Huez Starman Mono Bib Shorts

We've tested the Huez Starman Bibshorts before and they were very good indeed – as are these new Starman Mono versions. In fact, there is little discernible difference between the two – apart from the Mono's £25 premium.

London-based Huez could be seen as a bit of a boutique brand, with a small but well designed performance clothing range that sits alongside its collection of urban kit. These Starman Monos are its top end bib shorts, manufactured in Italy using local materials and chamois pad. They're a top notch pair of shorts with high levels of attention to detail.

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A lot of race-orientated shorts use quite thin materials to keep the weight down, but the Monos feel a little thicker throughout when you aren't wearing them, mostly down to the fact that the fabric has high levels of stretch. Put them on and they fit snuggly without being tight or restrictive, the material stretching taut and offering a small level of compression to allegedly promote blood flow and support for the muscles, reducing fatigue.

They really are very comfortable and just feel great when you are wearing them. The legs are held in place by silicone grippers in the shape of tiny little dots over a large surface area, which cuts down on any sort of pressure points. I certainly never had any issues with them moving up my thighs.

Throughout the shorts, the seams are kept as minimal as possible and aren't obtrusive anywhere, which also adds to the high comfort levels.

The bibs use wide, flat pieces of fabric for the straps from waist up to the shoulders, and again things fit snug without applying too much pressure at all. For the back section, Huez has used a lightweight mesh which aids cooling on hot days.

Speaking of cooling, the fabric used for the lower part of the shorts uses Coldblack technology. It's claimed that dark fabrics treated with Coldblack reflect more heat than lighter colours, with temperatures around 9°C lower. Obviously this is very hard to prove, especially outside of the lab, but I never felt uncomfortably hot when wearing these shorts, even with the temperature in the mid-20s. You also get SPF protection to factor 50 too.

The pad is a Serie 3.2 D/80 designed for long distances, with three differing thicknesses and foam density areas coupled with channels to reduce pressure on the perineal/prostate area. I found it comfortable on long and short rides, even when taking on some gravel tracks on a stiff cyclo-cross bike.

As for details, you get a radio pocket at the rear of the bib mesh and a reflective logo on the front of the leg, plus a tab at the rear. The pocket sits off centre to the right, making it relatively to access while in the saddle with your jersey unzipped. Size-wise it's more useful for an mp3 player rather than a phone; my iPhone 5 just fitted but I'm not sure I'd want to trust it.

The thigh pocket found on the standard Starmans has been removed from this Mono version. It was sized and positioned to take a gel, making it more suitable for triathletes, so may or may not be missed.

Apart from the removal of that thigh pocket, I couldn't detect any difference between the Mono and standards versions, so we asked Huez and were told that the pad on the Mono is designed for comfort in a more aggressive position, and the main fabric has more compression.

They look and feel pretty much identical in use, so any improvements or benefits are barely detectable. If you want this level of quality and performance I'd suggest you go for the standard Starmans at £130 and save yourself £25.

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I still wear the original Starmans often, and even now, over a year since they were first tested, they are still going strong and showing no signs of wear and tear. That suggests whichever pair you go for, that initial outlay will be spread out over many miles of uses.

If you don't like the blue, they are available in black as well, in a range of sizes from XS to XXL.

Verdict

Very good bib shorts, but not worth the extra premium over the standard model