Sportful Pulse Heritage Bib Shorts

The Sportful Pulse Heritage Bib Shorts deliver excellent comfort and a supportive, compressive fit, making them a strong choice for everything from tough training rides to long endurance days. However, their very thin bib straps may not suit everyone.

> Buy now: Sportful Pulse Heritage bib shorts for £99 from Sportful

Sportful says these bibs are suitable for your toughest races or fast long-distance riding. I’ve done plenty of five-hour rides as well as tough training sessions and found them suitable for either.

Pad

The BodyFit Pro chamois feels a little bit thinner than the pads on other shorts I’ve tested. I reckon it’s around 10mm thick, with thinner padding at the front. But in spite of it this, I found it excellent.

From flat five-hour rides on the Somerset Levels in the heat to maximum effort time trials, it proved comfortable, breathable and it also dried out quickly.

If it came down to a head-to-head battle between the shorts in my sports kit drawer, this would be my top pick bar none.

Materials

The fabric, you won’t be surprised to hear, is a mix of 80% polyester and 20% elastane – with the polyester made from recycled material. The resulting material provides plenty of stretch, and as it feels slightly thicker than that used for shorts from some other brands, that bodes well for durability.

But in spite of that and after riding in temperatures up to a really quite warm 26°C, I found that they managed heat well, never feeling too warm even on long summer rides.

Fit

The shorts have a slim fit that borders on an aero-race cut. They provide good compression for your legs and felt supportive during harder efforts and on long rides. If you prefer a more relaxed fit, these probably aren’t what you’re looking for.

The legs are on the shorter side for a pair of bib shorts these days, stopping a good few centimetres above the knee. I am 178cm and wore a large and I prefer a shorter leg length, and while these were fine for me, they might feel a fraction short if you’re taller.

The minimalist silicone grippers work well without sticking to your leg hairs (if you haven’t shaved…), and I never found myself having to adjust the shorts when I was riding.

While the grippers were very effective, I was a little less keen on the straps. Sportful describes them as minimalist, but were perhaps a little too minimalist for my tastes. They are quite thin and made of a light mesh material, and while they were comfortable on my shoulders, I really would have preferred them to be a little wider.

The straps didn’t quite sit in the right place around my nipples, which meant I actually found the shorts more comfortable when worn with a base layer.

The front of the shorts is high enough to keep things in place if you’re not built like a racing snake while still being easy enough for a quick comfort break. And it also means that when you stop for a cafe break, you won’t accidentally bear your midriff to all and sundry.

Sizing

I fell between medium and large on Sportful’s size guide, and tested the large, which is in line with what Sportful suggests. They are a slim fit, so if you’re also between sizes, I’d recommend going for the larger of the two. While I can sometimes fit a medium, I wouldn’t have wanted to with these, as even the large was pretty snug.

The shorts come in six sizes from S to 3XL, covering a broad range of sizes, so you should be able to find a size that suits you.

I have worn and washed these a lot during the test period, and they still came out looking as good as new.

The heritage bib shorts are only available in Galaxy Blue, which I think looks good, and is actually verging on grey. Sportful also makes the regular ‘Pulse’ bib shorts, which are available in black, or the ‘Colourful Pulse’ shorts in half a dozen shades that really live up to the name.

Value

At £99, I think these represent good value for the performance they offer, though there are of course a lot of strong competitors around this price.

Tom liked the Santini Karma Eva Delta bib shorts, which at £125 are a bit more expensive.

For an option with pockets, Steve rated the Cycology Cargo Bib Shorts very highly, which were £110 when we tested them, but are now a fiver dearer.

For a good quality option at a very attractive price, you’ve got the likes of Boardman’s Series 9 Bib Shorts that received an excellent review from Josh and are only £60.

For more of our favourites, check out our best cycling bib shorts buyer’s guide, which covers men’s and women’s shorts at a wide range of prices. 

Conclusion

The Sportful Pulse Heritage shorts are a great all-round option. The pad is comfortable on long rides and the compressive fit is excellent, though the thin straps prevent them from earning an even higher mark.

Verdict

Very good comfort from a great pad and a compressive fit, though the straps are thinner than I’d have liked

> Buy now: Sportful Pulse Heritage bib shorts for £99 from Sportful

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