Primal Stirling Men’s Helix 2.0 Bibs

The Primal Stirling Men's Helix 2.0 Bibshorts are impressively comfortable thanks to great race cut, a well-balanced pad and excellent materials. A hint of compression makes them an ideal choice for fast or hard rides.

• Pros: Impressive chamois; soft fabric
• Cons: Quite a bold design that won't mix and match with other kit

Primal has used its race-specific pattern for the cut and layout of the various contoured panels. It works well, as I always felt that the shorts fitted absolutely perfectly no matter what position I was in on the bike. No unnecessary bunching of material anywhere, nor did they feel tight when standing.

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The Vero fabric is soft to the touch and has just a small amount of compression that is noticeable enough to take the edge off muscle vibration on longer rides. The jury has been out for a long time on how much compression garments help, but I have always got on well with them during and after exercise so it's a welcome addition here.

There are a fair few seams going on around the Helix to get that race shape, but thankfully I found no irritation whatsoever. The flatlock stitching and positioning keeps them all out of the way of where they might rub, and on rides of four to five hours I had no issues with discomfort.

Another thing that bolsters that comfort is the HX8 Carbon Italian chamois. It is quite simple to look at, having just a single density of padding in a saddle shape, with slimmer foam around the outside. There are no channels or anything like that, and I certainly didn't suffer with any numbness. The padding is quite firm and supportive so it takes the edge off road buzz without it feeling too squidgy or soft, something I'm not a fan of.

As for the rest of the shorts, things are all good here too.

You get a back panel made of mesh that helps keep you cool when paired with a baselayer beneath and a jersey over the top, and the wide straps don't cause any pressure points on your shoulders like some thinner designs can.

Keeping the legs in place are a pair of grippers made from highly stretchable FlexPro material backed with what feels like little silicone dots. They do the job well without being too restrictive and becoming irritating on longer jaunts.

The overall quality and finish is very good, especially the neatness of the stitching overall.

There is a wide seam that runs around the chamois, which I'm glad to see. This is where I find some shorts can wear quickly, with the friction of the saddle during the pedalling movement damaging the stitching, but no such issues here.

Looking at value, you can get some very good bib shorts for less than a hundred quid, such as the dhb Aerons, but that doesn't mean the Primals are overpriced. They sit well alongside similar designs like the £139 Shutt Velo Rapide Sanremo shorts I was testing at the same time. The Shutt VRs feel just that little bit softer and the pad is very slightly better, but the Primals are pretty close.

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Overall, the Helix bib shorts are hard to fault – my only real nit-pick is that I'm not a massive fan of the graphics. Even if you do like them, you're likely going to need to get the full outfit of jersey or gilet as it isn't an easy design to mix and match.

Verdict

Very comfortable bib shorts thanks to a great choice of fabrics and pad