Sportful SRK Bib Shorts

The Sportful SRK Bib Shorts have a great pad and the quality feels high, but the unusual overall shape means that relatively few people will really enjoy it.

> Buy now: Sportful SRK Bib Shorts for £110 from Sportful

For these to fit comfortably you're going to need big quads and a short body. My thighs clearly aren't bulky enough, because despite these being compressively tight around the hips and extremely tight in the bib straps, the long legs – which end just above the knee on me – are too loose to stay put. The elasticated ends with their silicone dots sit flat against my skin, but are the only bit that don't squeeze hard. The result is they'll ride up almost to mid thigh as I go.

Sportful says these are a 'compressive yet comfortable fabric,' and from mid-thigh to the relatively low-fronted waist I'd say they are indeed compressive; for me, it's almost like climbing into a medium rather than a large. Get them on and arranged so nothing's trapped or pinching and this section is comfortable, and just about falls into the 'performance' fit category Sportful assigns; above it lies the tighter-still 'aero,' and below it is 'comfort'.

That low front is useful for toilet stops, while the rear is higher and features two small pockets.

The front of one of these features a large, boxed section of text which, mercifully, will be covered by your jersey – it's pure marketing waffle about visions, essences and testaments; the sort of thing that's usually on a tag you pull off and throw away immediately. It's one of the stranger design decisions I've seen lately, but again, at least it's hidden away.

The strap elastic is very strong and short, and another area that felt more sized for a medium than a large. Whenever I review shorts I explain that I've a relatively long torso for my height, but a) it's subtle enough I never even knew until I started cycling in bib shorts, b) I've since discovered it's quite a common body type, especially among men and c), the tightness here goes way beyond its effects. The straps are pretty fierce for the shorts' size.

I would happily size up for more room in both the bib straps and the groin are, but the legs make that impossible. They're already as long as they sensibly can be, and as I've said, too wide as it is.

If your body type is the opposite of mine and you have particularly long legs, bulging thighs, and a short torso you'll be far happier. Even then, I think the straps will still be pretty tight.

If you do fit, these will serve you well. The pad is impressively supportive and comfortable, and as promised deals really well with both smooth surfaces and off-road adventures. It's attached with smooth flatlocked seams, and while some seams elsewhere are only overlocked, they're just as unobtrusive. Even with the excessive squeeze, it's a comfortable build. The quality of it all – stitching and fabrics – feels reassuringly good too, and entirely befitting of the price.

Value

At £110 these aren't entry level, but they're still cheaper than a lot of comparable shorts and somewhere around mid-market. They're up against the likes of the RedWhite Apparel The Bib Mens at £114, which even have options for leg lengths, and the Lusso Perform Carbon Bib Shorts at £100, which proved impressive enough to earn a 'road.cc recommends' badge.

They're the same price as the Cycology Men's Cargo Bib Shorts I tested recently, which had an excellent fit, though it's more relaxed than compressive and they're a bit heavier too, thanks to the pockets.

I still love and recommend the Orro Pyro Line Bibshorts as well, thanks to their impressive pad and great fit, and amazingly they remain the same price as in 2022 – they're £69.99.

You can find more of our favourites in our best cycling bib shorts buyer's guide.

Overall

These look and feel well-built, and the pad is impressive. While they're hardly alone in being sized smaller than is actually necessary for a secure, sag-or-twist-free performance, they are unusual in being very hard to size up; the long legs and their relatively wide ends are only going to get worse. If you have very chunky quads and generally long legs, these may well prove very comfortable, but if not they'll feel like pretty small, tight things with leg ends that just won't stop riding up.

Verdict

Well made with a great pad, but you'll need big thighs and small everything else to really fit them

> Buy now: Sportful SRK Bib Shorts for £110 from Sportful