The Velocio Foundation Bib Tight is an impressive piece of kit that offers you a lot of quality and packs a big punch for a reasonable price. Featuring a super-soft and comfortable inner material, a very impressive chamois and a great fit, their 5-15°C temperature range makes them ideal for cooler spring days as well as winter riding – as long as the weather is dry.
Our best winter bib tights buyer's guide rounds up our top choices for men and women at a wide range of prices.
> Buy now: Velocio Foundation Bib Tight for £128 from Velocio
The Foundation model is the entry into the premium brand Velocio's tights range and is a lot less expensive than its top-end kit. But you'd never guess that the first time you put them on, when they very much have the feel of a more premium product, thanks to the overall quality and the comfort.
Looks
I love the look of these tights. They're a super-minimalist affair, with only a small logo on the thighs and minimal stitching around the legs. The plush straps attach to a large mesh back, and the overall appearance is understated and stealthy, which is exactly what I'm looking for in a pair of tights.
Comfort
But it's not just in looks that these excel – I was also blown away by their comfort. I think that Velocio's designers have hit the nail on the head in creating these – there's no annoying stitching in stupid places, no pinching anywhere and there's a high-quality chamois.
I also found they work in a reasonable range of temperatures, from around 5-15°C, which will cover a lot of winter rides as well as outings on cooler spring and autumn days.
So many bib tights I've used in the past have stitching in annoying, uncomfortable and frustrating places, areas such as the backs of the knees – just why? Thankfully there's none of this from Velocio. There is stitching on the inside and the outside of the legs but no stitches to irritate the back of your knee as you pedal, which is such a relief.
The ankles aren't finished with zips, which as far as I'm concerned is also a very good decision. I wear overshoes pretty much all the time over winter and I find zips can create pressure points under the overshoes. Just having an elasticated cuff at the bottom of each leg means these tights keep their comfort all the way down.
The wide straps feel comfortable, and their material is soft enough to feel good against your skin when worn without a base layer. The biggest compliment I can pay the straps is that I wasn't aware of them even during long rides – unlike with some other bib tights, where you become all too aware of the pressure on your shoulders as time goes on.
I also found the 'Proprietary Foundation HD Chamois' extremely comfortable. While Velocio doesn't have any recommendations for ride lengths on its website, I wore these tights for rides of over five hours without any discomfort.
I think the chamois quality is exceptional for a foundation-level pad, and is right up there with the most comfortable ones I've used from the likes of Rapha and Pedal Mafia.
About the only real negative is that these tights do get chilly quite quickly in the rain. Not only are they thinner than some other bib tights but they also lack any water-resistant features, so they can get saturated quite fast.
This happened a couple of times during testing, so while they are a great choice for dry days down to a few degrees, they're not the best option if there's rain on the horizon.
Value
With top-end bib tights seeming to cost more every year, it's refreshing to see Velocio offering this level of quality and comfort for £128.
Yes, you can get dhb's Thermal Bib Tights for just 60 quid, and Stu certainly liked them, but I think the price of the Velocio Foundation tights is very reasonable considering their overall quality and long-distance comfort.
The Rapha Core Winter Tights with Pad come in a little dearer at £140 but they are quite similar, featuring a well-shaped pad and zip-less ankle cuffs. David found them warm and comfortable and also appreciated their non-Rapha-like price.
The dhb Aeron Lab thermal tights are more expensive again at £160 and they're also designed for slightly lower temperatures, from around 12°C down to zero. And while Stu liked their warmth and comfort, he did find the stitching behind the knee irritating.
Conclusion
I think if you compare the Velocio Foundation with winter tights at a similar price, their overall quality, comfort and the lack of irritating stitches put them above almost all of the competition. Add in a chamois that's good for long rides and understated looks – and I believe these are seriously worth considering if you're looking for a new pair of winter tights.
Verdict
An extremely comfortable set of bib tights with a high-quality chamois and a price that belies their quality
Make and model: Velocio Foundation Bib Tight
Tell us what the product is for
Velocio says: 'The Foundation Bib Tight combines a 100% recycled fleece-backed, Italian-milled fabric with the fit and patterning found on the Velocio Thermal Bib Tight. It's an affordable, fully capable tight for cycling through the colder months.'
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
ThermoGreen fabric: 100% recycled, fleece backed fabric. Highly breathable and wicking for warmth without bulk
Flatlock stitching
Seamless Microfiber bib straps
Reflective logos for added visibility
Proprietary Foundation HD Chamois developed with Cytech
EIT
provides mid-distance comfort & support
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
These are very nicely made.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
I found them to be excellent throughout the colder months. Though when the temperature drops below about 5°C, or if it's raining, their lack of extra thermal material or water-resistance becomes noticeable.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
So far they are holding up perfectly to use and abuse.
Rate the product for fit:
9/10
These have the most comfortable fit of any bib tights I've ever used, with a great cut and shape and well-placed stitching.
Rate the product for sizing:
8/10
A medium fits how I'd exepct it to.
Rate the product for weight:
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
10/10
It's maximum marks from me – these really are the most comfortable tights I've ever worn, and even during long winter rides I suffered no discomfort.
Rate the product for value:
6/10
At £128, they aren't exactly super cheap, but they really do pack a punch for that price.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Washing has been easy and caused no issues.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
For the winter months, these have been an excellent companion – they're comfortable, warm enough for most rides and didn't cause any irritation.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The lack of stitching around the knees – so there's no irritation at all when you're riding. And they lack any water-resistant properties.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
I would like some water-resistance for riding a little longer in winter showers.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
They have a premium feel that wouldn't be out of place in products from the likes of Rapha and Castelli but at a price that they can't match. The likes of dhb do have some cheaper offerings, but I feel that the overall quality of the Velocio Foundation is fabulous and easily justifies the price.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes – very much so
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes – definitely
Use this box to explain your overall score
The Foundation Bib Tights from Velocio are extremely comfortable with a sleek and stealthy look. They're the most comfortable bib tights I've ever worn and their overall quality belies what is a pretty reasonable price these days.
Age: 23 Height: 174 Weight: 72
I usually ride: Storck Aerfast My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Semi pro
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, touring, club rides, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
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