Galibier Pavé 3/4 Bib Knickers

The Galibier Pavé 3/4 Bib Knickers come to you at a price that most other bib-knickers would only be available at in a half price sale; you can easily spend three times as much if you wanted. They're excellent value fluffy-lined 3/4 shorts that are great for the in-between seasons (or most of the seasons these days) when your knees might need a little protection from the chill. Their cut and fit are amazing, too, but the quality of the fabric and cush of the chamois hint at the bargain price.

If you're more of a shorts than a knickers rider, check out our guide to the best cycling bib shorts.

> Buy now: Galibier Pavé 3/4 Bib Knickers for £77 from Galibier

I'm exactly right for the medium size according to the Galibier size chart, and in a rare instance of the chart corresponding to reality, the Pavé 3/4 Bib Knickers were a perfect fit for me, and it's a really very nice fit too. There are no wrinkles or bagginess round the back of the knee, or a flappy space in the front designed to accommodate a bit of MAMIL bulge – which I've noticed appearing in more and more bib shorts of late. They're just comfortably figure hugging all the way over and around, making them among the best-fitting bottom-half garments I've ever shimmied into.

All seams are flatlocked and all are comfortable, none are annoyingly just in the wrong place, and the way the thigh panel wraps around the leg over the top of the knee helps enormously with pedalling ergonomics and is worthy of much praise.

The bib straps are light, thin, wide, unnoticeable and comfortably supportive, and come with a mesh panel on the rear that extends from the hips to the shoulders which helps with keeping things taut to the body and adds the teeniest bit of warmth.

The front of the bibs extends well up the tummy with an extra panel that adds a bit more support and helps to keep those bits a bit warmer in the chillier temperatures these are to be worn in, but there's enough stretch in the fabric to ensure that comfort breaks are easy enough and don't demand awkward contortionist moves.

The hem ends up a long way down past the knee and is a 70mm-deep section of thin silicone-backed material. It's comfortable, doesn't promote sausage leg and does a very good job of keeping the 3/4s snug to the calf, ensuring there's absolutely no creep or riding up over the course of a pedal.

Thanks to the thought and detailing put into the design of the Galibier 3/4s they were comfortable throughout the length of any ride, with no baggy bits appearing, no annoying wrinkles and no tight spots or rubs. Hurrah.

There are significant reflective tags on the backs of the legs above the hem and there's a large reflective Galibier roundel on the rear of the right calf.

For all the quality of the fit and detailing, the Pavé 3/4s are a little let down and show their price by the quality of material used and the refinement of the chamois. Neither are complete deal-breakers, especially for the price, and neither detract horrifically from the ride, but they are nevertheless noticeable.

The fabric of the Pavé 3/4s is a slightly fuzzy inside ThermoRoubaix and it keeps your legs toasty in the 6-16°C temperatures the 3/4 knickers are designed for, but the fabric does become a little sheer when stretched, and has that particular shine to it. From experience it's the sort of fabric that does start to show wear quicker than others, especially with regard to that translucence that only someone who's sat on your wheel can politely warn you about. No one has complained about that yet, but the fabric at the saddle pressure points is already showing a little friction shine.

Another place the Galibier knickers show their price is in the Seamless RaceDay chamois, which isn't the most sophisticated pad you can nestle into. It's a simple construction with a 2mm-thick main pad and an 11mm and 12mm-thick central section that's split down the middle.

It's not uncomfortable but it's not particularly cosseting either. Galibier says that the pad is designed for intense rides of two to five hours, which should be long enough for most of us, and I'd go along with that. Not that they suddenly turn into rough cardboard, but towards the end of that time frame the lack of technicality and slenderness of the pad can be felt, so if you're into longer rides look elsewhere, or maybe your weathered nethers are ambivalent towards a chamois and it will all be fine.

Value

You'd think you're going to struggle to find a bib knicker this good value, but the Rockrider Mountain Bike 3/4 Bib Shorts Race from How Do They Do It So Cheap Decathlon are just £44.99. We haven't reviewed them, but they're claimed to be water repellent and to have a pad that's good for up to three hours in the saddle.

Otherwise, though, good 3/4s under £100 (at rrp) are hard to find. The Castelli Entrata Thermal Bibknicker, for example, is £100 (though a discounted pair is a swift google away). They're made from a similar fluffy insides material and Mike found them comfortable and warm, even when wet, and with a good KISS AIR2 pad.

We tested the Gorewear C3 3/4 Bib Tights+ a few years ago and they're still available but a bit pricier now (£109.99). Ed praised them for their fit and chamois, but their thin material meant they weren't very well suited for the chillier weather a 3/4 tight is ideal in. The Endura FS260-Pro Thermo Bib Knickers are also £109.99, but they do come with a Thermoroubaix fabric that's DWR coated to give you an extra layer of protection against the usual elements these tights find themselves in. They're furnished with a 600 series pad which is a computer cut 'Continuously Variable Profile' (CVP) stretch pad with gel inserts.

And you can pay a lot more – the Sportful BodyFit Pro Thermal Bib Shorts (in fact 3/4s) are almost twice the price at £140. They're made from a warm brushed fabric that's heavier up front than in the back and the front of the knee even comes covered with a shaped raw-cut water resistant fabric and there's a storage pocket in the rear yoke which brings them bang up to cargo trend.

Conclusion

Galibier has built up a reputation for really good kit at really good prices and these Pavé 3/4 Bib Knickers live up to that. They're very good value compared with most, and the fit and details show they're obviously put together by people who ride bikes a lot. If it wasn't for the fabric feeling a little thin and the slender simplicity of the chamois, they'd be getting full marks.

> Buy now: Galibier Pavé 3/4 Bib Knickers for £77 from Galibier

Verdict

Great value 3/4s with an incredible fit, the thinnish fabric and slender chamois being the only niggly minus points