Madison Shield Protec Men's Roubaix Bib 3/4

The Madison Shield Protec Men's Roubaix Bib 3/4 is a good value option for your legs until the sun really breaks through. The mid-weight Roubaix fabric is just right for spring and autumn riding or cooler summer days and they're comfy and well made for the money. Just be careful of the sizing.

For £50 you'd probably be expecting some decently made bibs with a mid-level pad, and that's exactly what you get here. The Roubaix fabric is mid-weight, and there's flatlocked seams where the fabric might rub. The antibacterial pad isn't the thickest but it's comfortable enough, and the single silicon leg grippers stop the legs from riding up. The bibs are full Roubaix with a high back to keep the chill off; they're not designed for full-on cold snaps but they're just right for spring temperatures. They're treated with a water-resistant coating that does a decent job of making sure the water beads and rolls off, rather than soaks in; they won't keep you dry in a deluge but it's better than nothing.

So all good then? Well, almost. The sizing is, well, generous. Very generous, in fact. At 1.90m and 98kg I'm comfortable enough in a Medium, and given that the bibs are fairly loose I reckon I could have got into a small pair without much bother. Madison have acknowledged that there is an issue with the sizing for this year's batch, and that means that if you're smaller than average - or even just average - you'll probably need to look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you're a big lad the rejoice: You'd have to need extra-high doorframes or reinforced bathroom scales before the XXL bibs didn't fit, I'm sure you could comfortably house a whole pro team of skinny race whippets in a pair of them...

Verdict

Good basic Roubaix bibs, but smaller riders will need to look elsewhere