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review
£109.00
VERDICT:
Comfortable and well-designed bib shorts at a decent price, with eco credentials
Broad flat straps
Flattering matt fabric
Excellent chamois pad
'Fly Free' comfort break system takes some practice
Weight:
171g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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The Velocio Women's Foundation bib shorts are marketed as a premium product at a more affordable price, and I have to say they are supremely comfortable. The first pair I tested had a durability issue, which turned out to be a faulty batch of mesh fabric; the second pair have had no issues, and so this review is slightly updated.
These entry-level bib shorts are designed to offer a lot of the features of the more spendy of the company's products without the financial outlay.
The fabric is a lightweight recycled blend, with a pleasingly opaque finish (no transparency here). The straps are broad and well shaped and give a good level of comfort without digging in, and the leg grippers are effective and, again, broad so as to not pinch the flesh of the legs – both are the same as found on Velocio's more expensive Signature bib shorts.
The chamois pad is a good shape and contours comfortably around the body. These shorts are intended for rides of shorter duration or intensity, and the chamois was more than adequate for that purpose. I found the shorts to be comfortable and unobtrusive on fairly hilly rides of a couple of hours as well as slightly longer, flatter rides.
Many female riders find bib shorts to be the most comfortable option, with no waistband to dig in, and no chance of migration while riding. And yet this is balanced by the issue of comfort breaks. Having to strip off your upper layers and bare your behind to the world in order to have a pee puts many women off.
These bibs seek to address that issue with what Velocio terms its 'FlyFree' system. This involves a super-stretchy back panel which is designed to be pulled down and forward, without needing to take off the upper bib portion, to bare just the, well, bare minimum. The design has been tested for endurance and the fabric designed accordingly.
I was a little nervous about the notion of just hauling down the back of the shorts to start with, but they did behave as they should, although in order to get the position entirely right, with no risk of landing on your back or side curled up tightly like a pretzel, it does take some practice and faith.
When riding, the recycled fabric of the shorts is supportive, comfortable and wicks moisture well. The mesh panel at the front allows for a good blend of modesty with ventilation.
With the first pair I tested, the mesh fabric deteriorated after the first wash – for hygiene reasons I'm always inclined to wash cycling shorts in a biological wash (at 30 degrees) unless explicitly stated otherwise, and that's what I did here, as Velocio doesn't stipulate not use biological detergent.
The shorts continued to be perfectly usable and structurally OK, but the damage to the elastic fibres was visible, so we sent the shorts back to Velocio to investigate. It pinpointed a faulty batch of mesh fabric which has now been withdrawn from the manufacturing chain, and the pair I was sent in replacement have washed just fine, with no damage at all to the mesh.
In terms of value, these are a good price: less expensive than Velocio's other bib shorts, and many others on the market – such as the £176 Ashmei Women's Cycle Bib Short and the Liv Signature Bib Shorts at £125.
> Read more road.cc reviews of women’s bib shorts here
Overall, with the mesh issue solved, these are very good, very comfortable bib shorts, with good eco credentials.
Verdict
Comfortable and well-designed bib shorts at a decent price, with eco credentials
road.cc test report
Make and model: Velocio Women's Foundation bib short
Size tested: Large
Tell us what the product is for
The aim is to deliver good features at the more budget conscious end of the market, and for shorter duration rides.
Velocio says, 'We took the same great fit and comfort and sought where we could make the bib short more affordable without generally compromising quality. A new lightweight, recycled fabric gives balanced compression and an opaque finish. With the same bib straps, leg gripper and trims found on the Signature and a high-density chamois, these shorts provide excellent support in a slightly thinner form - perfect for shorter distances or the mid-week lunch ride. Also incorporated is the latest iteration of our pee-break functionality, the FlyFree. With all that packed in, the Foundation is a premium bib short at a not-so-premium price.'
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Velocio lists these features:
78% Recycled nylon fabric with Extra Life Lycra: balanced compression & breathability, comfort and longevity
High Gauge for excellent recovery and second skin fit
5-Panel design: anatomically cut, compressive and supportive to enhance performance
Foundation chamois, developed with Elastic Interface for excellent mid-distance comfort & support
FlyFree: the latest generation of our pee-break functionality without removing jersey, helmet or glasses. No more zipper, no compromises.
Rate the product for quality of construction:
7/10
The main body recycled fabric is excellent, supportive and comfortable.
Seams were badly finished in some places inside.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Comfortable and effective during a variety of rides.
Rate the product for durability:
7/10
In the original pair the mesh panel suffered after the very first wash in biological detergent, but this was tracked down to a faulty batch of fabric. The replacement pair have been absolutely fine.
Rate the product for fit:
8/10
Well shaped and with good features such as broad stretchy straps at the bib and wide leg grippers make for a good fit.
Rate the product for sizing:
9/10
Fit was spot on for the size stated and very accommodating of a variety of body shapes.
Rate the product for weight:
7/10
Not intended to be super-lightweight but far from hefty.
Rate the product for comfort:
8/10
Very comfortable indeed. Good chamois for shorter and mid-length rides.
Rate the product for value:
7/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
First pair, the dodgy mesh fabric responded badly to biological wash; replacement pair have been fine.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Performed very well. Comfortable and unobtrusive shorts.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Matt opaque fabric, bib straps and mesh panel, comfortable chamois.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Slightly tricky "Flyfree" system for pee breaks.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The price compares well with the likes of Ashmei's Women's Cycle Bib Short and the Liv Signature Bib Shorts – and Velocio's own other shorts.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
Not as expensive as some, and good performance, and now durability is no longer a concern, I think they're very good overall.
About the tester
Age: 43
I usually ride: Boardman Hybrid Fi My best bike is: Specialized Ruby Elite
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,
Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling.
Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other.
She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting.
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1 comments
Far too shiny. They look awful from behind, too tight and the seams look under too much tension. When are they going to make womens' shorts again without leg grippers? Many women have chunkier thighs than the model in the photo and these leg grippers look and feel terrible as they dig in. Lycra shorts didn't used to have leg grippers, they're unnecessary and unsightly on a lot of women of normal shape and size.