Best cycling shorts for men 2023: bike bib shorts for comfortable riding
A pair of the best cycling shorts will make your riding much more comfortable


Best cycling shorts for men 2023: Jump Menu
The list in brief ↴
1. Best bib shorts for comfort
2. Best bib shorts on a budget
3. Best cargo bib shorts for value
4. Best cargo bib shorts for changeable conditions
5. Best bib shorts for color options
6. Best non-bib cycling shorts
7. Best bib shorts for combined comfort and versatility
8. Best bib shorts for premium fit
9. Best bib shorts for indoor use
Buyer's guide to the best cycling shorts
How we test
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The best cycling shorts should be the number one piece of kit in any rider's wardrobe. A good pair of padded cycling shorts can ensure you're able to put the time in on the bike. A bad pair can lead to a lot of discomfort, taking the joy out of your ride, even on one the best road bikes.
A top notch pair of cycling shorts should include a quality seat pad (also called a chamois or chammy), quick-drying and high wicking material, a stretchy fabric that provides muscle support and a comfortable fit.
While it's nice to team with the best men's cycling jerseys, it's vital to get the right fit for you and your style of riding.
There are many, many pairs of shorts out there and there are a lot of good options. We've had the opportunity to test many pairs of cycling shorts and we can't include every good option in this list - so we've picked our favorite cycling shorts for you here.
While much of the buying guide will ring true for both men and women, the shorts we've included on this page have been tested by men; although there are often female versions of the same shorts, we can't vouch for their comfort.
We've a dedicated page that just includes the best women's cycling shorts detailing exactly what to look for and hand picked our favorite pairs.
If you're specifically looking for more affordable riding attire, check out our round up of the best cheap cycling clothing to help you get kitted out for less.
Best cycling shorts for men: our picks
You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.
Best bib shorts for comfort
The Assos Equipe R S9 bib shorts offer a lower priced entry to Assos's shorts range, but still boast a high comfort seat pad and a quality, sag-free fit and high breathability.
Best bib shorts on a budget
Endura offers a lot of quality features and options in its shorts, including two different leg lengths, but it still manages to undercut the competition on price.
Best cargo bib shorts for value
With four pockets in total, there's plenty of carrying capacity in Rapha's shorts. They're a good option for longer on-road rides as well as gravel riding.
Best cargo bibs for bad weather
Le Col mixes insulation and wind resistance in its thermal shorts, with a raised waistline for extra warmth. The cargo pockets are large and easy to access.
Best cargo bibs for colorways
If you prefer blue, grey or green to plain old black, Castelli has you covered with its shorts, with a total of six colors. The quality is high despite the lowish price for Castelli.
Best non-bib cycling shorts
Rapha gives you its Core tech, including the high quality seat pad, but without the bibs. The waistband is a little tighter to compensate, but it still uses soft elastic.
Best cycling shorts for men
Best bib shorts for comfort
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Assos has built a reputation for producing some of the finest clothing within cycling, but that usually comes with a price that's out of reach for many.
The Equipe R bib shorts S9 are more affordable than their premium stock, and quality hasn't been reduced along with the price. The chamois is excellent, the front pad placement is probably the most comfortable we've ever experienced, and the performance is second to none.
We were disappointed by a few signs of fraying and the Swiss brand still don't know how to sew on their logo, but overall this is a really good pair of high-performance bib shorts.
Read more: Assos Equipe R S9 bib shorts full review
Best bib shorts on a budget
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
While bib short prices can be extravagant, the Endura Pro SL EGM shorts offer range-topping performance to match the best at a more affordable price. The multi-panel construction includes a waistband designed to work with the wide bibs to keep the shorts in place well.
Fit-wise there are standard and 4cm longer legs, both with the silicone grippers bult into the leg panels, rather than using a separate gripper. We rated the 800 Series Conform EGM seat pad among the most comfortable we've used.
Size-wise we found that the shorts come up quite small, so you may need to size up, and we did find the fabric ran a bit warm on hot days.
Read more: Endura Pro SL EGM bib shorts full review
Best cargo bib shorts for value
Four pockets add plenty of carrying capacity to the Rapha Core Cargo bib shorts
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Having spent a fair amount of time in the Rapha Core Cargo bib shorts the practicalities have shone through and they’ve become one of Cycling Weekly's go-to pairs for all types of riding.
Coming with four pockets, two on the legs and two on the back, there's easily room for a plus-sized phone inside a riding case, wallet, keys or a pump between them, without any sagging issues.
Built around the brilliant Rapha Core bib short, the Core Cargo adds versatility to an already comfortable package, and is ideal for gravel riding - but shouldn't be dismissed for an all day, all use pair of all round excellent cycling bib shorts.
There are sizes XS to XXL to choose from, and as it's Rapha, there's a female option too, but both come in black only.
Read more: Rapha Core Cargo bib shorts full review
Best cargo bib shorts for changeable conditions
A great option for cooler weather, there's insulation and extra cargo pockets in these Le Col shorts
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Designed with all-round versatility in mind, Le Col’s Italian-made bib shorts are perfect for virtually every kind of ride. Whether that’s the daily commute, the Sunday club run, nipping out on an errand or shredding gravel trails.
The combination of insulating and wind-resistant properties, complete with a raised waistline gives extra coverage and protection on chillier days. The capacious pockets have been designed and cut in such a way that reaching into them to access items is hassle-free while the elastic mesh holds your essentials firmly in place. From a large smart phone to keys, gels, inner tubes, gas canisters and handy tissues the pockets add extra on-bike capacity for ‘stuff’.
The shorts’ triple layer chamois and gel insert also adds to their all-purpose useability. The ‘give’ in the material made them super-comfortable with leg warmers, while the gripper also ensures a snug fit without.
Le Col offer the shorts in Navy/Saffron classic Black colorways, in sizes XS to 3XL (M)/XL (W). Both come with reflectivestrips on the rear of the legs to aid visibility in low light conditions.
Read more: Le Col Sport Thermal Cargo Bib Shorts full review
Best bib shorts for color options
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Despite their competitive price and low position in the Castelli bib shorts pecking order, the Castelli Competizione shorts feel much more luxurious, with soft, stretchy fabrics and flatlocked stitching, although they are quite compressive.
There's a raw edged finish to the leg grippers and the Kiss Air2 seat pad has varying thickness to provide support where it's most needed, although for longer rides we'd have preferred a slightly thicker one.
Castelli sells the Competizione bib shorts in a wide array of colors, from the usual black to two greys, two blues and a deep green.
Read more: Castelli Competizione bib shorts full review
Best non-bib cycling shorts
The women's Core Cargo shorts come without bib straps
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
With no other waist shorts on our buyer's guide, it's fair to say we don't often recommend them, but coming from the same Core range that uses collection-specific materials and technology as the best-selling Core bib shorts, but without the shoulder straps to help reduce the build-up of heat that occurs when riding indoors.
These are a good compromise for riders who want the flexibility of indoor and outdoor shorts, or even if your indoor bike time is spent with others, meaning that modesty is a must (for them if not you)!
Doing away with shoulder straps means that the shorts are held in place with a tighter waist, which some riders find uncomfortable, although Rapha does promise a soft waist elastic.
Read more: Rapha Women's Core Cargo cycling shorts full review
Best bib shorts for combined comfort and versatility
Longer legs and fleeced fabric add comfort in cooler weather
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
With Assos's 13mm deep Mille GTS C2 seat pad, slightly longer legs and a water repellent finish to the fleeced fabric, the Assos Mille GTS Sprint/Fall C2 bib shorts are a great option for cooler, iffy conditions.
They are fine on their own in milder conditions around 16C, but add leg warmers or knee warmers and we found that they were comfortable down to 8C or lower. They even worked for us on the turbo in a cold garage.
They're quite pricy, but their versatility and durability mean that they can extend your short-wearing days to all but the coldest conditions.
Read more: Assos Mille GTS Spring/Fall C2 bib shorts full review