ArmaUrto Vipar Bib Shorts review

With built in abrasion and impact resistance, could this be the future of cycling shorts?

Cycling Weekly Verdict

The ArmaUrto Vipar Bib Shorts are a pretty unique, offering motorcycle levels of impact protection as well as abrasion resistance. Although the protective inserts were noticeable when I first pulled on the shorts, I soon forgot about them once I started riding. At just 4mm thick, the inserts are also pretty discreet and really don’t stand out, although you can see if them if you know where to look. The one downside is the chamois, which I found to have far too much padding at the front.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Built in abrasion and impact resistance

  • +

    Wide leg gripper

  • +

    Fleecy lining

  • +

    Discrete

  • +

  • +

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Chamois is quite bulky at the front

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.

Descending down a steep hill, it’s quite easy to reach speeds which are comparable to those reached on a motorbike, which makes it really quite surprising that the only element of protective clothing most of us wear is a helmet.

>>>Read more: Cycling and safety

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Stefan Abram
Tech features editor

After winning the 2019 National Single-Speed Cross-Country Mountain Biking Championships and claiming the plushie unicorn (true story), Stefan swapped the flat-bars for drop-bars and has never looked back. 

Since then, he’s earnt his 2ⁿᵈ cat racing licence in his first season racing as a third, completed the South Downs Double in under 20 hours and Everested in under 12.

But his favourite rides are multiday bikepacking trips, with all the huge amount of cycling tech and long days spent exploring new roads and trails - as well as histories and cultures. Most recently, he’s spent two weeks riding from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia

Height: 177cm

Weight: 67–69kg