• Gore Bike Wear Xenon Bib Shorts
• £104.95
• www.gorebikewear.com

Bib shorts? In October? Well, it’s being surprisingly clement right now. But really bib shorts are a year-round garment – get a good pair next to your skin and then put whatever you want (unlined tights, waterproof baggies, three-quarters, waders) over the top.

With Gore Bike Wear’s latest bib short, the Gore Xenon, the company is aiming to offer something to compete with the more established high-end shorts currently available.

Starting with the important bit, the company have worked with Italian firm Cytech to design an exclusive chamois. It’s moulded in two halves, split along the middle so that they can move independently for a better fit. The pad uses dual-density foam at the sit bones and along the perineal channel, with a small section of toweling at the front tip of the chamois for wicking sweat. It’s an extremely comfortable chamois.

Outside, the short is of eight panel construction in EIT Max material (again, developed by Cytech), which has excellent sweat absorption and high elasticity properties. Stretchier panels are placed in key areas to improve the fit. Wide braces are comfortable and the back section is filled with a light mesh to remove sweat. A wide hem made from a soft material, that doesn’t look too dissimilar to those found on Assos shorts, is lined with gripper tape. Comfortable and they didn’t slip throughout our tests.

Final details include a reflective logo and reflective dashes on the bottom of the legs. Available in sizes small, medium, large, XL and XXL.

Ups and downs

Positives: Comfortable, comfortable, comfortable, one of the best chamois we’ve tested

Negatives: Some loose threads have started to appear, kind of pricey

Verdict

A comfortable pair of shorts beneath your baggies are essential, and we haven’t found many more comfortable than these. They’re now the first shorts we reach when going for a ride.

Ratings

Performance: 5/5
Value: 3/5
Overall: 4/5