Endura M90 Graphics Bibshort

Some bib shorts just feel right from the moment you pull them on – and that's the feeling I got with the Endura M90 Graphics bib shorts I've been testing since spring. Luckily, that feeling stayed with me right through the test.

It wasn't love at first sight, though. They arrived with the matching M90 Graphics Limited Edition SS Jersey I was also testing. 'Please, don't let them be the same all-over camo pattern,' I thought. I'd never be able to show myself in the street. Fortunately, they aren't – the M90 print being restricted to the leg grippers. Even so, it does rather limit the versatility of the garment. You simply couldn't wear these with a blue top, my dears. Nevertheless, the whole ensemble looked pretty sharp, and once I got out in it I forgot about the style and just enjoyed the comfort.

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I can't really see much that's revolutionary about these bibs to account for the ride quality; I think Endura has simply done all the basic things well and the outcome is a fit and all-day wearability that I wasn't convinced was really out there.

Starting at the top, the mesh shoulder straps are wide, with broad, flat hems that sit comfortably and don't cut in. Even my protruding broken collarbone didn't mind being under these. It helps that the straps are long and stretchy, as at 6ft 2in I often find them stretched to the limit in other shorts.

The straps meet at the back above a broad back panel, made from the same fabric. When flat against your back this is very comfortable too. It never got clammy while testing (though the weather wasn't all that warm). This is flatlock stitched into an almost-square panel, made from the same genuine Lycra as the rest of the garment, and this is also neatly stitched to the two side panels that run the length of the outer thigh, as well as the two panels that form the horseshoe pattern of the back of the legs.

At the front, the straps meet a mesh stomach panel, above the two pieces that form the lower belly and inner leg. It's a design that results in a close but forgiving fit all round.

The pad also has a lot to do with the ride comfort, and this is a difficult thing to be objective about, but for me this was spot-on too. This is the 600 series pad, which Endura says 'is sculpted from a single block of foam, with gel inserts for extra comfort. A TRS perforated foam 'dermis' layer is positioned under the face for improved blood-flow and wicking especially on longer rides.' It does the job admirably, even on two 60-mile, 6,000-feet-of-climbing clambers over the North Pennines on the same weekend. Endura produces no fewer than 12 different pads for men and 10 for women, and it is well worth looking at the website to see which one is best suited to your riding style.

This just leaves those camo-patterned leg grippers, about 5cm wide, which are made with a raw edge (no hems) and a generous helping of silicone to keep everything in place without pinching, even on (whispers it) unshaven legs. These are attached to the legs with a double-stitched seam which isn't flatlock-stitched, and if I was picking around for something to improve it would be this as I needed to adjust the grippers a bit when putting the bibs on, to make the seam sit flat. That was it though; once done, everything stayed where it was meant to.

On price it's on a par with many Italian-made garments, cheaper than many and a better fit (for me) than anything I've tried. Endura tells me the design and fit is the same as the FS260 Pro, with the same pad, which comes in all-black and would be a more versatile choice.

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Verdict

Bibs to match Endura's M90 Graphics Jersey, and they are supremely comfortable