Lusso Women's Adventure Bibshorts review

With cycling clothing both designed and made in Manchester, Lusso is one of the few cycling brands to manufacture its kit here in the UK. On test we have a pair of their brand new women's Adventure Bibshorts, designed with long days in the saddle in mind, whether that's gravel riding, audax, or touring.

Construction

Besides the obvious pockets on either thigh, the most striking element of the Lusso Women's Adventure bibshorts is the checkerboard-style lycra that they're made from. This Italian compression material is secured around the thighs with 4.5cm wide elastic embossed with the Lusso text logo, with a strip of low profile silicone on the inside to help the shorts stay in place.

You'll also find the Lusso word logo in white down the outside of either thigh, just behind the pocket, and next to a strip of reflective material to aid visibility in low light conditions.

Up top, the bib straps are incredibly light, made from Lusso's coolmesh fabric with wide straps for comfort in white.

The chamois pad is from Elastic Interface, and these women's bibs feature the '8+ Hour Endurance Breathable female specific comfort pad'. This seamless pad was selected for its high density, channeled properties, aiming to give great comfort for long days in the saddle.

The mesh pockets themselves are much less fragile than you'd think, which is just as well when a lot of British riding can be along bridleways lined with brambles! They're almost opaque unless stretched, and if you choose not to use them, you almost won't notice them there. The men's shorts are slightly different, as they also have pockets on the lower back.

The ride

Whether you're cynical or not about thigh pockets before trying them, you'll soon be wondering why on earth we didn't have these decades before. Or at least, I was.

Perfect for storing your phone for quick picture opportunity access or a handy place to stash gloves, rubbish or bars, these really come into their own on long days out or bikepacking trips. Although they're not zipped, the deep pockets teamed with the strong elastic means that whatever you stash in there really does stay in place.

Overall the shorts were pretty comfortable, with traditional style wide bib straps in a really lightweight mesh that stayed in place perfectly. I also like that this upper part is white, which doesn't show through lighter coloured tees and jerseys like black straps might.

Personally, I didn't find the chamois to be as comfortable as some premium shorts, but then again these don't carry a premium price tag, so I could hardly grumble too much. They were good enough for short trips and day rides, but wouldn't be my number one choice for multiple days in the saddle.

Value

Although a nudge over £100 might not seem like the most extortionate shorts on the market, these Adventure shorts certainly price up heftily when compared to their pocket-free alternatives from Lusso. Their Lead Out shorts retail at £65, nearly half the price, without the pockets but with a similar chamois and bib design - so it's worth really asking yourself if you intend to use the pricey extra pocket space.