Designed for a second-skin fit with breathability and comfort for all-day riding, the Altura Women's Peloton ProGel bib shorts are really impressive for £59.99. Some riders will find the Altura ProGel 3D mold chamois is a bit bulky, but if you're after a pair of shorts with lots of padding then these could very well be your biggest cycling bargain.
Reasons to buy
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Short and bib fit
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Price
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Reasons to avoid
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Just two colours
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Full-bodied chamois won't suit everyone
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With the cost of bib shorts reaching eye-watering proportions it's easy to feel priced out of the market, so we were relieved to discover the £59.99 Altura Women's Peloton ProGel bib shorts fully fitted with plenty of technical attributes.
The majority of the Altura Women's Peloton ProGel bib shorts is made from a nylon/spandex mix that should allow good moisture wicking as well as good breathability. This fabric construction also has what Altura calls a '4-way' stretch for maximum flexibility and comfort. This is teamed with a 3cm silicone-backed leg gripper to hold the legs in place.
Silicone-backed leg gripper holds the leg securely in place.
(Image credit: Cycling Studio)
The Altura Women's Peloton ProGel bib shorts come with the Altura Progel 3D mold construction pad featuring Altura Dry technology – engineered to move excess moisture away from the skin, helping to keep you dry and comfortable when riding. Altura says the multi-density pad also has gel inserts.
>>> Best women's cycling shorts 2017: Waist and bib shorts
Breathable Polyester mesh bib.
(Image credit: Cycling Studio)
Up on top the polyester/spandex mesh is body mapped to ensure a close fit while remaining breathable.
Altura Women's Peloton ProGel bib shorts: ride
Putting the shorts on, immediately they delivered the second-skin fit. My initial reservations about the Altura Women's Peloton ProGel bib shorts becoming really greyed out under stretching were mostly unfounded. The main shorts body remained fully black thanks to the dense fabric and although there was a slight fade in the side panel it wasn't significant enough to make me feel self-conscious when riding. Likewise the elasticated leg gripper, and any concerns about sausage-leg syndrome were allayed while the shorts leg remained in place at all times when riding.
The bib upper was really comfortable and unnoticeable even on some of the warmest riding days, which confirmed its breathability. The generous 10cm at the front of the mesh upper fitted perfectly with my natural stomach crease when in the riding position, making me feel secure at the front, while the extra 6cm of shorts panel at the back ensures no draughty gaps even when on the drops.
Being aimed at all-day saddle comfort, it's easy to see why the ProGel 3D mold chamois has been used on the Altura Women's Peloton ProGel bib shorts as it certainly provides a significant volume of padding. Unfortunately for me it was just too much, especially at the front: after a while I became sore in the groin where there wasn't enough space to accommodate the level and width of padding used.
Value
The Altura Women's Peloton ProGel bib shorts are the cheapest bib shorts I've seen in a long time and in the main I was really impressed with the level of detail of the design and fit. I really liked the bib upper and shorts, but sadly for me the chamois padding was just too much. However, fit is a really personal thing so these could be ideal for someone else and if they are then lucky you, because it's a lot of shorts for less than sixty quid.
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