Sundried Rosa Women’s Training Bib Shorts

Good looking and a great price, the Sundried Rosa Women's Training Bib Shorts seem to promise a lot, including the comfort of a gel pad. They are let down by cheap-feeling fabrics, though, and a tendency towards sweatiness.

On first inspection, these have the look of a very promising pair of bib shorts. For the modest price, they have a dense-feeling, supportive pad that's well shaped, and a nice stretchy pair of breathable mesh straps. There's no pee-stop solution, but that's not always a deal-breaker and as often as not, it's more irritating to have a poorly executed solution to this problem than none at all.

> Buy now: Rosa Women’s Training Bib Shorts for £50 from Sundried

Sundried says its kit is designed for professional cyclists and therefore fits tightly, but to follow the sizing chart to ensure a good fit. I selected the XL as per the chart (I'm usually a high street 14-16), but found the fit was still on the small side, although not overtight.

Arguably this is not a problem if the fabrics and construction are designed with that in mind, but unfortunately the fabric here feels a little too light for it – with a snug but definitely not over-stretched fit, the fabric gets quite transparent.

The legs are a fairly standard length and the straps are stretchy and soft, arranged in an 'around the boobs' style. Along with the slightly cheap, plasticky feeling fabric, the finish and quality of construction isn't as high as I'd have liked either, with the stitching at the top of the leg grippers being somewhat uneven, with some loose ends.

> 38 of the best cycling bib shorts – get comfy on longer rides

Comfy bib straps aside, breathability and wicking isn't great, with the fabric feeling overly warm quite quickly.

The main problem, though, is the gel pad. While well shaped and actually very comfortable in terms of support and cushioning (without being bulky or stiff), it doesn't move moisture away from the skin very swiftly, and I found it quickly became quite uncomfortable and prone to chafing, even over only mid-distance rides.

Value

At £50 these are entry level, though there are a few cheaper options still. For instance, the dhb Women's Bib Shorts cost only £35 (reduced to £20 at the time of writing) and offer better comfort and performance. Alternatively, the Madison Sportive Women's Bib Shorts are £49.99 and offer an easy pee-break design as well as long ride comfort, although they are heavier, if that matters.

The Van Rysel Women's Quick-Zip Cycling Bib Shorts are also £49.99 and, while they don't offer appreciably better performance than these Sundried ones, they do at least have a pee-break solution.

Overall

These feel a little like club kit: a slight compromise on quality in favour of style and low price. Unfortunately the compromise seems to mostly be in breathability, which means that – for energetic cycling at least – they're just too warm and sweat-prone for either comfort or true value.

Verdict

Good fit and a promisingly supportive pad, but the general lack of breathability really affects comfort