Gorewear Spinshift Bib Shorts Women’s

The Gorewear Spinshift Bib Shorts Womens are an everyday and mid-length-ride design with an easy-to-use pee-break solution and a super-comfortable Elastic Interface chamois. They are quite possibly the most comfortable and best-fitting bib shorts I’ve ever used, and this is after a decade or so of riding road bikes and trying everything from £20 to £200 options.

I’ve had these on test for way longer than I should have (sorry to Tass, our wonderful reviews editor), but they haven’t faltered. And in some respects, this is a more accurate review because I’ve used them through basically all seasons now – except outside in winter, because I’m not mad.

That being said, they’ve been worn with leg warmers, without, and on the turbo, so they’ve pretty much covered all bases of road cycling that bib shorts can.

And I’m mightily impressed. I can be quite picky with bib shorts and chamois pads but Gorewear has absolutely delivered with the Spinshift bibs, and they’re not even the most expensive shorts the company makes.

We test our kit thoroughly at road.cc but several delays on my end meant I’ve ended up using these for a lot longer than a reviewer normally would before formulating an opinion, and throughout they’ve been my go-tos for decent length rides. 

The Spinshifts use a dual-density foam pad with a Gorewear-specific liner, designed with Elastic Interface. Gorewear says it’s designed for “support on middle to long-distance rides”, and I would agree with that statement. The pad is a good thickness that keeps you comfortable after hours in the saddle but isn’t so overwhelmingly thick that you feel like you’re sitting on a cushion.

The material construction offers light compression and support without feeling tight, and I definitely felt the benefits on longer rides.

The other main feature to highlight is the easy-pee solution. This one works with a Y-connector at the rear that has a magnetic closure to detach the bib straps from the shorts without the need to remove your top layers. In theory, it’s a great, simple idea. In practice, if you’re okay fiddling about under your layers trying to reattach the Y-connector, then it’s also a great idea.

I only had one issue with the system, and that was that it came undone or I hadn’t quite attached it properly and it ended up not closing. I didn’t actually realise until I’d finished my ride, so I can confidently say that the bibs stay where they should even if you don’t fasten up the system.

Fit and sizing

I tested an XS, which works out roughly at a UK 4-6. I think the size guide on the Gorewear website is pretty accurate, but I would suggest some caution at the estimated UK sizing. What I mean by that is, go off the measurements rather than the UK size that the guide thinks an XS or S etc correlates to.

The shorts come in pretty inclusive sizing, from an XXS (estimated UK size 0-2) to XL (estimated UK size 20-22).

Other details

Other notable features include the silicone grippers and raw cut legs. They gave me no irritation and aren’t so tight that you get sausage leg.

The shorts come in navy blue (called Orbit Blue), black, Utility Red or Lab Graphite (grey). They’re also available in a cargo version, for £144.99.

Value

It’s an uncomfortable fact that cycling kit is getting more expensive, and you can quite easily spend upwards of £200 on a pair of shorts. But luckily, some brands, such as Gorewear and Santini, are still providing excellent quality shorts for less than that.

That said, even though Santini’s Unico Women’s Shorts have actually decreased in price since we reviewed them, they’re still £27 more than the Spinshifts, at £152 (down from £169). Emily did think those were excellent, though, giving them 9/10, impressed with their chamois and exceptional comfort.

Emily also thought Le Col’s Women’s Pro Lightweight Bib Shorts were very good, ideal for hot weather rides, but they cost £180 at RRP.

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

Of course there are also cheaper options that are still good, such as the Bioracer Epic Women’s Bibshorts at £104.67. Emily gave those 7/10, with a big care instructions label and lack of breathability around the zip marking them down.

Conclusion

Overall, the Gorewear Spinshift bib shorts are damn good at what they’re designed for, and pretty good value. They still look like new after months of use, and have become my go-to ‘best’ bib shorts.

Verdict

Supremely comfortable bib shorts with an easy-pee solution that works really well

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