PEdAL ED Raku Bib Shorts

The Raku shorts are the only bib shorts in Pedal ED's line of cycle clothing. They're well made, look smart and fit well. Sadly, they don't deal too well with sweat.

The Rakus are made from a 59% polyamide, 41% elastane mix, known to you and me as Nylon/Lycra. There are elastic cuffs around the legs which are specially designed for sensitive skin. I don't normally suffer from sensitive skin so I can't really tell either way how effective this is. There are what looks like the usual silicone leg grippers, but with a bit of a twist: these are in the shape of 'Pedal ED' lettering both in English and Japanese.

The chamois in these shorts is a quality Cytech one; comparing with the pictures on the Cytech website, it appears to be the HP Fiandre pad. According to Cytech, it's designed for longer, more intense rides. It's made from three different densities of material providing comfort and helping the pelvic bones find support on the saddle. This material is breathable, absorbs sweat and provides natural bacteriostatic control, says Cytech. The pad delivers on these promises, no comfort complaints from me as far as the insert goes, even on longer rides.

These bib shorts are Pedal ED's designer Hideto Suzuki's take on how bib shorts should be made. The marketing blurb suggests that they should include support for proper posture on longer rides. It appears this is why the upper part of these bibs are made from a double layer of Lycra. This starts just above the pad on the front and curves up around your waist to a third of the way up around the back. There's a two-and-a-half inch mesh strap that runs vertically down the centre of the back to where the lower back ends and the arse starts. This mesh looks very mesh like on the outside, but looks more like Roubaix fabric on the inside.

All this certainly makes the bibs feel snug, though I wouldn't necessarily go as far as saying supportive. I'm not sure I'd even want to rely on bib shorts for support, a strong core would be a much better basis for proper posture if you ask me. Anyway. Unfortunately, what all this material also does is make the bibs less breathable than is desirable, or indeed than what you'd expect from bib shorts that cost very nearly £100. And I don't think it's just the double layer, although that won't help. The material just feels a bit too substantial and shiny to let enough moisture through for evaporation.

We tested the medium, which is on a par with Endura, DHB and Altura medium. Fortunately, we got the black version – it's also available in brown which is a bit too 'unusual' for me.

In summary, I like these bibs for their comfort and pad. But I won't be wearing them on rides of any intensity; I'll be reaching for others which are made from more breathable material.

Verdict

Good fit and pad, but lacks the sort of breathability you'd expect at this price.