dhb Aeron FLT Women’s Roubaix 3/4 Bib Tight

dhb's Aeron FLT Women's Roubaix 3/4 Bib Tights are suitable for a wide range of temperatures and have an incredibly comfortable pad. That makes the price seem very reasonable, but there are a few niggles that take the shine off – and bear in mind that these size up small for taller riders.

Three-quarters can fill the gap nicely between bib shorts and bib tights weather. Their fleecy lining makes these are a warmer option and, with a great chamois too, they'll serve you well on winter endurance rides.

The Italian Miti Roubaix fabric used is fleece-lined and feels very pleasant next to the skin. It holds in considerable warmth while still being rather breathable; I'd say these tights have a comfortable range of from 5°C into the low double digits.

The bib section features a mesh panel that helps with breathability where you need it on your back. But it's not all made of mesh and there are a lot of chunky seams going on which I found irritated my skin.

While the fit was good – snug and supportive around the legs – the straps of the tights came up short on me. There's not a huge amount of stretch in the strap material, so it's not very forgiving to tall riders. Also, with the straps being quite narrow in width, pressure isn't very evenly dispersed so these weren't the most comfortable at the tops of the shoulders.

Down below, silicone grippers kept these in place throughout rides. Personally, I don't really like the feel of gripper that is just a slab of silicone, I find it pulls on my skin – but these do what they are supposed to, which is ensuring the ends of the tights don't ride up.

Behind the knee there's also a seam which irritated. Another thing worth bearing in mind is that the legs are shorter than some – the fabric covers my knees, but only just.

Stitched to these tights is the women-specific Cytech Elastic interface Tour HP Air chamois pad and it is excellent. The seamless construction results in no hot spots and the amount of padding is very well judged, and not overly bulky. It moulded well to my body and covered me on rides up to four hours with no hint that it couldn't keep me comfy for longer.

The FLT in the name of these tights stands for Flashlight Technology and this is all about the considered placement of reflectives for being seen effectively on the road. There's a subtle reflective insert near the top of each thigh, as well as two reflective logos – one on the right side of your backside and the other just below the reflective insert on the left leg. These seem to be a decent nod to visibility.

At £80 these are reasonable value considering the excellent pad and the warmth in the main fabric – if the straps work for you. There are other similarly priced options, such as the Lusso Cooltech 3/4 Bib Tights also at the £80 mark, although we've not tested them so can't say what temperature range those are suitable for.

> Read more road.cc reviews of women’s cycling kit

I have been testing the Pearl Izumi Women's Attack Bib Capris, a summer-weight and more expensive option at £114.99, but they do come with an incredibly handy easy pee design (full review to come).

Overall, dhb is well known for offering good value pricing and these women's 3/4s are no exception. The chamois is very comfortable, which is an incredibly important start, and while details such as the stitching behind the knee and the strap design mean these are far from perfect, for £80 you are getting a decent pair that will cover you across a good range of temperatures and ride lengths.

Verdict

Soft, fleecy 3/4s with an excellent chamois, but lots of seams, including an irritating one behind the knee...