I’m looking for a bib short that will assist my taint on century + rides. I see them ranging from $30 at Nashbar to $275 for Assos. I’m not exactly a penny pincher buy $300 sounds extreme. However, if Assos is just plain that much better I will consider them. Any recs?
How are the Desoto 400 mile bibs?
i’m not really a bib person myself, though i did just snag a pair of Biemmes and Giordanas from STP – they’re pretty comfy! i’ve heard (seen on the board) very good words about the desoto 400 mile bibs too.
here’s a link to some offerings from STP. good luck!
assos bibs are really, really good. very comfy. very good. but giordana is also really good. and i also like me de sotos quite a bit. that’s the order in which i tend to like them, first through third. i have bibs from probably 7 or 8 manufacturers, and those three are my favorite.
just rode a century on my desoto 400 shorts. around 80 miles in - and for the first time - the waistband was getting uncomfortable. started thinkin’ 'bout the bibs…
i’m sure they’re good. i just don’t know a place where i can try them on first, and while the shorts fit great i’d like to be able to feel the straps before putting down the $.
I am a bit partial to the Sugoi Bib shorts. I have a few pairs that I keep in rotation. Had my first pair of Giordana bibs bought last year as part of our cycling club kit. Very comfortable, but one year later they have lost much of there leg hugging support (elasticity) and I have been washing and drying them carefully. A bit disapointing. Compare to the 5 - 6 year old Sugoi’s that I have that are still going strong.
$100 - $150 seems to be the sweet spot for a good chamois and enough stretch/panels for a really good fit. Cheaper chamois don’t work so well on a long road ride. My personal favorites are Adidas power adistar bibs, Giordana (no idea what they’re called), the de sotos and the high end Santini ones. I have others that I don’t like as much. Never tried assos as can’t justify the excess $$$s over already decent bibs.
I should add that for rides, long or short, on the tri bike in the aero position I prefer shorts with a tri pad as a big road chamois seems to get in the way. This means no bibs as I don’t think anyone makes tri bibs these days although I believe de soto used to and I would be all over them if Emilio saw fit to bring them back.
I know this is probably blasphemy on this board, but the top end (elite) Performance Bike bibs are every bit as good as the desoto 400 miles. Maybe even better. And half the cost. The step down at performance (i think they’re called ultra) is almost as good as the desotos. The assos are awfully nice, but not that much nicer than the others to justify the cost, for me.
I love my Sugoi RS flex bibs, sooo much better than my old LG shorts.
If there is something out there better than Giordanas, I’d like to know about it.
I have owned a few pairs of performance shorts and the chamois are ok in some of them but they didn’t last nearly as well as the better shorts with loose threads unravelling and so forth . I’m sure everyone makes them in asia but their quality control seems a bit poor.
I have owned bibs from PearlIzumi, Castelli, PoloRLX, Hind, Voler, DeSoto and Sugoi. The analogy I’ll make is that it’s very personal, not unlike a saddle. I’m with LazyBen in that I don’t like a real big pad which is why my favorites are the OLDER DeSoto bib shorts that have the tri-pad. I have two pair and I wear them all the time. The new Ribbed Lycra Power fabric on the DS 400 mile bibs/shorts is superior to the previous versions, I’m just not a fan of the bigger pad.
Like Fleck I also have an old pair of Sugoi Technifine bibs from '00 and they’re a close second since the pad seems minimalist. $300 for a bib seems a bit much, especially if I’m satisfied with what is already in the closet.
To your question, my vote is to go with DeSoto, try 'em for 90 days, and if you don’t like them you can send them back. Emilio couldn’t offer that kind of guarantee and stay in business if people didn’t like his clothing. You got nada to lose.
I just got a pair of the 400 mile bib shorts, wore them first time for a hilly 80 miler last weekend. I don’t know if bibs are the best thing since sliced bread, but the desotos were pretty darn comfortable. They’ve got wicked cool pockets too, one on each leg and one on the back.
I’ve had a different experience (so far). Last year while training for IM I had 2 pair of “long ride” (>50 miles) shorts, the 400 miles and the performance. I liked the performance a shade better in terms of comfort. Both are used about equally, so each has logged probably at least 3000 miles so far. Both are in great condition. I machine wash and hang dry.
What will happen over the next 5 years? I have no idea. But unless the desotos last twice as long as the performance (assos would have to be 4x), the longevity/quality argument doesn’t play with me.
i will vote for the desoto, 2000 miles in and the lycra is still tight for support and the pockets on the side are real handy for getting food etc with out having to twist to get out of shirt
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on the topic of bib shorts i was looking through the photos from IMLP on AdirondackEnterprise.com and noticed a photo of a guy coming out of the water shedding his wetsuit with bibs on underneath…ouch!!!
Hey, shorts are an individual thing, glad you’re happy. The other thing I noticed with performance was that they seemed to change the pad in a given line of shorts on a near-weekly basis…I’m guessing as a result of what they could source for the price. I haven’t looked at their offerings in a couple of years now after buying a bunch of other shorts so my comments may be outdated.
The 400 mile bibs look like they have a lot of material along the back and front. In our climate that seems like it would be hot. Seems like a minimalist “suspender” part would be better. Waddaya think?
I got a couple of pairs of Craft bibs from Sierra Trading Post for about $35 each. Love 'em.
The Desoto doesn’t have leg grippers, which just baffles me. Plus, the fabric kind of bunches up because it’s not as stretchy or something.
The best I have worn are Etxeondo, Capoforma, and Campagnolo (yes, seriously – their “Racing” line is excellent).
Assos. They might seem exy up front but they last a long time. Can’t beat the comfort.