Vel Women’s Bib Shorts

The Vel Women's Bib Shorts offer an excellent fit and wide leg grippers with a flattering cut, and they perform well in high temperatures too. There's nothing fancy about them, but they're simple, effective and competitively priced – plus the pad is excellent. The early wear inside the leg grippers is a potential concern, though.

This is a basic pair of shorts with no pockets or easy-pee solution, but the price reflects that – and they certainly do the job well. They're great choice for medium to long rides (on my hilly terrain that's two hours or more) on summer days up to around 24-35°C.

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Vel describes the fabric as having a 'compressive warp-knit,' and I found it supportive rather than restrictive when riding. They're a bit of a squeeze to get into, but in my recommended size (small) the mesh straps proved comfortable and unrestrictive, while the legs were actually fairly long (reaching to just above my knee). So despite the initial squeeze, I'd say the sizing is accurate.

The elastic leg grippers are large enough to avoid any sausage leg effect, and they're effective too, but they're already showing signs of wear after just two months – the little bobbles inside are wearing away in small patches.

So far their grip isn't affected, but if they carry on disappearing – especially at the edge instead of around the middle as they currently are – it's hard to imagine them continuing to work properly.

Possibly it's just a few loose bits disappearing early, but if you're riding a lot and washing these regularly, it's a concern.

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While I found these good up to around 25°C, on days were it went higher they could get a little sweaty. The rear strap covers quite a bit of surface area, and the mesh wasn't as cooling as I'd hoped. While I'm on the details, there's no easy-pee solution either, although that's not unusual at this price. You do get reflectives, though.

These are no-fuss bib shorts and (leg grippers aside) they perform their task well.

The pad

The fit of the pad is exceptional and I didn't need to adjust the shorts mid-ride or ever feel like they had moved. Vel says this Elastic Interface pad is 'designed for shock absorption over longer rides,' and while everybody always says that, I certainly felt it was true. Even after a couple of hours of riding, I felt no discomfort.

Value

At £85 these are in the lower midrange overall, with a ride quality that's easily good enough to match. The Cycology Women's Logo Bib Shorts and the Liv Race Day Bib Shorts, for instance, are both £85 and scored similarly to these Vels.

Overall

These are an excellent choice for serious rides on warm days, if not the best for the very hottest ones.

The chamois is extremely comfortable and, even after extensive use, I've not noticed any wear in it – it's just a shame I can't say the same about the leg grippers, which may lose grip if their initial high wear rate continues. It's a shame about this fly in the ointment, though; otherwise these are flattering, stylish and comfortable bib shorts.

Verdict

Comfortable shorts with a flattering fit and excellent pad, though the grippers are questionable