The Sportful SRK Bib Shorts have a great pad and the quality feels high, but the unusual overall shape means that relatively few people will really enjoy it.
> Buy now: Sportful SRK Bib Shorts for £110 from Sportful
For these to fit comfortably you're going to need big quads and a short body. My thighs clearly aren't bulky enough, because despite these being compressively tight around the hips and extremely tight in the bib straps, the long legs – which end just above the knee on me – are too loose to stay put. The elasticated ends with their silicone dots sit flat against my skin, but are the only bit that don't squeeze hard. The result is they'll ride up almost to mid thigh as I go.
Sportful says these are a 'compressive yet comfortable fabric,' and from mid-thigh to the relatively low-fronted waist I'd say they are indeed compressive; for me, it's almost like climbing into a medium rather than a large. Get them on and arranged so nothing's trapped or pinching and this section is comfortable, and just about falls into the 'performance' fit category Sportful assigns; above it lies the tighter-still 'aero,' and below it is 'comfort'.
That low front is useful for toilet stops, while the rear is higher and features two small pockets.
The front of one of these features a large, boxed section of text which, mercifully, will be covered by your jersey – it's pure marketing waffle about visions, essences and testaments; the sort of thing that's usually on a tag you pull off and throw away immediately. It's one of the stranger design decisions I've seen lately, but again, at least it's hidden away.
The strap elastic is very strong and short, and another area that felt more sized for a medium than a large. Whenever I review shorts I explain that I've a relatively long torso for my height, but a) it's subtle enough I never even knew until I started cycling in bib shorts, b) I've since discovered it's quite a common body type, especially among men and c), the tightness here goes way beyond its effects. The straps are pretty fierce for the shorts' size.
I would happily size up for more room in both the bib straps and the groin are, but the legs make that impossible. They're already as long as they sensibly can be, and as I've said, too wide as it is.
If your body type is the opposite of mine and you have particularly long legs, bulging thighs, and a short torso you'll be far happier. Even then, I think the straps will still be pretty tight.
If you do fit, these will serve you well. The pad is impressively supportive and comfortable, and as promised deals really well with both smooth surfaces and off-road adventures. It's attached with smooth flatlocked seams, and while some seams elsewhere are only overlocked, they're just as unobtrusive. Even with the excessive squeeze, it's a comfortable build. The quality of it all – stitching and fabrics – feels reassuringly good too, and entirely befitting of the price.
Value
At £110 these aren't entry level, but they're still cheaper than a lot of comparable shorts and somewhere around mid-market. They're up against the likes of the RedWhite Apparel The Bib Mens at £114, which even have options for leg lengths, and the Lusso Perform Carbon Bib Shorts at £100, which proved impressive enough to earn a 'road.cc recommends' badge.
They're the same price as the Cycology Men's Cargo Bib Shorts I tested recently, which had an excellent fit, though it's more relaxed than compressive and they're a bit heavier too, thanks to the pockets.
I still love and recommend the Orro Pyro Line Bibshorts as well, thanks to their impressive pad and great fit, and amazingly they remain the same price as in 2022 – they're £69.99.
You can find more of our favourites in our best cycling bib shorts buyer's guide.
Overall
These look and feel well-built, and the pad is impressive. While they're hardly alone in being sized smaller than is actually necessary for a secure, sag-or-twist-free performance, they are unusual in being very hard to size up; the long legs and their relatively wide ends are only going to get worse. If you have very chunky quads and generally long legs, these may well prove very comfortable, but if not they'll feel like pretty small, tight things with leg ends that just won't stop riding up.
Verdict
Well made with a great pad, but you'll need big thighs and small everything else to really fit them
> Buy now: Sportful SRK Bib Shorts for £110 from Sportful
Make and model: Sportful SRK Bib Shorts
Tell us what the product is for
Sportful says: "The SRK Bib Shorts are supportive and comfortable when you're riding on different surfaces, whether tarmac, gravel or root-strewn forest trails. Featuring a seat pad designed for those riding in an upright position, they're versatile enough to let you pull them on first and finalise your route later.
Made from compressive yet comfortable fabric, they'll let you adopt whatever position you need to, thanks to their high stretch, regular fit and the silicon dots that hold the leg endings in place.
The seat pad, meanwhile, offers the perfect support for riding flat bar bikes on dirt and gravel roads, since it is short and light, with multi-density padding and an open-cell structure that encourages fast drying after hard efforts.
Finished with two pockets at the lower back, perfect for stowing valuables that you want to keep safe over bumpy roads and protected from mud and spray, these easy-to-wear bib shorts will let you ride on any track that calls to you."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Main Fabric – 71% Polyamide 29% Elastane
Chamois – 87% Polyamide 13% Elastane
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
7/10
Great pad, but the overall shaping won't suit everyone.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
4/10
You're going to need big thighs and a short body for these to really shine.
Rate the product for sizing:
4/10
The straps make these feel a size smaller than they are.
Rate the product for weight:
7/10
Rate the product for comfort:
5/10
The pad is great, but the wide cuffs and tight straps cause problems.
Rate the product for value:
5/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
No issues.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Not well for me: the pad is great, but the shaping of the shorts is odd.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The pad, the materials and stitching.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The excessively wide cuffs and excessively tight straps.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
With the majority of the shorts tested recently falling between £100 and £200, these are the lower end of the spectrum overall.
Did you enjoy using the product? Not really
Would you consider buying the product? No – they just don't fit my shape
Would you recommend the product to a friend? One with long legs and big thighs, yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
While the quality here is good and the pad is impressive, the shaping just seems off. They're small with very tight straps in my recommended size large, yet the ends of the long legs are too loose. Given this, sizing either up or down is not an option. Perhaps it's my fault for not having massive quadriceps and a little stubby body, but I strongly suspect I'm not the only lanky cyclist out there. If you are shaped right these will surely prove very comfortable, but overall I can only score them as average.
Age: 48 Height: 183cm Weight: 78kg
I usually ride: Vitus Zenium SL VR Disc My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: general fitness riding, mtb,
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