Endura says the FS260-Pro Bibshort is its best-selling pair of bib shorts, and after wearing them for the last five or six weeks I can see why. They are super-comfortable, offer a great fit, and the chamois is sublime, both on the road and the gravel, should you fancy a little off-road adventuring. They achieve this without being stupid money too.
The FS260-Pros are extremely comfortable throughout thanks to the soft, Italian-made Power Lycra used for the main section and the 600 Series Pad.
That pad uses varying densities of gel inserts, with the thickest where you need the most padding, beneath the sit bones, and much thinner elsewhere to reduce bulk and bunching. A small mesh section at the front goes a little way to help breathability.
It offers a great balance of providing shock absorption without removing ride feel from the bike, which I'm definitely a fan of.
During the tail end of testing these, I've been riding [url=https://road.cc/content/feature/first-ride-review-ribble-endurance-al-e-285185]Ribble's Endurance AL e[/url], and one thing I've noticed about using an e-bike is that I don't get out of the saddle at all. This can lead to some discomfort in some shorts, but wearing the Enduras, whether on a two or three-hour ride aboard the Ribble, has seen no issues whatsoever.
All the seams are placed out of the way so there are no issues with rubbing or chafing, regardless of how long you are riding for, and the Power Lycra offers a small amount of compression, so you get a close fit and no bunching of the material.
That's helped by the fact that the FS260-Pros are curved, making them more comfortable in a riding position rather than when you're standing up.
Sizing is realistic to the UK market, too. They have a close fit without being full-on race tight; the mediums here fit me a treat, exactly as the sizing guide suggests.
The legs are held in place by a wide band which uses a bit of silicone to grip your skin. Its width certainly cuts down on any pressure points around your thighs.
The bib section is created using a lightweight mesh with a full back section (no cutout) and wide straps, which stop any pressure as they pass over the shoulders.
There is plenty of coverage at the front, too, if you like your shorts to finish further up your stomach.
Priced at £84.99, the Enduras are really good value for money. The quality of finish is very high throughout, and they are certainly looking to be durable with no wear and tear where they have been in contact with the saddle.
It's great to see a choice of colours too. I like this grey with fluoro yellow decals, but they are also available in navy with light blue leg grippers, all black, or black with either red or white grippers.
When it comes to the competition, I'd say the Enduras match the comfort and performance of the [url=https://road.cc/content/review/rapha-classic-bib-shorts-284349]Rapha Classic bib shorts[/url] I reviewed last month – for half the price!
They are hot on the heels of the [url=https://road.cc/content/review/maap-team-bib-evo-284809]MAAP Team Bib Evos[/url], which are some of the best shorts I've worn. And they're a cool £190.
> Buyer’s Guide: 38 of the best cycling bib shorts
The [url=https://road.cc/content/review/bioracer-spitfire-bibshort-277275]Spitfire bib shorts from Bioracer[/url] are a fiver less than the FS260-Pros, and I liked them when I tested them – apart from the straps not being the most comfortable – but they aren't on the same level as the Enduras.
Conclusion
The FS260-Pros are great bib shorts, delivering everything you want, from fit, to comfort, to performance, which is very impressive considering they come in at less than £100.
Verdict
Hard to fault thanks to great comfort and fit, especially with their sub-£100 price tag
Make and model: Endura FS260-Pro Bibshort
Tell us what the product is for
Endura says, "Our best-selling bibshort with power performance fabric and a premium computer cut gel pad."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Endura lists:
High quality Italian Lycra® fabric
600 series pad, computer cut 'Continuously Variable Profile' (CVP) stretch pad with gel inserts and antibacterial finish
Pre-curved race fit
Wicking upper-mesh for optimal breathability
Raw edge grip rib hem with super fine silicone grippers
Reflective trim detail on rear hem bands
Material:
Main: Elastane 22%, Nylon 78%. Trim: Elastane 24%, Nylon 37%, Polyester 39%
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
9/10
Rate the product for sizing:
9/10
Endura's guide is spot on.
Rate the product for weight:
7/10
Rate the product for comfort:
9/10
Rate the product for value:
7/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
No issues with washing at all. They have come up clean each time and all logos are still intact.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
A great pair of shorts that will see you through spring, summer and autumn.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Excellent pad comfort.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing really.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The Enduras perform better than the similarly priced Bioracers mentioned in the review, and offer similar levels of quality and comfort as others costing twice the price, like those from MAAP or Rapha.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
A really top quality pair of bib shorts that you will basically not notice the whole time you are on the bike, and that's a good thing. Great value for money too.
Age: 42 Height: 180cm Weight: 76kg
I usually ride: This month's test bike My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,
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3 comments
Like the look of them
A great pair if bibshorts apart from the the fact that after just a couple of months the printing on the legs has started coming away and the stitching under the crotch has started unravelling. So I've removed the printing (didn't like it anyway, too shouty for me) and trimmed that loose ends back which seems to be working so far, only reason I did this is that they are such a good fit and the pad is so comfy I'm prepared to overlook these problems if they don't get any worse.
A shame really as I was about to stump up for a more expensive pair of the Pro-SL bibs, but now it's a 'no from me' for Endura.
I bought a pair of these recently. Very good quality product so I'd agree with the review there, they are very nicely made, however I have struggled with the fit. Firstly these and the pro sl model have been short straps so I feel squashed into them. I'm pretty normal in body length so it can't just be me. In the case of the fs260 pro this leads to a "mangina" when standing off the bike and a wedgie down the sides of my tackle when riding. I think the latter is caused by the soft lycra and front of the pad.
Other than that the chamois is very comfortable when riding.
In fairness to endura you can send them back before a certain time has elapsed and you are not happy with them but unfortunately I misse deadline because I couldn't ride for ages.