Velocio Women's Signature Bib Short review

Velocio's Women Signature Bib Shorts are the brand's flagship offering, and it only took a couple of rides for it to become apparent why these are such a fast seller.

Construction

The main part of the shorts is made from totally recycled Italian compression lycra, cut into five panels for a close, figure-hugging fit. It's pretty thick without feeling heavy, so you know you're well covered.

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Central to the bib shorts is the Signature chamois pad, which Velocio had made specifically for its shorts, by industry leader Elastic Interface. Designed for long days in the saddle in total comfort, there's two different densities of foam used, with a highly perforated base to promote breathability.

The legs are held in place using 45mm wide bands of elastic, which are backed with a lattice of tiny grippy dots. Up top, 45mm wide elasticated microfibre bib straps cross over at the back, and hold a mesh insert in place at the front. There seems to be a small excess of lycra material on the lower back, which is part of the FlyFree design. Here you can simply pull down the shorts to use the toilet, thanks to this elasticated area and stretchy bib straps, so you don't need to remove your shirt, helmet, glasses etc.

Branding is minimal on these shorts, with a small Velocio logo on the front of the left thigh and on the back of the left hip, as well as a small Velocio word logo down the right thigh. These are all in reflective print, which should help in low light conditions.

The ride

From first slipping these bib shorts on, you know they're going to be good. I ordered a medium pair, having used the extensive fitting information on Velocio's website, and they fit perfectly. The level of compression is noticeable, but not so much that you feel you're being squeezed.

There are a couple of really neat features in the Women's Signature Bib Shorts that I really rated; the first being the brilliant FlyFree design. It really is as easy as the brand claims to pull down the back of the shorts to go to the loo, saving a lot of time and faff taking all your layers off. Once you try these, it's really hard to go back to conventional bib shorts.

The second feature that impressed was the mesh front panel. For really hot days when you want the cooling effect of unzipping your jersey, this gives you a bit more modesty which for me personally was a massive bonus.

A good test of premium bib shorts is whether you notice they're even there. Easily forgotten due to their great fit and comfort, these bibs scored highly in that department. The leg grippers kept the shorts in place perfectly but without digging in at all. I can't say that I noticed much about the chamois, which means it was really comfortable even on long rides!

Value

Priced at £181, these are certainly positioned at the premium end of the bib short market. In my opinion, they're worth the spend.

These shorts have proven to be a supremely comfortable choice for both long and short rides on tarmac and dirt. Although I can't really comment on the men's version, the FlyFree design for the women's shorts is a real gamechanger and personally I think worth paying a bit more for.