Cycology Men’s Cargo Bib Shorts

The Cycology Men's Cargo Bib Shorts are an excellent option for the sort of riding those pockets imply: gravel, touring and long, relaxed jaunts, as opposed to bite-the-stem road efforts where lightness and compression are everything. They have a relaxed yet still slim and secure fit, a comfortable pad and a tough build that'll please all but the most intense riders.

For more options, with and without pockets, for more and less money, check out our faves in our guide to the best cycling bib shorts.

> Buy now: Cycology Men’s Cargo Bib Shorts for £110 from Cycology

I've got used to bib shorts making me feel like I'm squeezing through the neck of a balloon when I put them on, and used to straps that are elasticated hard enough to catapult me into the setting sun, Roadrunner-style, should the stitching ever fail. So what a wonderful surprise these were! In the recommended size they fit closely all over, with no bagginess or flapping, yet squeeze me only gently.

The wide, comfortable straps have a stretch that's also only gentle, and yet the shorts never sag, twist or otherwise succumb to gravity. It's almost as if you don't need two tons of lift and a tourniquet-like compression to keep them in place. Who knew?

Okay, a few things: I've tested some extremely comfortable shorts that are pretty squeezy, so I'm not saying that can't work; I recently found the Ekoi Supersoft Short Bib Shorts excellent, for instance, and they're tight. Secondly, I've got a relatively long torso, which doesn't help with the strap tension. And thirdly, no, I'm not wearing the wrong size; I'm 6ft 1in, slim, and typically find myself in size large. XL is just too big.

This particular size large simply creates a skin-tight and secure fit without any unnecessary crush, and I, as the younglings like to say these days, am here for it. It creates a relaxed comfort that's perfect for the sort of rides you want extra pockets for. While they work just fine on the road, too, if performance is everything, you probably won't appreciate the un-aero pockets and extra weight.

These are pretty much the only bibs I've ever picked up and thought, 'these are a bit heavy,' though at 239g they're only 40-50g or so over non-pockety ones. And that's completely undetectable once they're on.

The deep pockets are broad enough for hands to easily dip into, and they're quite loose and stretchy so can take a fair bit of clutter. Thanks for explaining how pockets work, you might be thinking, but not everyone gets this right – 7mesh used heavy fabric sewn down tight as a hotel sheet on its Men's RK2 Cargo Bib Short, for instance, and that made them annoyingly hard to use.

Thigh pockets can also noticeably trap extra heat, but these Cycology shorts don't appear to suffer from that either; I hardly had boiling weather for this test – just 'weather' – but at the same time I never noticed any temperature imbalance across my legs. And if the sun comes out again, rest assured this fabric is protective to UPF50+.

One niggle: the four-way stretch fabric expands far easier than the reflective logos running down the pockets, and the uprights of each letter tended to catch my fingernails as I slid a hand in. They can jam things up.

At the top of your back there's an open mesh section, but it doesn't drop right down because there are two more pockets just below it. They have angled entries and are the perfect size for two bags of crisps, should you need to concealed-carry such things, but obviously they'll be trapped under your jersey. There's another reflective logo just beneath them if you're going topless, perhaps to draw unwanted attention away from your crisps.

I found Cycology's Ultra Pad very comfortable for long rides, and though the 'high-density Belgian Plasma sponge' does seem to compress a little after a few hours, it's certainly no worse than a great many others.

The wide grippers on the longish legs also work well, while the neat, strong-feeling flatlock seams are completely undetectable in use. I never had anything ride up, twist or chafe. These are comfortable shorts.

Value

At £110 they're pretty good value, too – less than half the price of the £240 Pas Normal Studios Escapism Bibs, which also offer pockets and are tremendously brown. Our reviewer George called the colour 'divisive', and while PNS says it's actually 'Dark Stone' rather than brown, all I can say is: guys, don't pick that up, it's not a stone.

The Pactimo Men's Range Vector Cargo Bibs were closer at £140 but have risen to £170 since our review, and while the pockets are great, Josh found the pad less pleasing, saying he 'wasn't overly impressed with the chamois for longer rides'.

If you don't care so much about pockets and just want good comfort and quality – and maybe a bit less weight – Lusso's Perform Carbon Bib Shorts are an excellent choice at £100.

Overall

These are really well made with excellent shaping, and the sizing is particularly great – it's considerably less 'Italian' than the majority of competitors. They're relaxed, comfortable and secure; perfect for those cargo-laden adventures, and arguably a lot more regular riding besides.

> Buy now: Cycology Men’s Cargo Bib Shorts for £110 from Cycology

Verdict

Very comfortable, secure and useful shorts for all kinds of riding