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review

Sundried Rosa Women’s Training Bib Shorts

5
£50.00

VERDICT:

5
10
Good fit and a promisingly supportive pad, but the general lack of breathability really affects comfort
Inexpensive
Nicely shaped and protective gel pad
Prone to getting sweaty
Feel cheap
Weight: 
198g

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Good looking and a great price, the Sundried Rosa Women's Training Bib Shorts seem to promise a lot, including the comfort of a gel pad. They are let down by cheap-feeling fabrics, though, and a tendency towards sweatiness.

On first inspection, these have the look of a very promising pair of bib shorts. For the modest price, they have a dense-feeling, supportive pad that's well shaped, and a nice stretchy pair of breathable mesh straps. There's no pee-stop solution, but that's not always a deal-breaker and as often as not, it's more irritating to have a poorly executed solution to this problem than none at all.

> Buy now: Rosa Women’s Training Bib Shorts for £50 from Sundried

Sundried says its kit is designed for professional cyclists and therefore fits tightly, but to follow the sizing chart to ensure a good fit. I selected the XL as per the chart (I'm usually a high street 14-16), but found the fit was still on the small side, although not overtight.

Arguably this is not a problem if the fabrics and construction are designed with that in mind, but unfortunately the fabric here feels a little too light for it – with a snug but definitely not over-stretched fit, the fabric gets quite transparent.

2022 Sundried Rosa Women's Training Bib Shorts - legs back.jpg

The legs are a fairly standard length and the straps are stretchy and soft, arranged in an 'around the boobs' style. Along with the slightly cheap, plasticky feeling fabric, the finish and quality of construction isn't as high as I'd have liked either, with the stitching at the top of the leg grippers being somewhat uneven, with some loose ends.

> 38 of the best cycling bib shorts – get comfy on longer rides

Comfy bib straps aside, breathability and wicking isn't great, with the fabric feeling overly warm quite quickly.

2022 Sundried Rosa Women's Training Bib Shorts - strap detail.jpg

The main problem, though, is the gel pad. While well shaped and actually very comfortable in terms of support and cushioning (without being bulky or stiff), it doesn't move moisture away from the skin very swiftly, and I found it quickly became quite uncomfortable and prone to chafing, even over only mid-distance rides.

2022 Sundried Rosa Women's Training Bib Shorts - chamois.jpg

Value

At £50 these are entry level, though there are a few cheaper options still. For instance, the dhb Women's Bib Shorts cost only £35 (reduced to £20 at the time of writing) and offer better comfort and performance. Alternatively, the Madison Sportive Women's Bib Shorts are £49.99 and offer an easy pee-break design as well as long ride comfort, although they are heavier, if that matters.

The Van Rysel Women's Quick-Zip Cycling Bib Shorts are also £49.99 and, while they don't offer appreciably better performance than these Sundried ones, they do at least have a pee-break solution.

Overall

These feel a little like club kit: a slight compromise on quality in favour of style and low price. Unfortunately the compromise seems to mostly be in breathability, which means that – for energetic cycling at least – they're just too warm and sweat-prone for either comfort or true value.

Verdict

Good fit and a promisingly supportive pad, but the general lack of breathability really affects comfort

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Sundried Rosa Women's Training Bib Shorts

Size tested: XL

Tell us what the product is for

Sundried says: "The Rosa Training Bib Shorts pair advanced technical capabilities with classic styling, perfect for training rides whether you're a complete beginner or seasoned athlete."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

82% polyester/18% spandex main fabric

80% nylon/20% lycra mesh bib

Silicone leg grippers

Women's specific gel pad

Available in sizes XS-XXL

Machine washable at 30

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
4/10

Main fabric feels lower quality than many rivals, and there are some loose threads on the leg grippers.

Rate the product for performance:
 
5/10

The pad and the overall fit was comfortable and effective, but moisture weaking is poor and they can get sweaty and chafe.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
7/10

The leg length is fairly standard and the bib section is good and stretchy.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
5/10

A little on the small side versus the sizing chart.

Rate the product for weight:
 
8/10

Nice and light.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
5/10

Very comfortable in terms of the fit and support from the pad, but let down by a lack of breathability.

Rate the product for value:
 
4/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Wash very well and easy to care for.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Comfortable at first, but too sweaty once you get going.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The low price, nice stretchy bib section and well-shaped, supportive pad.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

I found the main fabric cheap-feeling next to skin and lacking breathability, and while the pad is supportive it's not great at moisture management.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

At £50 these are entry level, though there are a few cheaper options still. For instance the dhb Women's Bib Shorts cost only £35 (reduced to £20 at the time of writing) and offer better comfort and performance. Alternatively, the Madison Sportive Women's Bib Shorts are £49.99 and offer an easy comfort-break design as well as long ride comfort, although they are heavier, if that matters.

The Van Rysel Women's Quick-Zip Cycling Bib Shorts are also £49.99 and, while they don't offer appreciably better performance than these Sundried ones, they do at least have a pee-break solution.

Did you enjoy using the product? Not really.

Would you consider buying the product? Probably not.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Probably not.

Use this box to explain your overall score

These are a good price and offer good looks, a supportive gel pad and nice soft straps, but on the bike both the fabric and the pad feel sweaty and lacking breathability.

Overall rating: 5/10

About the tester

Age: 48  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 77kg

I usually ride: Liv Invite  My best bike is: Specialized Ruby Elite

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

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