Best bib tights for cycling reviewed and rated

When the temperature drops into single figures, even the best shorts and leg warmers won’t be sufficient to keep your muscles warm on long winter rides. Choose the right pair of bib tights, however, and you will be able to keep pedalling even when the mercury hits zero.

Bib tights range from simple garments that just offer a little more warmth to full-blown extreme versions with water-resistant and/or windproof panels, softshell materials and fleece linings. The bib element allows the tights to cover more of your lower back and kidney area whilst also holding the seat pad in place better than non-bib versions. All of the bib tights that we have tested here include a seat pad, but some tights are designed to be worn over your favourite shorts, so don’t include a chamois.

As with bib shorts, men’s and women’s bib tights are different in terms of the cut and the seat pad shape, so we’ve included examples of both.

The quick list

Men's bib tights

Women's bib tights

Best bib tights: our picks

The best bib tights for cycling reviewed - Men's

Read on down the page for information about what to look for when buying your ideal bib tights. But first, here are our favourites.

MEN'S

The best all-round bib tights

Santini’s Adapt bib tights aren’t the Italian brand’s warmest and most weatherproof bib tights for the very worst winter rides. That mantle is taken up by the Vega Dry (replete with its own integrated base layer). The Adapt bib tights aren’t Santini’s most value oriented tights, either: the Omnia bib tights boast the same recommended temperature range for less than half the price.

No, the purpose of the Adapt is as a high performance pair of bibs that would fit the bill for the majority of your winter rides (assuming your winter is characterized by rain and sleet, rather than snow and yet more snow).

To that end, Santini has employed Polartec’s excellent (and expensive) Power Wool fabric. I was really impressed by the performance (and tech) behind this material. It employs a synthetic outer, which helps protect against the elements as well as providing a stretchy support structure for the wool - so that it stays tight against your body and doesn’t lose its shape, as pure wool is wont to do.

The wool on the inside of the fabric provides comfort, warmth and the odor-resistant / moisture-managing properties which it’s famous for as a fabric. This combination makes the Adapt bib tights much lighter for their level of warmth than the equivalent in a fully synthetic fabric - Rapha’s Core Cargo Winter Tights are a prime example, performing to a similar temperature range, but being much more bulky.

Those tights from Rapha are over a third cheaper, however, so it’s up to you whether this premium is a price worth paying. I would say, though, that it really does make such a difference having a lighter pair of bib tights. Whether it’s long endurance rides or the interval training of a reverse periodisation, everything just feels so much more fluid and freeing. Still not the same feeling as shorts, but much closer.

In terms of the temperature range, I’ve been happy riding at an endurance pace down to 4 degrees. Below that, the cold starts to bite - unless you up the pace to ‘tempo’ or Zone 3. I would say that, despite the wicking capabilities of the fabrics, Santini’s recommendation of 15 degrees is a little high for the top end - around 12 degrees still felt too hot in these tights.

The synthetic outer layer of the tights provides a reasonable level of wind resistance. It’s not as much as some others, such as Endura’s Pro SL II, but when the weather protection is that maxed-out, your freedom of movement becomes proportionally less fluid. Again, the Adapt bib tights are excellent in the level of protection they provide for their weight.

Like the tights themselves, the C3 chamois performs excellently in a slimline package. The multi density core sounds out the road buzz without feeling too bulky - which strikes a contrast with Castelli’s Progetto X2 Air Seamless chamois in its Free Aero RC bib tights. Although Castelli’s endurance chamois is super comfy itself, it does feel more cumbersome than Santini’s model.

As a final point of difference between Castelli’s Free Aero RC tights and Santini’s Adapt: the Adapt is warmer, but the Free Aero RC does provide better wet weather performance, shrugging off road spray and drying out more quickly. That’s really the greatest distinction I would highlight between them - which works best for you is down to personal preference.

The best bib tights for deep winter weather

Velocio’s Thermal Utility Bib Tights really didn’t put a foot wrong and quickly became my favourite pair. Before jumping into the details, I’ll just highlight my general preference for natural fibers - and wool, in particular. In base layers and socks, I find it so much more effective at keeping me warm and comfortable. Even in the summer, for long rides, I do much prefer the feel of a merino jersey to synthetic fabrics.

So, from the outset, I was expecting to prefer the ‘Power Wool’ fabric employed by Santini, rather than the Nylon, Polyester, Elastane blend of Velocio’s Thermal Utility tights. But, to my surprise, I did actually prefer the feel of Velocio’s Thermal Utility Bib Tights. They were just so soft, warm, and presented a more effective barrier against the elements - whilst also still being competitively light and free moving (unlike Rapha’s and Endura’s heavier-feeling products).

Just to clarify, the difference between Santini’s Adapt tights and Velocio’s Thermal Utility bib tights isn’t large. But, as you can only wear one set of tights at a time, it is clear when you do have a preference!

The Thermal Utility bib tights do run a little hot - I wasn’t comfortable wearing them above nine degrees. But they do a truly excellent job in persistent light rain, which we get an awful lot of in Wales, with the hills catching the moisture as it comes in off the sea.

Veolcio’s Signature chamois strikes a great balance between comfort and cushioning without being overly bulky. Plus the tights in general had a particularly good second-skin fit, not being restrictive, but also not sagging or feeling loose at all either.

The cargo pockets themselves were very nicely integrated. They didn’t have an overturned flap of fabric like some mesh cargo bib shorts have - which provides extra security for keeping your kit in place, but I didn’t have any issues with my phone, tools or energy bars falling out. Then again, It wasn’t very often I was riding with that kit stored in those pockets. The main benefit for me was, when stopped and faffing around, I had two additional easy-access locations to stuff my kit - which was much appreciated.

I would say that the large reflective panels, although great for visibility, do feel a bit crinkly in your hands when pulling the tights on - but they’re imperceptible when riding, so I won’t knock a point off for that.

The best bib tights for milder winter weather

Castelli clearly expects the Espresso Bibtight to be a popular purchase as they are available in seven different colours. I suspect that they might be correct as our tester loved the freedom of movement that they offered coupled with their top-drawer seat pad.

They don't offer as much weather protection or warmth as some tights on test, and nor are they meant to - Castelli has plenty of other options if you are riding in truly frigid temperatures. What they do provide is a bit more warmth than a shorts/leg warmer combo with arguably less restriction, and are certainly easier to pedal in than some of the more extreme bib tights.

The Thermoflex fabric is warm enough for single-digit temperatures, particularly if it's cool but dry and the seat pad is the same as is used by Castelli in their most expensive shorts, so you aren't getting short-changed in terms of comfort.

Best value

Rapha’s Core Cargo Winter Tights are one of the more affordable models on test and, as such, there are quite a few points of difference which can be pulled out in contrast to the bib tights at the more premium end of the price scale.

It is useful to be aware of what you are getting/missing out on, but it’s also worth keeping things in perspective - lazer cut cargo pockets do look neater, but they are very much of the ‘nice to have’ ilk, rather than an actual necessity. Overall, I think these tights are great and well suited to riding through winter. If your budget doesn’t stretch to the higher end tights on test, it’s not that you wouldn’t be able to ride in certain conditions, just that it could be more comfortable.

Keeping that balance and those trade offs in mind, let’s jump into the details. First is the fabric. Whereas some of the tights on test boast all sorts of weather-proofing properties, the fleece-backed fabric which Rapha employs is comparatively less technical. But thanks to the thickness of the Core Cargo bib tights, it actually does a pretty good job at blocking out the wind - and it takes a while for persistent mizzle or road spray to work its way through the fabric.

However, once the tights do get wet, they do hang on to the water for longer than the lighter and thinner models, such as the Castelli Free Aero RC and even the Santini Adapt. It’s not a show stopper, but it is less comfortable than those higher end models - which is what you would expect. On the flip side, with the thickness of the fleece, the Core Cargo Winter tights are warmer than both of those two high performance models.

In the cold snap we had through early January, I wasn’t exactly toasty on my early morning rides into Cardiff - but then the temperature was two degrees below zero and the gentle downward slope following the river really doesn’t require much in the way of pressure on the pedals. Of course, there are deep-winter-specific bib tights - like Santini’s Vega Dry - which would keep you in greater comfort down to even lower temperatures, but those are even more expensive still.

The pad is Rapha’s Classic chamois, which I think strikes a good balance. Although it’s less dense than Rapha’s Pro Team chamois and less cushioned than the ultra-distance-specific Brevet chamois pad, both of those are likely to be surplus to requirements for winter training. Sure, base miles are long - but generally not 12 hours long!

If you do need that kind of performance, there are other tights you can choose from - but if you don’t, it’s good that you can save some money on this aspect of your kit. The Classic pad is still great for more ‘everyday’ riding through the winter and I was happy with it.

I think that the cargo pocket is a great addition to these tights. You can have your hands full at cafe stops at the best of times, let alone when the gloves and lights of winter riding are thrown in for good measure. It is a really useful feature - and definitely not one that should be just confined to gravel and bikepacking.

To be fair, I think for the negligible difference in weight and breathability, cargo pockets make sense for the overwhelming majority of rides - but I’ll save a deeper dive into that topic for another day!

The ankle cuffs are tight fitting whilst still being stretchy enough to get your feet through, which is my preferred approach. Other people prefer zips: less strain is put on the fabric when stuffing your feet through - and it’s a little easier to boot. But I find that zips are generally the first thing to break, plus it can be uncomfortable around your ankle when worn with over shoes (assuming you wear your overshoes over bib tights, but that’s another topic for another day!)

In all, Rapha’s Cargo Core bib tights are a solid performer for a less exorbitant price.

Highly weatherproof

Starting with the positives, the combination of warmth and weather proofing of these bib tights was the best on test. They were as warm (if not a little warmer) than Rapha Core Cargo Winter Tights - but Endura has paired this with a water repellent finish on a par with Velocio and Castelli. As such, these were the best tights for washout days when the temperature hovers just above zero.

But, at least where I am, those sort of days aren’t very common. January is our coldest month, but even then the average temperature across day and night is a not-frigid 4 degrees. Plus, when it does get colder than that, this is generally accompanied by a dry spell with clear skies. We do still get some days which are around 2 degrees and accompanied by heavy rain, but they are less common.

Still, even in those most challenging conditions, I would actually think twice before opting for these Pro SL bib tights over Velocio’s Thermal Utility tights. The issue is that Endura’s maxed-out weatherproofing is a little restricting during the pedal stroke. Not to a large degree, but enough to make you aware of the tights as you’re riding along - which is quite the contrast to what Santini, Velocio and Castelli have all managed to achieve. In some cases, I would accept the trade off of being a little colder in return for greater souplesse.

Compared directly against either Santini Adapt or Castelli’s Free Aero RC, Endura’s Pro SL II do have a more strongly defined niche: Endura’s tights are much more weatherrpoof than Santini’s and much warmer than Castelli’s.

It’s just the Velocio Thermal Utility bib tights which are so close in so many respects that I would plump for them over Endura’s Pro SL II. Even though Velocio’s aren’t quite as warm, I do really prize the feeling of free and flowing pedal strokes.

It’s also worth considering the price. Despite Endura often being one of the better value brands, the price gap between Velocio and Endura is actually quite narrow here. Even Castelli’s Free Aero RC bib tights come in cheaper than Endura’s Pro SL II - which really isn’t what you’d expect.

Premium feel

The Pas Normal Studios Deep Winter tights are an impressive pair of bib tights for properly cold winter weather. The Wintex Pro membrane does a great job at keeping windchill to a minimum, while the grid fleece inner is soft and brilliantly insulating even in sub-zero temperatures. The high front also boosts insulation, especially around the trunk, but it does make nature breaks difficult.

The DWR treatment on the outside is very effective at beading water but the lack of taped seams means water does ingress. The fit is race-orientate, with the straps a bit shorter at the front to pull you into a cycling position. On the bike, this works well and is comfortable, but when more upright the straps can pull.

The articulated legs make quite an impact, reducing fabric bunching around the legs, while the chamois is brilliantly comfy once you get the tights in the right position. The price is high, but these are potentially the best-insulated pair of tights I’ve used in freezing conditions.

The best bib tights reviewed - Women's

Women's bib tights often have a slightly different upper section, with a halterneck or releasable clasp designed to make nature breaks more easy. Some, however, forgo this and offer a full-body option, which doubles up as a base layer.

WOMEN'S

The best all-round winter bib tights for women

On test we found the Castelli Sorpasso RoS women's bibtight to be extremely comfortable, ticking all the right boxes: warmth, water resistance, breathability and fit, gaining them a coveted Cycling Weekly Editor's Choice Award.

Worn on both dry and mild winter rides, as well as dank and cold ones, they've proved themselves capable at both thanks to both the wind and water resistance and high breathability. As with all of the best bib tights, the Castelli Sorpasso RoS pair manage to do all the above without restriction around the knees or thighs.

The pad provides ample comfort for many hours in the saddle, but it's a shame that some form of quick access comfort break feature wasn't designed in. The only other not-perfect aspect is that ankle zips don't really serve much purpose, but for some, it might make getting the tights on and off a little easier.

All in all, however, these are a superb pair of women's specific bib tights that will get a lot of wear, and seem a positive bargain when compared to the Rapha Women's Pro Team Winter bib tights.

Read more: Castelli Sorpasso RoS women's bib tights full review

The best value bib tights for women

On test the Foundation Bib Tights proved to be a top-quality pair of bib tights, benefiting from a genuinely manageable, irritation-free, bio-break system. The chamois didn't prove to be the most breathable on longer rides, but proved comfortable enough for mid-length adventures.

Velocio's Foundation tights also scored highly due to the use of 100% recycled fabrics and for their full range of sizes that really do cater for everyone.

Read more: Velocio Women's Foundation Bib Tights full review

The best bib tights for comfort breaks

Wind proof and water resistant with an, almost, handy, dropped tail for comfort breaks - the Rapha Women's Pro Team Winter bib tights are a go-to winter riding companion.

Strategically positioning of water and wind resistant fabrics provides protection where it's needed, while more breathable, but super cosy Thermoroubaix fabric helps prevent sweat build up. It’s worth noting that they perform best below 10º for optimal temperature regulating comfort.

The dropped tail clasp is a little tricky to master, especially if it pings up your back, under your top layers and you've reach peak winter ride immobility, consider it a team mate bonding exercise.

We really like the fact that the subtle but highly reflective details are visible from the sides, and it seals the deal on these being one of the most practical pair of bib tights out there, making us over look the too loose ankle fit.

However, while they are the bee's knees in terms of performance and overall fit, their price tag lets you know it!

Read more: Rapha Women's Pro Team Winter bib tights full review

Advice

How we test

As well as our more general testing protocols, all of these bib tights have been rated based on a few very important factors.

As they will generally be worn on cooler conditions it is was important to consider the level of weather protection that each provided - some are little more than spring/autumn weight, similar to wearing bib shorts and legwarmers whilst at the other end of the spectrum there are bib tights with fleece linings and windproof panels intended for much colder conditions.

Fit and freedom of movement is also very important; it's no good a pair of tights being very warm and weatherproof if they don't allow you to pedal easily and restrict your movement. These bib tights all have an integrated seat pad, so the comfort of the pad has also been taken into consideration, although this can be a highly subjective matter.