Endura Pro SL bib tights review

Endura’s Pro SL is its premium road kit range. Like its Pro SL bib shorts, the Endura Pro SL bib tights (Endura calls them bib longs) benefit from the brand’s three different widths of its 700 series pad for different sit bone anatomy. There’s also the option to buy a padless pair.

There’s an online pad fitting tool on which you select your saddle from a drop-down list. This then recommends a pad width for you. A few bike shops, listed on Endura’s site, offer a fit using a pressure sensitive pad for the most accurate results.

Although Endura’s pad has a smooth inner surface, rather than the bumps and ridges of many pads, it’s still extremely comfortable, with a continuously variable thickness that provides plenty of depth under the sit bones and less where it is not needed.

Clever fabric mix

The comfort features of the Endura Pro SL bib tights don’t stop at the pad though. Rather than using one fabric throughout, there’s a mix of different materials to suit their placement.

So the front facing panels are made of extra-fleecy, DWR treated and wind resistant thermoroubaix fabric. This does an excellent job of keeping windchill out and also repelling spray from the front wheel. The rear of the legs is made from a lighter weight – but still fleecy – brushed fabric.

Plus you get pixelated reflective brushed panels on the rear side of the lower leg and reflective bands at the ankle, while the area around the pad and at the rear of the seat is made of a non-fleeced water repellent fabric. There’s a high front rise with a short zip to help you get in and out, giving lots of overlap with top half clothing.

The bottom hem of the Endura Pro SL bib tights is raw edged too and without zippers. This makes getting the tights on and off a bit harder, but means that there’s nothing to irritate with the usual winter layers and it’s comfortable under overshoes.

All in all, the Endura Pro SL bib tights are something of a tour de force, with an amazing array of features that I found really kept me comfortable in damp, cold or cold/damp conditions.

Another advantage of the Endura Pro SL tights: as well as the three pad width options, there’s a massive range of eight sizes from XS through to 4XL, so you’ll find a pair to fit.

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If you’re used to an Italian fit from the likes of Castelli, it’s worth bearing in mind that Endura’s kit tends to run a bit larger: I was comfortable in a small size in the Endura Pro SL bib tights despite usually coming up as a medium.