Saikel Segments Bib Shorts

Designed to be paired with the jersey of the same name, these Saikel Segments bib shorts are Italian made and provide impressive comfort on the saddle for short and long rides, with a great fit and a nice dash of style around the wide elastic hems.

• Pros: Fit, comfort
• Cons: Best paired with matching jersey

Saikel is a new company on the scene with an ambition to inject a bit of style and boldness into the marketplace. Segments is one of two designs currently available, with men's and women's versions and matching sets. While the jersey is very much in your face, the shorts are much calmer, with just a little colour around the hems.

> Buy these online here

Two things are important in a pair of bib shorts: seated comfort and the fit. The first is taken care of here by an Italian made Elastic Interface padded insert. It's a simple looking thing but provides good comfort, with seamless edges and plenty of foam padding in three densities to suit the areas where it's needed.

Fit is also really good. The multi-panel design sees a really nice shape around the legs and hips, with enough stretch in the fabric to ensure they don't feel overly compressive.

The wide elasticated hems, very much in vogue at the moment, ensure good comfort without squeezing the legs too tight. There's no silicone gripper, though, and on the first ride I found the hems riding up a bit, though they've been just fine on all subsequent rides. The legs are also a bit longer than some.

The front of the shorts comes up quite high, which helps tuck everything in (ahem) and nature breaks were easy enough.

Likewise, the rear comes up high, with a mesh panel joining the bib straps all the way to above the shoulder blades. The bib straps are wide and stretchy and provide the necessary support without any discomfort at all.

The Italian-sourced Lycra has a reasonable degree of stretch to it, which helps with the fit in combination with the multi-panel design. It's good in high temperatures as well, never feeling too hot, so it clearly breathes.

You could pair these shorts with another jersey, but you're risking a colour/design clash. They're best served up with the matching Segments jersey (review to come), which might limit their appeal somewhat.

Ignore that, though, and they are very comfortable shorts – not something that's in short supply in the cycling market right now, though, and many are at much lower prices and easier availability.

> Buyer's Guide: 22 of the best cycling bib shorts

Saikel only sells direct and in euros, and the €170 price converts to about £150 at the time of writing. That puts them up against some stiff competition. You could, for example, buy the excellent Sportful Bodyfit Pro Ltd shorts, which offer comparable performance and save yourself some money, and for a tenner less there are the also excellent Castelli Free Aero Race bib shorts.

Verdict

Quality shorts with great fit and comfort, but best served with matching jersey, and the price is high