Rapha Flyweight Bib Shorts

Rapha has been expanding its range of hot weather clothing over the past couple of years, and its new Flyweight Bib Shorts are its coolest and most breathable yet. Along with superb seated comfort from a well-shaped and cushioned padded insert, that makes them a great option for hot summer cycling.

Rapha has employed the lightest fabric it has ever used to make these bib shorts. The lightness of the fabric is instantly revealed when you pull the shorts on; they feel much lighter than the Pro Team Lightweight bibs I reviewed a couple of years ago. They feel cooler than regular Rapha or other brand shorts, a subtle but discernible difference.

The fabric is very stretchy, enhancing the excellent fit, and supremely soft against the skin. It also has a shiny finished compared to the more matte appearance of Rapha's regular bib shorts. Can't say I'm a massive fan of that, but I do like the white hem and asymmetric logo colouring.

Despite how thin the material is, it's not fragile. It has proven to be perfectly durable during the time I've been testing them, and there certainly appears no drawback for the lightness. Still, these shorts wouldn't be my first choice for an adventure ride where you're likely to be tackling overgrown bramble bushes.

The thin and lightweight fabric means less heat buildup, but Rapha has also treated the fabric with coldblack, a treatment that reduces heat build-up. The combination of the two factors really does mean the shorts don't absorb or retain much heat and they never felt excessively warm on even the hottest days. If you run at all hot you'll love how cool these shorts make you feel.

Seated comfort is provided by the same padded insert as used in the Pro Team Lightweight Bib Shorts. It's a very comfortable chamois, definitely one of the most comfortable on the market, and excels on very long days in the saddle where there's no deterioration in comfort. It's perforated so it's more resistant to sweat build-up.

The top half of the bibs is made from a lightweight mesh, with two wide bib straps over the front and a large mesh rear panel, providing extra cooling when it gets hot. The edges of the bib straps have flat hems that eliminate chafing if worn without a base layer.

I found the fit is a little more generous than the Pro Team Lightweight shorts. The panel design is simpler and the high stretch factor of the material ensures the shorts are a little less restrictive in all areas, especially around the openings. A silicone dot gripper lining the hem helps to keep the shorts from riding up when you're riding hammer and tongs.

Like your bib shorts long or short? Rapha offers two length lengths, regular and short, with a 1in difference between the two. The latter is intended for shorter riders 'who prefer a higher hem on the thigh.' The fashion does appear to be for longer shorts, almost down to the knee cap, but Rapha shorts are just the right length in my opinion. Well, they line up nicely with my tan lines at least!

For riding in hot weather these are a good choice. Even if it's not south of France hot, just warm, they still provide good performance. I felt cooler wearing these shorts compared to regular bib shorts. Whether that impacts your performance is another matter, if you're doing a 6-hour ride in hot weather any little difference can obviously help. What they are is more comfortable when it's hot.

The Flyweight shorts obviously go well with the Pro Team Flyweight jersey I also reviewed recently. Wearing the two together provides outstanding performance in hot weather, and noticeably keeps you feeling cooler when the temperature increases. They each deal with sweat really well too, staying dry at all times.

Verdict

Comfortable and cool bib shorts for hot summer rides