The Santini Super Lite Indoor Bib Shorts are a brilliant addition to your indoor setup, with a focus on the specific features needed for static cycling. I’ve really enjoyed wearing these on my often intense winter Zwift sessions, where they’ve performed significantly better than my usual bib shorts.
> Buy now: Santini Super Lite Indoor Bib Shorts for £180 from Santini
True to its usual form, the latest British winter has not been very enticing for outdoor riding, but the upside is more time to spend on the mythical roads of Richmond, Neokyo and Watopia. As a result, I’ve been wearing these excellent Santini bib shorts very frequently, and they’ve met the needs for indoor riding superbly.
With a focus on the key elements needed for indoor cycling, breathability and comfort, the choice of fabrics delivers a strong riding experience.
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The side panels are constructed from an extremely lightweight and thin ‘shuttle’ fabric – a sort of woven mesh – whereas the central areas are a more conventional shorts material, primarily chosen to protect your modesty a little more, but still quite light and breathable.
The performance of these fabrics is really strong, and significantly better than my outdoor-focused bib shorts. Their lightweight nature really seems to make a difference – not the weight itself, which makes very little difference when riding indoors, but how breathable the thin fabrics are.
Chamois pad
The all-important chamois gets a thorough testing on indoor riding, with fewer spells out of the saddle, meaning an increased need for effective padding and reduction of pressure hotspots. Santini has clearly spent a lot of time designing a pad to meet these needs, and the result, the INDR, is really comfortable.
Santini claims it offers ‘unparalleled comfort, efficient moisture transportation, and improved blood flow’. Personally, I found it very effective, the pad never seemed to feel damp from sweat and I always felt comfortable in the saddle, even on my lengthier sessions. It’s hard to verify the ‘improved blood flow’ claim, but I certainly never felt any numbness.
Fit & sizing
In terms of fit, the medium sized bib shorts were exactly right for me. I’m 181cm and 70kg and the size exactly matched the recommendation from Santini’s guide. For comparison with other brands, I would say the sizing is quite similar to Rapha, MAAP or Castelli race fit shorts.
The 5cm-wide elastic shoulder straps allowed the bibs to sit comfortably over the shoulders…
…while the thick grippy fabric at the ends of the legs kept the shorts in place well.
The bibs sit pretty low on the belly, offering good ventilation – something that comes in handy indoors if riding with no top or an unzipped jersey.
Value
I’m really struggling to find any weakness with these bib shorts – the only sticking point is the price. Okay, they’re a premium design, but £180 seems an awful lot of money for something that will never go out the front door. I could be persuaded to fork out that amount on a pair of bibs I could use outdoors, but it’s a big ask for ones that aren’t versatile.
The Santini Watt indoor jersey from the same range, for example, which I’ve been testing with the Super Lite shorts (full review to come), would be fine for outdoor wear in warm conditions, but I don’t think I’d wear these bibs outside – the fabric is super thin, so doesn’t really offer any protection against the elements, plus I’d worry about it getting damaged in day to day use.
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Even if you were prepared to pay £180 for your indoor comfort, they’re more expensive than others we’ve tested – such as the no-longer-available Le Col x Wahoo bib shorts, which were £150 (albeit in 2020), and some £75 Lusso Turbo Shorts, tested in 2021 but again no longer available.
We’ve not reviewed them, but Castelli’s Insider 3 bib shorts are still available – for £135 – as are Nopinz’ Subzeros, now £99.99, which Dave thought were very good.
Conclusion
To summarise, I can barely find a bad word to say about the Santini Super Lite Indoor Bib Shorts. They’re comfortable from the off, and are made from some very effective lightweight fabrics along with a super-comfy indoor-specific pad that deals well with sweat. The only negative is the high price – they’re excellent indoor shorts, but how much are you willing to pay for comfort?
> Buy now: Santini Super Lite Indoor Bib Shorts for £180 from Santini
Verdict
Superb pair of indoor bib shorts with lightweight, breathable fabrics and a comfortable chamois
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Santini Super Lite Indoor Bib Shorts
Size tested: M
Tell us what the product is for
These are designed specifically for indoor cycling, with extra-thin side panels and an indoor-specific chamois pad.
Santini says: “Bib shorts designed to optimise your experience during indoor activities. Crafted from innovative materials, these shorts prioritize cooling and breathability, ensuring maximum comfort throughout your training sessions.
The lightweight shuttle fabric provides excellent ventilation, while the perforated elastic at the leg’s bottom ensures a secure fit. The INDR seat pad, exclusively designed for indoor training, offers unparalleled comfort, efficient moisture transportation, and improved blood flow.
Serpentine® silicone, pre-formed in a unique 3d mesh, inserts enhance breathability and adapt to your body’s movements, while the cut-out front reduces weight, enhances heat dispersion, and incorporates cooling technology for a refreshing feel.”
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Size tested: Medium (I’m 181cm and 70kg)
Weight: 175g
Colour: Black
From Santini:
– Breathable shuttle fabric
– Serpentine® silicone inserts
– Jacuard elastic at the bottom of the leg
– INDR seat pad
– Made in Italy
Exceptional quality. Every detail on the shorts is high quality. Having looked closely at the fabrics and seams, I can’t spot any defects.
Again, exceptional. I found the shorts very good at keeping me cool, and noticeably more effective when compared with my usual outdoor cycling shorts.
The thin fabrics are likely to be less durable than ‘normal’ bib shorts, but I wouldn’t expect this to be a major issue given indoor use in very controlled conditions.
For me, spot on. Compressive but not restrictive, and the pad sat comfortably in the correct place for me.
Sizing was exactly as described. True to a usual ‘medium’.
175g is very light.
The wide shoulder straps add to the comfort, and I really liked the chamois pad, even on extended indoor rides.
£180 for indoor-specific bibs is an awful lot of money, but this is the only real sticking point.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Santini offers washing instructions on its product web page. In short, just follow the usual rules: low temperature, no conditioner, don’t tumble dry.
I’ve washed these frequently over the testing period and I’ve not noticed any deterioration.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
They’ve performed superbly, facilitating as much breathability as possible without compromising your modesty. And the chamois stays cool while providing strong padding.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
They were just super comfortable. I was surprised by how much better they were for indoor rides than my best outdoor bibs.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The price!
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
They’re expensive. We reviewed a Wahoo and Le Col collaboration back in 2020, which cost £150 and achieved a very good rating, but they’re no longer available; Castelli’s Insider 3 shorts are £135, and Nopinz’ Subzeros are £99.99.
We also reviewed a pair of Lusso indoor shorts in 2021, which were £75, but they’re not currently available.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
A faultless pair of indoor bib shorts. I really enjoyed wearing these, and they enhanced my indoor cycling experience. It would have been a rare 10/10 if not for the price.
About the tester
Age: 34 Height: 182cm Weight: 69kg
I usually ride: S-Works Tarmac My best bike is:
I’ve been riding for: Under 5 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, Gravel on a CX bike
4 thoughts on “Santini Super Lite Indoor Bib Shorts”
Instantly on the discounted
Instantly on the discounted list due to the ridiculous price.
£ 😱
£ 😱
I think I’ll stick to using
I think I’ll stick to using old bibs that are a bit too worn to where outside 😂
I’m confused as to why you’d
I’m confused as to why you’d need bib shorts indoors.