7mesh Men’s RK2 Cargo Bib Short

The 7mesh Men's RK2 Cargo Bib Shorts are very comfortable thanks to a compressive, secure fit and a great pad. Unfortunately the pockets are a similarly tight squeeze, which can make using them awkward, and they trap a bit of heat on your thighs too. Though neither is a real deal breaker, the price might be.

For more options, check out our guide to the best cycling bib shorts.

The RK2s are really well put together with strong, neat seams, and although they're overlocked – which leaves a ridge of doubled-up fabric – I had no comfort issues at all. The stitching around the pad is also overlocked, but in such a way that the fabric against your skin still feels almost seamlessly smooth.

> Buy now: 7mesh Men’s RK2 Cargo Bib Short for £230 from 7mesh

The pad attaches to a section that 'floats' across the outer fabric thanks to only being stitched on three out of four sides. The overlocked bits fold between those layers, and don't intrude.

The pad itself is a men's Performance Force from Elastic Interface, and is very comfortable – or was for me, at least. Pads are obviously very personal. This one feels quite slim thanks to its heavily tapered edges, yet stays supportive as the hours pass thanks to significant padding under your sit bones and running forwards – it follows the top of a channelled saddle, basically. The padding is channelled itself for further pressure relief.

The overall fit is definitely compressive, and once on (not much of a struggle) is very comfortable and pleasingly secure. I had no issues with these rising up at all, and the raw cut legs stay pretty much exactly where I put them. They have dotted silicone grippers inside the ends, but probably barely need them.

There's no compression or squishing anywhere a gentleman wouldn't want it, I should add... the sizing and fit seem just right.

I found the straps perfect, which is unusual for me (I'm relatively long in the torso and they're often too tight). Compressive shorts like these really don't need much tension to stay up, and thankfully 7mesh knows that and has made these soft, fairly broad and gently twangy. I personally don't think you need elastic with 400lbs of lifting force on a normal pair of bibs either, but that [descends from hobby horse] is all there is to say about that.

These are cargo shorts, so obviously they have cargo receptacles, aka pockets. They're the only bit I'm not convinced about – they're the same hard-stretching fabric as the rest of it, stitched tight and flat down your thighs. As a consequence they're very tight, and not that easy to get things in and out of.

The double layer also means your thighs stay noticeably warmer than elsewhere, though at least the 'coldblack' finish – which reduces the tendency of dark colours to absorb heat by reflecting a lot of UVA and UVB light – seems to do its job. Riding along with no shade, I couldn't feel any extra heat building up from the sun; it just felt the same as riding under trees in shadow. The coldblack finish gives at least 30UPF protection, too.

It obviously can't do anything to stop your own heat from building up under the extra insulation, but at the same time I shouldn't overstate this effect. Though vaguely aware of it, I was never uncomfortable in temperatures up to around 26°C. I just wouldn't choose these if it was 30°C plus. Personally I'd rather see these pockets made from mesh, both for the stretch and the superior cooling.

Note there's a non-cargo version of these without pockets that's £30 less. If I were choosing, I'd go for those.

Value

These really aren't cheap – they're £230, though by the time your read this a loaf of bread might be as well. They're certainly not alone at this level. The MAAP Alt_Road Cargo Bibs are £235, for instance, and our reviewer Stu found those very comfortable too (and currently reduced to £164).

George thought the Rapha Men's Pro Team Powerweave bibs were excellent, but they are still more at £300, and those don't even have pockets. Not that you'd have anything left to put in them anyway.

But, for now at least, you can get decent cargo bib shorts for considerably less. The Albion ABR1 Pocket bib shorts did extremely well in our review and are a full £85 cheaper the the 7meshes at £145, while Rapha's Core Cargo bib shorts, which David reviewed back in 2019 and thought were very good, are now £125, and though the Altura All Roads Cargo Bib Shorts have a few niggles according to George's review, they're easily forgiven at £80.

Conclusion

Overall, these are very comfortable and mostly work very well, though for me the pockets need rethinking – they're big but very tight, and the extra fabric traps heat. While great shorts in all other aspects, you can do better for the price.

Verdict

Very comfortable, compressive bib shorts with less impressive pockets – they're big but not so clever