Etxeondo Feather Bib Short

The first thing you notice about these Etxeondo Feather bib shorts is just how light they are. It's not often you say that about a pair of shorts, but our medium-sized pair weighed in at just 125g (just over the manufacturer's claimed 119g). Etxeondo (pronounced et-chay-on-doe) reckon they're the lightest bib shorts on the market and we reckon they're probably right.

For comparison, the Etxeondo Attaques that we tested recently weigh 222g... Not that we're going to get too excited about getting up hills any faster by saving 100g on lighter shorts but, you know, all other things being equal, light weight has to be a good thing.

The lower sections of the Feather shorts are essentially just two panels of fabric that are joined in the middle. Well, that's not quite true because you get a double-thickness hem added at the bottom of each leg and a contrast panel on the left leg. The mega-stretchy fabric means they actually fit better than many multi-panel shorts.

There's no gripper inside the hem to hold the legs in place. That did mean that they could occasionally ride up in use and they didn't stop leg warmers from slipping down as well as some other shorts.

The fabric is Lycra Sport, the same as you'll find on the Attaques but in a lighter weight. The stretchiness allows total freedom of movement and it's very, very soft. I know that sounds a bit weird; all Lycra is soft... but this stuff is softer. The straps are a double thickness of an even lighter fabric that feels almost silky, and they're wide enough to distribute the load comfortably over your shoulders.

The chamois is an Elastic Interface one from Cytech. Etxeondo call it their new Feather Chamois although it's closely related to an Endurance Super-Air pad. It doesn't have the same level of contouring as some Cytech pads and the foam isn't as dense as some, but you get cushioning up to 10mm deep. The chamois is certainly well ventilated and the fabric next to your skin transports moisture well but I didn't feel quite as comfortable with this pad as with the one in the Attaque shorts.

Don't get me wrong, it's a decent pad – I just don't think it's spectacular. I wanted more padding on long rides. If you're only ever in the saddle for 2-3hrs at a time you'll be fine, but go beyond that and you might want something more.

The Feathers are made in Spain to a high standard and they're very good shorts. The fabric is comfortable and it feels very cool in warm weather but I don't think these shorts are anything like as good as the Attaques... which is fair enough because they're 60 quid cheaper.

The Attaques are mega-expensive but they have a better cut and a better pad, making them among the most comfortable shorts out there. The Feathers are very good shorts but their main selling point is their lightness and they've taken a hit on comfort and features to achieve that. Personally, I'd rather have a higher-level pad and better panelling for a just-right fit, and if that adds a few grams, so be it, but if you're a weight weenie who wants to shave off every little bit of weight possible, you won't do any better.

Verdict

Extremely lightweight shorts built to a high standard – but they're very expensive.