Northwave Fast Trail Bibtight

The Northwave Fast Trail bib tights are designed for trail riding, but they're just as good for gravel or even winter road riding.

The main fabric is called Thermo Dream and has a firm but pleasing stretch. Inside it's a soft brushed finish that's very comfortable (and deals well with sweat), while the outside is apparently 'scuff resistant'. The attractive matt finish gives a little bit of grip on smooth saddles, too, unlike some shinier fabrics.

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All this material (Bluesign approved as sustainably produced) is covered in tiny perforations that, presumably, help these tights stay so breathable despite their useful warmth. I found on milder days (in low double figures Celsius) I'd get warm and a little sweaty at times, but never feel close to boiling over or unpleasantly damp.

When it's cold and miserable these fend off wind and keep a good proportion of their warmth when soaked, too, which is all you can really ask for. I found them very comfortable and pretty versatile.

From mid-calf downwards at the front – and the knee downwards at the rear – they have water-resistant (10,000mm rating) panels on top of the main insulating fabric. These do a good job of stopping them getting waterlogged by road spray, and also made it easier to remove the tractor mud splashing up from the absolutely filthy Welsh back lanes. That said, the regular main fabric doesn't do that bad a job either – I stayed very comfortable all over.

What's not so good for me is the leg length, which is not well suited to shoes – I needed boots or shoe covers to cover my socks. The elasticated cuffs tend to sit a solid two inches above my ankle bone, and though I'm 6ft my legs are relatively short (my torso is relatively long).

In all other ways I found these a great fit in size Large, with a gently compressive yet unrestrictive squeeze all over, so I don't think it's the sizing, it's the cut. In fact, the marketing implies they're shaped specifically to work with Northwave's own winter shoes (which have boot-like collars).

It's bib straps I usually have an issue with, thanks to that long torso, but I found these very comfortable – despite them having a fairly strong elasticity.

I frequently despair at just how forcefully many bibs are suspended (they don't really take much holding up, stop trying to turn my shoulders into a toast rack!), but here it seems justified – these bib tights have pockets.

They're a stretchy mesh that's low-key enough not to look weird (at least, if you ask me) on a road bike, and big enough to take a modern phone in a case. You can stuff a fair bit of weight in them if you want, and the bibs – tall-sided as well as strongly braced – keep everything in place.

The knees also look different, as they have ribbed stretch panels (again on top of the main insulating fabric) that promise to resist wear and crash damage. I found them perfectly comfortable, and had no bunching in the thinner main fabric behind the knee.

Pad comfort is inevitably subjective, but I found the Explorer pad here very good. It's a triple-density open cell foam, and while at first I was worried about the broad front section, I had none of the problems with chafing I got with the also-broad pad in the Monton Pro 21 Winter Bibs. The Explorer pad is meant for long-distance comfort, and I found it just right.

You get some reflective strips and a logo for visibility, but they're fairly small and only on the front – I'd like to see some on the back of the lower legs too.

Value

At £144.99 these are right there with a great deal of winter bibtights – there are a few cheaper options and a fair few more expensive ones, but £120-£150 is pretty common. The Albion Three Season Tights scored very highly at £150 recently, for instance (though they're also quite short in the leg), as did the Pactimo Men's Alpine Thermal Bib Tight, currently £139. The Albions don't have cargo pockets, though, while the (longer legged) Pactimos do.

> Buyer’s Guide: 24 of the best warm winter cycling tights

If you're happy to forgo pockets and the more gravel-rugged build – or simply don't want to spend so much money – the Donda Principal Bib Tights are absolutely worth a look at £65.

Overall

These are great winter tights. Though technically designed for cross-country, they're warm, comfortable, breathable and completely unrestrictive – and those are all great for gravel riding and winter road training too. They're cut to work with winter boots/booties rather than shoes and could do with some reflectives on the back, but beyond that there's nothing much to hold them back at all.

Verdict

Warm, comfortable, protective and well made – though the short legs work best with boots