Santini Plush Bib Shorts

The Santini Plush Bib Shorts have a very comfortable pad and excellent breathability, and they're well suited to hot summer days on the bike. The very short legs and particularly small sizing may not be to everyone's taste though.

Last year I tested the Santini Karma Kinetic Bib Shorts, which are some of my favourites and still my default for long rides. These are designed to be similar but with a softer, more luxurious feel to them.

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The recycled Italian fabric is light and breathable, though not actually made from recycled Italians. Santini gives a temperature range of 25-40℃, but if you followed that you wouldn't wear them too often in the UK. I tested them in conditions ranging from 15-30℃ and still found them comfortable throughout.

The material feels soft and very high quality; nicer, in fact, than most other bib shorts I have tested.

The pad

The GITevo chamois is the same pad as in those Karma Kinetics I mentioned, and it provides all-day comfort without feeling too bulky. I have worn these on five hour rides in hot weather and found the pad comfortable and breathable.

It has a seamless construction and a gel core designed to reduce the impact of the road. I think it helps; the best compliment I can pay is that, when very long rides loom, I always choose this pad.

Fit and sizing

These come up small. I am in the middle of the size guide for medium, and I have other Santini shorts in medium that fit very well, but these are definitely on the small side. I would prefer the large for this model, but as I'm 178cm and 73kg, that seems a bit harsh.

The legs are very short too; shorter than anything else I own. Judging by my cycling tan I'd say these are a few centimetres shorter than their closest rival (the Assos Millie GT C2.0), and really won't be to everyone's tastes. They feel incredibly snug, but do provide good support for your muscles in those tough sessions... or at least, the bits they actually cover! You may find them ideal if you're regularly riding in 40° heat, though.

The leg gripper is quite minimal but still effective. It's a good job really, as if these rode up any higher they'd look like hotpants.

Still, they do at least come in a whopping eight sizes, from XS to 4XL, so you should be able to find one that suits you.

Straps

The straps are comfortable and the elastic is wide on the shoulders, though again they could be bigger – I found them just about okay for length. They join to a mesh upper back area which helps spread the load and keep you cool.

One improvement over other Santini shorts I've tested is that the front is lower and the material is stretchy. This makes comfort breaks easier, but the shorts still rise high enough to avoid gaps to your jersey.

I tested the grey ones and thought they looked pretty good, but if grey is not to your taste they are available in black, navy and dark green.

Value

At £170 these are getting into premium territory, though not that far into it – you can still pay considerably more. There's plenty of competition around this level, though.

For instance, the Kostume Men's bib shorts scored a very rare 10/10 and are £180, while the Assos Equipe R Bib Shorts S9 received an excellent review from Tom and are usefully cheaper at £155.

Meanwhile, the Velocio Men's Luxe Bib Shorts made Iwein feel like a cycling god but cost £223.

If you are looking to spend less – less than half, in fact – the dhb Aeron Bib Shorts 2.0 are a great balance of performance and value at £80.

Overall

These are great for long hot days in the saddle thanks to a very capable pad and excellent breathability. They come up very small though, especially if you are on the upper end of the size guide, and the short legs may not be to everyone's taste.

Verdict

Luxurious shorts with a comfortable pad, great breathability and very short legs – beware the sizing, though