Endura Pro SL Bib Shorts review

The Endura Pro SL Bib Shorts were selected for an Editor's Choice award (opens in new tab) in 2020. This year's list contains 78 items which scored a 9 or 10/10 with our tech team - this gear is the best of the best, and has received the Cycling Weekly stamp of approval. 

With decades of experience creating bib shorts for the highest levels of road cycling Endura has been fine-tuning and tweaking its bib shorts for some time - and the Endura Pro SL Bib Short is the current culmination of all that expertise.

Those with a knowledge of Endura's product lines will note that the Pro SL short has been around for a while but this is the brand new and freshly revamped 2020 version, released this spring. But fans of the old Pro SL bib short needn't worry, this version is even better.

Endura effectively started again with this version and it now employs a completely different set of panels to create one of the most contour hugging sets of shorts I have ever put on. The panels mimic the cycling position perfectly and the new Power Lycra material manages to be impressively compressive without feeling too thick and stifling. The material is so thin that when you rub your hand up your thigh it's hard to distinguish where skin ends and short begins.

I continue to be impressed with how well Endura's latest range of clothing fits and the same is certainly the case with the Pro SL bib short. The leg length is just right and the bibs do not feel too restrictive even for a plus six footer like myself wearing a size medium. And if you do require a longer leg, Endura also have you covered with a version providing an extra 4cm of coverage for those that prefer a longer fit or have super long legs.

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Endura has followed the lead of brands such as Assos and Santini and now stitches the bib straps much lower into the body of the short providing a much more even and widespread level of support. They are also wide and remain steadfastly in place. The brand has added a lumbar panel made from a stronger material to really hold the short and pad in place. And it certainly works as I have had zero reason to do the on-bike shimmy and pull to get things re-centred.

Endura's approach to seat pads is also another reason to choose these shorts. It has developed three differing pad widths for you to specify based around body shape and chosen saddle width, so you can fine tune the short even more to suit you. The 700 series pad has also been re-jigged to give it a more breathable top layer adding to its comfort. Like the Rapha pad it hits the balance point between thickness and mobility to make it work exceptionally well no matter the type or length of riding you are engaging in.