. It's a fabric with a fair amount of stretch but with a slight amount of compression to it, and it feels great against the skin.

dhb Aeron bib shorts - side.jpg

The multi-panel cut fits like a glove when working with the fabric's properties and no matter how hard or fast you are riding the shorts let you move fully with no feeling of restriction. There is no rucking or bunching of the material anywhere.

dhb Aeron bib shorts - back 2.jpg

At the time of testing we haven't exactly reached summer temperatures yet, but it's been warm enough to work up a sweat, especially when smashing it in the hills. The Aerons dry quickly once the effort is over and remain feeling comfortable the whole time.

The leg grippers are unobtrusive, with the silicone section taking up about two-thirds of the circumference while the other third is an elasticated strip of fabric. I find this style works best for securing the bottom of the leg as it works whatever your thigh diameter without putting any unnecessary pressure on the skin.

dhb Aeron bib shorts - front.jpg

The bibs use a thin mesh fabric which is lightweight and very breathable, plus the back section is narrow to leave your shoulders and most of your upper back exposed. That should help when the summer heatwave hits.  1

dhb Aeron bib shorts - straps back.jpg

Elastic Interface has been the pad manufacturer of choice for dhb for many years, so it's no surprise to see that it has remained with EI although the Aerons now come with its Paris HP pad.

dhb Aeron bib shorts - chamois.jpg

Like a lot of the modern pads I've been seeing it looks rather simplistic, with a lot of the channels and sections found on other pads completely done away with. This just uses three different densities of foam along the length of the pad, with the thickest being directly under the sit bones. For pressure relief there is a small central channel front to rear, and up front there are ventilation holes although it's hard to detect how much difference they make.

The quality is up to dhb's usual high standard, with excellent stitching throughout, and the whole piece of apparel feels much more upmarket than the price would have you think.

dhb Aeron bib shorts - straps front.jpg

The sizing is spot on to dhb's guide, which should take out the risk of buying online without trying them first, and they come in a range of colours too.

> Buyer's Guide: 22 of the best cycling bib shorts

> Buyer's Guide: how to choose the right cycle clothing for spring

Their price of £75 is very good for what you are getting. Looking through previous reviews, they stand up well to something like the Orro Bibshorts which sound like they offer similar comfort and quality for £109. Or the Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts, which again are great quality and comfortable but for £110.

On the whole, dhb has made a great pair of bib shorts even better while keeping the price very competitive.

Verdict

Excellent quality, comfort and performance for an impressive price

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: dhb Aeron bib shorts

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for

dhb says, "The dhb Aeron Bib Shorts are the evolution of a best-selling classic. A new pad from Elastic Interface®, proven performance fabrics and details to make your next ride more comfortable, these versatile shorts are the mainstay of your cycling wardrobe."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

dhb lists:

New Elastic Interface® Paris HP Chamois for over 7 hours of comfort

Premium Italian fabrics balance comfort and support

Mesh bibs with extended back mesh panel for ventilation

Shaped leg elastic with silicone particle gripper

Information

Bib straps: 82% Polyester, 14% Elastane(Spandex), 4% Other Fibres

Main: 64% Polyamide(Nylon), 19% Elastane(Spandex), 17% Polyester

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
9/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
9/10

Sizing is spot on to dhb's size guide.

Rate the product for weight:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
10/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

No special instructions for washing and they came out of the washing machine fine every time.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The Aerons are ideal for all kinds of riding.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Excellent material and pad choice.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing really stands out.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

They are very well priced against similarly comfortable and quality bib shorts we've tested in the past.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

dhb's bib shorts deliver all the comfort you could need for an impressive price.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 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

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

Latest Comments