Santini Sleek Plus Bib Shorts

The Sleek Plus bib shorts from Santini feature the excellent C3 pad used in its top end shorts and combine it with a comfortable fit and an eye on aerodynamics, making these a really good choice – provided you like the shorter shorts look.

Earlier this summer we reviewed Santini's top end Photon bib shorts and Dave described the C3 pad as "right up there with the very best". Unlike a lot of clothing companies, Santini makes its own pads, and apparently spent 15 months on the development of the C3. It features layers of varying density foam combined with a squidgy "Rooted gel" layer underneath the ischium bones to improve vibration absorption.

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Santini says that the design of the pad helps give a perfect fit and unparalleled comfort. There are gaping perforations through the various layers, designed to allow moisture out, and a "soft shell conch" at the front, which was definitely not influenced in any way by Assos's even more absurdly-named Kuku Penthouse.

According to Santini the C3 pad was developed for "all those people who haven't found their perfect padding", and it's so proud of it that it's made a video all about it. The good news is that the C3 pad isn't just restricted to the top-of-the-range shorts, and is also fitted here in the Sleek Plus shorts, priced £40 lower down the scale.

Having worn the Sleek Plus bibs on some long rides, I also found the pad to be excellent. The breathability is really good and the padding is just where you want it (and, equally importantly, not where you don't). It's positioned correctly too, so the squidgy gel bits are right under your sit-bones, providing a bit of extra isolation from the road vibration.

The main part of the shorts is made from the splendidly named Thunderbike Power fabric, which has a quality feel to it and is very comfortable against the skin. Santini says it's designed to have a light compressive effect which reduces muscle fatigue. I can't say I really noticed the effect of this if I'm honest. The panels are held together via a combination of flat-lock and conventional seams, and I found no sources of discomfort or irritation even after several hours. Likewise, the straps are pretty much spot on; a good width and a nice airy mesh fabric made for a barely-there feeling across the shoulders.

At the other extremity, the leg openings feature the modern style of gripper – a wide band of fabric which has a gentle compression and a fine smattering of silicone micro-dots on the inside. It's extremely comfortable, and stays locked in place, ensuring your tan lines are super-crisp.

Where does one want one's tan lines to be, though? For me, the large size bibs were decidedly on the short side, coming barely halfway down my thighs. I like the longer leg, longer sleeve look made popular by the aero fixation of the pros, and while it had no impact on comfort, the aesthetic here was enough to make my other half wince and question whether I was "really going out looking like that".

Of course, the aesthetic is down to the graphics too, and on this front I think Santini could be considered to be a bit behind some other brands. We don't really score cycling gear based on how it looks, as one man's garish logo fest is another's super-Euro-pro. So maybe you like the grey-and-white-and-black-and-red-and-blue scheme here. Or maybe you don't. The good news is that other colours are available too, and Santini will make custom club kit (Bath CC's kit is made by Santini), so if you've got enough friends or clubmates, you can choose whatever colours you like.

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At £135, these aren't cheap bib shorts but they're a long way below the very top of the market. Search around and you can get them for well under £100, at which price I'd say they stack up very well, provided that the leg length works for you.

Verdict

Very comfortable bibs with top-end pad at a more competitive price – leg length is distinctly Italian, mind