Bontrager Race bib shorts review

The Bontrager Race bib shorts may look slick, but how do they ride?

Cycling Weekly Verdict

They live up to their race name, but at the cost of other features

Reasons to buy
  • +

    The gripper is too tight

  • +

    Poorly shaped chamois

  • +

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Not as warm as similar shorts, though this might be a benefit as the weather warms up

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Our impressions of the Race bibshorts from Bontrager have been mixed. We’ve struggled to truly love them. Overall, we can see the purpose of these shorts: as the name suggests, they’re ideal for racing in cold conditions. However, in real-life scenarios, on general rides and pottering around, they’re a little too cold.

The Profila thermal fabric used is very comfortable, with none of the annoying bulk associated with some winter tights. These shorts were best for tempo rides, worn with leg-warmers — almost replicating race day kit. This gave us an extra incentive to train hard. Unfortunately, the ‘clean-cut compression leg-gripper’ is excessively tight, even on our skinniest tester’s legs — they hold the shorts in place well but grow annoying really quickly.

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Symon Lewis

Symon Lewis joined Cycling Weekly as an Editorial Assistant in 2010, he went on to become a Tech Writer in 2014 before being promoted to Tech Editor in 2015 before taking on a role managing Video and Tech in 2019. Lewis discovered cycling via Herne Hill Velodrome, where he was renowned for his prolific performances, and spent two years as a coach at the South London velodrome. 

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