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review
£139.00
VERDICT:
Quality bib shorts for fast and long-distance rides, with an excellent pad
Weight:
197g
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.
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- Appalling
The Shutt Velo Rapide Signature Sanremo bib shorts are some of the best out there when it comes to comfort. The recycled fabric feels great against the skin while offering plenty of unrestricted movement, and the pad is top notch.
- Pros: Excellent fit; quality pad for long-distance riding
- Cons: Very little, if you are happy to pay £140 for bib shorts...
Back in 2017 I tested Shutt's Team bib tights and they were brilliant. They still are, in fact, and are currently sat in the kit box ready to embrace their third winter.
Pretty much the key component to how they felt was the chamois pad, which looks to be exactly the same 3D multi-density gel and foam one used here in these Sanremo bib shorts. It's quite a firm pad, offering great support when in the saddle, and there is a central channel at the rear for a bit of pressure relief.
Beyond the padded area it's all quite thin, so there is little in the way of bunching, and I spent plenty of hours in the Shutt VRs with no discomfort whatsoever.
For the main body, the Sanremos are made from a recycled Lycra called Green Soul which is manufactured by Italian materials specialist MITI. It's very soft and smooth against the skin – not quite as smooth as the Pro Transfer material used on the Pearl Izumi Pro bib shorts, but very close.
Helped by the multi-panel design and this soft Green Soul fabric, the shorts moves seamlessly in time with your pedalling motion.
Being Shutt VR's top-level bib shorts, they are designed with racing and fast riding in mind, so the fit is suitably close with just a hint of compression around the thighs.
It's standing up well to daily abuse on the bike, with no bobbling or wear showing around the saddle area.
The legs are held in place with silicone grippers which are decorated in Shutt VR's stripy signature band, hence the name of the shorts. There is also a non-signature version with black leg grippers, should you want something a little more subtle.
A lightweight mesh is used for the bibs and works well at keeping you cool by being fast-wicking, and each shoulder strap is about 60mm (2.5in) wide which helps minimise any pressure points as they pass over your shoulders.
Value-wise, the Sanremos are right in the ball park against a lot of the opposition at £139, when you take into account what you are getting. The quality is very good, just a few stray threads ends here and there. Other than that, the overall finishing is up there with some of the best in the business with the stitching having plenty of give and strength. Other neat little details like reflectives on each leg also add to the overall package.
Those Pearl Izumi bibs I mentioned earlier are £189.99, and while they are near-perfection in my eyes, I wouldn't say that they are 50 quid better than the Shutt VRs.
> Buyer's Guide: 27 of the best cycling bib shorts
They do face stiff competition from Lusso, though, with its excellent DRS bib shorts for just £120.
Conclusion
Overall, the Sanremos are excellent, pretty much ticking every box when it comes to what you want from a quality pair of bib shorts.
Verdict
Quality bib shorts for fast and long-distance rides, with an excellent pad
road.cc test report
Make and model: Shutt Velo Rapide Signature Sanremo Bib Shorts
Size tested: Medium
Tell us what the product is for
Shutt VR says, "Handmade in Italy from MITI Green Soul recycled Lycra**, our Sanremo Bib Shorts are the very best shorts yet to bear the Shutt name. So good in fact that you'll forget you're wearing them and just enjoy your ride. We guarantee it.
"These bib shorts have been designed to provide you the ultimate in comfort and performance. Featuring an anatomic multi-panel design for just the right amount of stretch and support with laser-cut leg grippers combined with high-wicking, lightweight mesh straps.
"All that effort is for nothing without a performance chamois to match. So we developed a 3D multi-density gel and foam pad that provides outstanding comfort even on the very longest of rides. Reflective logos and tabs on the rear means these shorts will look superb with any kit in your cycling wardrobe and help you get picked out by car headlights."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Shutt VR:
Ideal for long distance riding
Super soft recycled Lycra for just the right amount of stretch and support
High wicking mesh straps to prevent over heating
Super lightweight laser cut leg gripper to stop the shorts riding up even during the most intense rides
Low cut at the front for ease of use during café stops
We're so confident in our bib shorts that we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. So if you don't love them, simply return them to Shutt within one month for a full no quibble refund.
** M.I.T.I. Green Soul technology combines the use of 100% sustainable recycled fibers with the most environmental friendly dyeing and finishing processes with no compromise on the performance of the fabrics.
Top-rated Shutt multi-density foam and gel pad
Hypoallergenic and bactereostatic
Optimal shock absorption
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
9/10
Rate the product for sizing:
9/10
Sizing was spot on to the size guide. Even though they have a race cut they are quite generously sized.
Rate the product for weight:
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
9/10
Rate the product for value:
5/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
No problems at all when it comes to washing as long as you follow the usual instructions.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very comfortable for short, hard rides or those where you go further afield.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Very comfortable pad.
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 quite a bit of money but I wouldn't say overpriced when you look at the quality and opposition.
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
The heart of any shorts is the pad and the Shutt VR offering is brilliant; this is then been compounded by quality Lycra and a great race cut.
About the tester
Age: 40
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
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.
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