Blackmore Bib Shorts

Tell us what the product is for

A stylish pair of bibs suitable for long days in the saddle, with a few neat details and some quality fabrics.

Blackmore says: "Using fresh fabric for the body construction and updated strapping these make this another step forward for our overall short construction.

"Once again we are using our custom printed Armadillo pad. Made in Italy it has multiple layers of memory foam which form and react around the rider while also maintaining airflow, improving comfort and reducing bulk. A belting pair of shorts that we are proud to put our name to!"

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Blackmore lists:

- Compression Sitip's Easy Rider fabric sourced from Italy. (The shorts say "Made in the EU")

- Textured elastic straps.

- 75mm gripper cuff

- Flat lock stitching to avoid chafing

- Custom Printed Italian Armadillo AirPlus pad offers superior comfort, anatomical fit and reduced bulk

- Printed Blackmore cuff branding

- Multi panel construction

The Easy Rider fabric, sourced from Sitip in Italy, feels high quality, and the panels, pad and shoulder straps are securely stitched in place. The edges of the fabric are all precisely cut, and don't have any hems, meaning they sit flat against the skin and very comfortable.

I found the Blackmore Bibs ideal for the kind of riding I do – rides between 60 and 160km, plus some commuting in between. They performed really well and were comfortable throughout; even on the longest rides I didn't get any chafing.

I found the front comes up "belly button high", which made it a little trickier than other shorts for a mid-ride toilet break, but the fabric on the hemless front doesn't show any signs of overstretching.

Temperature-wise, I was riding from a chilly 5 degrees with added knee-warmers, up to about 18 degrees, and they felt spot on. The compression fabric I'd describe as a medium weight, and I think would cope with temperatures well into the mid-20s without feeling too hot.

The 75mm gripper cuff has a slightly sticky back to it, which keeps them perfectly in place, and also helps secure knee and leg warmers if you need to use them.

The Sitip compression fabric shows no wear from 700km of testing. There are a few minor pulls on the stitching, and a few tiny bobbles on the gripper cuffs around the legs, but I have practically lived in these shorts for the last month, so I think they have held up pretty well.

I tried a large, and with my 34in waist, 5ft 11in height, 92kg stocky build, they felt a perfect fit; the compression fabric feels very comfortable. There are no hems anywhere on the shorts, so nothing digs in, and the legs sat against my skin without any gaps. I really liked the Armadillo AirPlus pad which is thinner than others I've tried, but firm yet flexible enough, and able to contour against the skin. The pad also has cute little ducks on it – a nice touch!

Similar to other quality shorts; medium-weight bibs tend to be 180-220g.

Still felt comfortable even after two 170km rides within a few days of each other.

Good value compared with others; £100 for shorts proven to be great for really long days in the saddle is well worth it.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

I was washing these almost every other day at 40 degrees and they have held up really well.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Superb. I didn't really think about them on the long rides I did, which is testament to how comfortable they are.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The high-quality compression fabric, and quality stitched panels. The fit is excellent and despite my 92 kilo bulk, the memory pad was thin but firm and supportive.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The front of the bib shorts comes up higher than other I've tried, making a mid-ride pee stop a little bit more of a fumble than I'm used to.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

For £100 the Blackmore shorts are good value compared to many of their peers. Rapha's Pro Team shorts are £140, and the CHPT3 Most Days Grand Tour bib shorts are £125, though the Lusso Carbon V2s scored full marks when Mike tested them in 2018, and are a fiver less at £95.

Use this box to explain your overall score

Very comfortable, and a good, supportive fit, with a great pad to match. The high front does make access during a call of nature a bit tricky, but overall a very strong 8.