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review

RH+ PW Revo Bibshort

8
£160.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Very good, supportive bib shorts with an excellent seat pad, but they ain't cheap
Weight: 
204g
Contact: 
www.veroli.co.uk

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.

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The RH+ PW Revo bibshorts are among the most expensive shorts we've ever tested on road.cc, but they're also very good, working hard to defend that big asking price.

We'll start with the pad because that's crucial. If the pad's no good, you might as well forget it. Thankfully, you get a CyTech Elastic Interface pad here: the Road Performance Carbonium Men. http://www.elasticinterface.com/cycling-pads-clothing/cycling-technology... It's a really impressive option with three different densities – up to 14mm thick beneath your sit bones.

It doesn't feel massively bulky, though, because it's much thinner in the areas where you need less cushioning, and there's a channel down the centre. I've done 5hr rides on this and it's not left me feeling even close to tender. Plus, the foam is perforated to help keep you cool and dry. All round, it's a winner.

The shorts are very well made into a pre-formed shape, with mostly flat seams and bonded side inserts. The fabric isn't as elastic as some and there's a very definite end to the amount of stretch it offers, meaning that these shorts feel very supportive. They're also highly breathable while the wide leg grippers come with loads of silicone woven on the inside so they never inch upwards. Reflective stripes on the back add extra visibility.

The uppers consist of mesh panels in the lumbar region and microfibre straps. You get just one fairly narrow strap down the centre of your back. I wondered whether that might be a bit uncomfortable over the spine, but it isn't at all – it's a good design that holds the shorts in place well.

Downsides? The thermal transfer print on the rear strap has started to wear quite quickly where it has been rubbed by the maintenance pouch that I always carry in my middle jersey pocket. Still, no one will ever see that because it's underneath my jersey. And those white panels on the sides aren't quite as white as they once were. That's always the way with white panels on shorts, in my experience, especially after a few wet rides.

On the whole, though, these are great shorts with the only really sticking point being that they ain't cheap.

Verdict

Very good, supportive bib shorts with an excellent seat pad, but they ain't cheap

road.cc test report

Make and model: RH+ PW Revo Bibshort

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

These are sports type bib shorts capable of handling long rides. Cytech rate the pad as comfortable for up to 6hrs. I'd agree with that.

RH+ say:

Pre-formed anatomic construction

Flat-seam construction partially bonded

Bound inserts with differentiated elasticity

Back in fabric paired with variable voltage

Elastic net for lumbar

Braces elastic microfiber

Bottom leg with elastic fabric applied to view Firedry and silicone inner height 5cm.

2 rear reflective inserts

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

PW stands for PowerLogic. RH+ say, "PowerLogic Lab is the revolutionary new laboratory where we develop new design and manufacturing technologies for high-performance technical sportswear.

"PowerLogic Lab uses its technical know-how to tirelessly research new fabrics and innovative technological solutions to improve design and performance, like the preformed anatomic construction of fabrics featuring differentiated stretch factors, laser-sealed appliqués and geometric seams.

"This type of clothing optimizes the tensio of the fibres in any situation, whether you're relaxing or feeling active and dynamic."

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Excellent constuction

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

As ever, as you pay more money you get diminishing returns. These aren't massively better than a pair of shorts that are half the price, but they are a little better. It all depends on whether you're willing to pay the extra for a small improvement.

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

They perform really, really well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The pad is great and I like the cut.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

White panels on shorts always turn grey sooner or later in UK conditions when, sooner or later, you will get caught in the rain.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Not sure I'd spend this amount on a pair of shorts

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 190cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,

 

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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6 comments

Avatar
timbola | 11 years ago
0 likes

OK, I own a pair of Rapha Classic Bib shorts and they are ace !
There, I've said it ...
Maybe now there will be a flood of R?@&a-related remarks.

Avatar
Tony Farrelly | 11 years ago
0 likes

That's just his way…

Avatar
Fringe | 11 years ago
0 likes

why's Matt always standing in a pond wearing bib shorts.  4

Avatar
Mat Brett replied to Fringe | 11 years ago
0 likes
Fringe wrote:

why's Matt always standing in a pond wearing bib shorts.  4

It's just a hobby.

Avatar
mr-andrew replied to Fringe | 11 years ago
0 likes
Fringe wrote:

why's Matt always standing in a pond wearing bib shorts.

Maybe practising posing for the Fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square?

Avatar
wwfcb | 11 years ago
0 likes

No comments so far, in respect of a pair of bibs for £160, what's going on ? Oh, just realised they're not made by Rapha, because if they were, there would have been a meltdown.  3

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