Santini Redux Speed – Women’s Bib Shorts

The Santini Redux Women’s Bib Shorts combine an exceptionally comfortable pad with a very compressive fit. As Santini’s most expensive women’s shorts, they deliver in terms of quality of construction and finishing. However, if you are tempted to splash out, my experience with both the grey and blue versions means I can only recommend buying black.

> Buy now: Santini Redux Women’s Bib Shorts for £137.90 from Santini

The Redux are some of the comfiest cycling shorts I’ve had the pleasure of wearing. For long days in the saddle they are a great choice – with one big proviso…

My first outing in the shorts was a four-hour, brisk-paced ride with a group of men. I felt smugly stylish – the Redux are slick-looking, with a minimalist design and a matt-finished fabric. My mood sank when the fabric around the groin and lower back began to show signs of my efforts… The ‘Emma has wet herself’ joke was mildly entertaining for a while, but I wasn’t so amused when one of the guys told me that the shorts had also become a tad transparent.

Could Nautical Blue be any better than Asphalt Grey? Thankfully, there were no reports of transparency when I tried the alternative colour, but the visible sweat was still an issue. I’ve enjoyed lots of solo rides over the last few weeks…

I tried them in a variety of conditions, from early morning rides (think 16°C – it’s been a hot test period) to scorching afternoons where the temperature climbed into the high 20s. Unsurprisingly, those hotter days brought out the sweat patches pretty quickly. The light-coloured grey fabric doesn’t hide moisture at all, and once damp, it stays visibly so for longer than you’d hope. To give you an idea, that first day of testing involved a 25-minute cafe stop, during which the damp patch receded to being barely noticeable, until we left and headed straight up a hill.

It doesn’t affect the shorts’ function but it certainly undermines confidence if you’re heading for a café stop, or just don’t want to feel self-conscious. Aside from that, performance-wise the shorts are strong.

Excellent chamois

Over a wide range of distances – from short blasts to multi-hour endurance rides – the CW3 chamois, Santini’s top-of-the-range insert, has been faultless. It never once caused irritation or discomfort, even deep into long rides.

The pad has a low profile, so there’s no sense of bulkiness or rigidity. It’s surprisingly plush and supportive at the same time. That balance is hard to find, but Santini seems to have nailed it here.

Construction and fit

The construction is equally well thought out and seems to justify the ‘aero’ label. The legs have a single, thermo-welded seam, and all edges, without exception, are lazer cut.

The bib straps are broad and lie flat, staying put without digging in, and they disappear under a jersey without bunching or rolling.

Grippers at the leg ends are far from aggressive. Flat-lying silicone strips hold the shorts in place without pinching or pulling, whether worn directly against the skin or paired with warmers.

The rise at the front is a decent height. I never had an issue with it cutting into my belly. Neither have any of my shorter jerseys risen above the top of it.

One thing to note is that the Redux have no easy-pee function. Not every one wants it, but if you do, look elsewhere.

The shorts fabric is not quite as forgiving as some. It’s more paper-like than conventional Lycra – there’s a rustle when you handle it. This, coupled with a fit that is designed to be compressive, might lead to pinching at the upper thigh. Josh found this when he reviewed the men’s version a couple of years back – he opted for a size up, which worked well. I’d certainly advise this if you are between sizes, or try before you buy, if possible.

Durability niggles

While I’ve not seen any obvious signs of wear during the test period, the tiny ‘Redux’ lettering could be a victim of repeated washing – I’ve seen similar ones peel away over time. On the plus side, these are so small that, if they do come off, you probably won’t even notice.

At the rear, the stitched-on logo is seemingly identical to that on the gravel shorts that Suvi tested last year. The stitching began to peel aways on those. Maybe it’s a feature that Santini will address in future designs.

Value & conclusion

Their £190 RRP puts the Redux in the premium bracket, though some brands manage to surpass them: Rapha’s latest top-of-the-range offering is £240, but they did score an excellent 9 out of 10 from Emily when she tested them. But she also rated Assos’ Dyora R bib shorts highly, and didn’t experience visible sweat patches on the blue pair she reviewed. Santini might struggle to compete, given the Assos are £165.

> Buyer’s Guide: Best cycling shorts

If the Redux were only available in black, it might be easier to justify the price tag. But having experienced how unforgiving the grey and blue versions are when it comes to sweat visibility, I find it hard to recommend them, unless you are immune to sweating, or simply don’t give a damn if people think you’ve lost control of your bladder. It’s frustrating, because so many other aspects of the shorts are genuinely top tier: high levels of compression, a clean design and exceptional comfort, especially for long-distance rides. Maybe try the black versions.

> Buy now: Santini Redux Women’s Bib Shorts for £137.90 from Santini

Verdict

Oh so comfortable, but impossible to recommend grey or blue due to sweat visibility issues… black could deliver, though

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