Van Rysel RCR500 Super Roubaix Winter Bib Shorts

The Van Rysel RCR500 Super Roubaix Winter Bib Shorts from Decathlon let you carry on riding in shorts beyond the summer thanks to their slightly thicker fabric. The pad is very comfortable, and a bit of water resistance is a nice touch, as is a mesh rear panel for some added breathability. A few more reflectives would be nice, but otherwise these are very good for the money.

For the main body of the shorts, Decathlon has specced Super Roubaix fabric. It's thicker than typical shorts, more like you'd find on a pair of winter tights, with a fleece backing to sit against your skin.

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It's soft, comfortable and on early morning rides in temperatures of 6°C to 8°C impressively warm. I'd have no worries about these coping with lower temperatures – above freezing – I just haven't had the chance to try that yet.

At the upper end of the scale, I'd say their limit is around the 14°C mark.

Mixing and matching them with a set of leg or knee warmers, you'll have quite a versatile setup here that'll easily work for three seasons.

> Buyer’s Guide: 20 of the best arm & leg warmers for 2021

The fabric also has a water-repellent treatment that'll keep light rain and road spray at bay for a decent amount of time. Obviously, that depends on how much water is involved, but riding on my road bike with full mudguards in steady, not too heavy rain, I'd say they remained dry for 45 minutes to an hour.

The mesh used for the straps and upper body does a good job of letting unwanted heat escape, although the fabric isn't the most comfortable I've used. It's not that soft and if you don't wear a baselayer it can feel a little scratchy. It does soften after it's been through the washing machine quite a few times, though.

The RCR500s come with a gel pad which I got on fine with. The gel sections are saddle shaped, and vary in thickness depending on where they are situated, with various channels running in both directions for pressure relief. The central section also has ventilation holes.

It's not the most comfortable pad I've used, but I found it supportive both on smooth rides and when taking to the gravel trails.

Overall, the quality looks to be good with smooth, flat seams that don't irritate, and the Super Roubaix material feels good to the touch. It's proving itself to be durable too.

There are a few spots that are a little rougher, though. For instance, on the inside of the legs where they are sewn together, one side is lined up perfectly looking very neat and tidy, but the other side has a discrepancy of about a millimetre which doesn't sound much but just makes the finish look a little rushed, plus there are a few strands of thread left here and there.

When you are wearing them, it doesn't really show, to be honest, and for just £54.99 I'm not going to grumble too much.

Sizing is akin to the majority of brands, especially those designed in the UK, and I found the overall fit to be good.

There are a couple of reflective strips on the hem of the legs, but these are focused more to the front. I'd like to see some more at the rear.

Competition-wise, the Van Rysels are a good chunk of change cheaper than something like dhb's Aeron Equinox bib shorts, which have a current list price of £90.

They are designed to cover a similar range of temperatures as the Van Rysels, but don't come with any water resistance. I was very impressed when I tested them, though, as the comfort levels from the fit and pad were very high indeed.

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Lusso's 2-Zero Thermal bib shorts also scored very highly in our review back in 2017. They're still available and use a similar style of fabric as the Van Rysels, but, like the dhbs, are a fair bit more expensive, now costing £90.

Conclusion

There are a few niggles with the finish quality of the Van Rysels, and I would argue that the dhb and Lusso shorts mentioned above have more impressive pads, especially as rides get longer, but the RCR500s win out on value and are very good overall.

Verdict

Great value for money and comfortable three-season bib shorts, although the finish could be better