SKINS Cycle Short Review
SKINS Australia recently contacted me to see if I would be interested in trialling apparel from their cycling range. I have been wearing SKINS compression wear for years now, but had not tried the cycle range, so jumped at the opportunity.
I choose to trial the Cycle Pro Women's Compression Bib Shorts. I have not worn bib shorts before, but knew that I was onto a good thing when I put them on. They were very comfortable and it felt good not having the usual waist band constriction.
Unlike most other bib shorts I've seen, these have a full bodice bib rather than straps. This means no uncomfortable straps digging into your chest or shoulders like I've heard some other brands do. The bib is mesh from the waist up, so they are very cool and breathe when you're working hard.
My first impression of the chamois was that it was quite large. When I put the bib shorts on the chamois came down my inner leg a little more than other shorts I have worn. This worried me a little, but when I got onto my bike and could barely feel the saddle, I was sold. The SKINS website describes the Cycle Pro Chamois as having 'protection for sensitive areas of the female anatomy'. Spot on. After riding in the bib shorts for a few weeks now (from 1-5 hrs at a time), the chamois would be my favourite feature of the SKINS cycle shorts.
The leg bands have silicone rubber dots which keep them in place with no movement. Despite being a compression short, the leg bands were a comfortable fit and didn't cut into my legs.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from women regarding bib shorts is that they are inconvenient if you need to go to the bathroom. For this reason I haven't worn these bib shorts on long rides where I don't have the time to undress to have a bathroom stop. I would love to see SKINS experiment with a 'drop tail' design (allowing you to unhitch the lower part of the shorts on such occasions). I think uptake of bib shorts among women would increase if they weren't so awkward to make toilet stops in!
Overall, I'm impressed with this product and these are now my favourite shorts due to their comfort. They are priced at the high end of the market, so this would be a consideration when purchasing in the future.
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