dhb Ladies Aeron Race Bib Short

It's not often that you get female specific bib shorts like dhb's Ladies Aeron Race bibs outside of custom team issue kit. Some might argue that it's not often women WANT bib shorts, but that's a bit of a chicken and egg situation, with demand answering supply and vice versa. However, there's a place for women's bibs in the same way that there is for men's- they offer superior levels of comfort, especially for long duration rides, having no waistband and they avoid any unpleasant gaps between jersey and shorts.

As with the male version we tested earlier in the year the dhb Aeron bibs have all the performance looks of much pricier alternatives, with continental contrast colour styling and a little bit of pizzazz about them. The fabric is a super lightweight lycra (although slightly heavier than on the Aeron, for added compression) but not too shiny and still with a good level of line flattering and excellent muscle support. The bib section is made from a perforated lycra fabric reminiscent of a sort of stretchy aertex, to allow for maximum breathability where it matters. According to the manufacturers, carbon fibre content in the bib fabric 'helps to regulate body temperature and reduce stress on the body', but it also as the added effect of helping to maintain freedom from odours. A highly articulated, shaped female specific CyTech 'Speed Air' chamois and gentle leg grippers finish the package.

In use, these are extremely comfortable, giving just the right level of support while still managing to have a barely there quality. The leg grippers aren't intrusively tight, yet do their job admirably, while the chamois is so well shaped and with just the right degree of cushioning and moisture management that its existence is easily forgotten- but in a good way. The bibs themselves are extremely stretchy and as unobtrusive as bibs can be, settling themselves around the bust pretty comfortably. It's a very personal thing as to whether the shaping of bibs suits or not, though, since bust size plays a large part in comfort. These should suit most bust sizes, since they are very low profile and super stretchy. The legs are a good mid-length which should suit most riders.

All in all it's hard to find fault with a pair of genuinely comfortable, high performance female specific bib shorts that sell for somewhere in the region of half the price of the majority of other women's performance bibs. If you want to keep your knees covered as the nights draw in there are is also a 3/4 version.

Verdict

Comfortable, genuinely high performance lightweight female specific bib short? I'll take 2 please, for the price of one of most of the competition.