As we start to shaking out our old cycling gear, deciding what just plain worn out, who can see our bum! I thought I would offer my experience and tips on what makes a good, comfortable, high performing bib short. A bad one can be a nightmare and a just ok one can leaving you feel like you should have done a bit more research. Here’s the short cut for my best Summer 2025 bib shorts.
Five things to look for : and first up, lets align on what makes great, actually great.
- Sizing, – a bib short that is too big will cause chaffing, chafing is uncomfortable, you wont enjoy your ride and you probably won’t wear them again. If a bib short is too small you are either going to have problems with the materials or seams falling apart and will just feel uncomfortable. If there is an option to try on, please do so, It’s always good to pay close attention to size guide and looking at sample models builds and weights online. If you are on the sizing edge either choose a different brand or drop a note to customer service.
- Chamois (aka seat-pad), without doubt this should not be overlooked. A chamois can either make or break your day. It’s not the thickest pads that win, you want a good fit that doesn’t cause ripples or the feel of excess material at the front inner leg crease or the rear – a sure sign a seat-pad is too big. Functionally a good seat pad is one that transfers moisture well, but it’s difficult to judge this on feel and fit, and to be fair you pay for what you get in that area, so if you think you can stretch to spend on the next model up that has a better pad.
- Compression, different types of material have different squeeze, being a little bit of a lycra sausage is good in two ways, for one the fit will be better and cause less chafing, two your muscles will feel less fatigue as they are being held more firmly, allowing you to ride for longer with less soreness. There is also a case to be had where blood circulation is improved. This follows that the highest end performance bibs are often the highest compression. In general you should look for a mid to high end compression.
- Looks – Sounds obvious but looks matter, be comfortable with the looks, you are more likely to ride more in something you feel more ease with. Many brands offer colors and styles to meet a variety of tastes.
- Seams – generally garment manufacturers that are making things fitting close to the body are looking to avoid seams because they can cause chaffing and skin irritation. Seams are essential to join panels of fabric, panels allow garment form fits and ease of manufacture. So when looking at the inside seams of the garment definatley make sure there are no hard edges, feel the material and the threads, they should not feel corse or raspy, the seam should lay flat with the direction of the material and not sticking out. Staying closer to mid to higher end bib shorts will get you the good stitching and quality seams, but its worth checking. See images at end of article.
Three best bib shorts for summer
Here are my 3 top bib short recommendations, plus a hot tip
All the products here offer high return for your dollar, the more expensive ones have higher technical performance and some of the details are more refined, which you may or maynot need. Generally there is a threshold and you get what you pay for, the range being $150 to $300 is a pretty good one, below $150 and you are taking a risk due to lack of design and quality materials are not worth the lack of durability, pain or inconvenience.
Castelli Endurance 3 – $160 – tried and tested performance that won’t break the bank.
These have a great seat pad / chamois, a famous design with a legacy for comfort and performance. This seat pad (Progetto Air X2) is found in higher end styles also. It’s one I have used in generations of product, fits weel, feels great on the skin, breathes and dries well. The Endurance 3 is a $160 bib short but can be found for as little as $135 which is a bargin. It’s made well with nice materials of medium compression and a endurance / tailored fit.
Ornot Cargo Bib short – $212 – Performance with an environmental spin.
US Owned / Environmentally conscious and Sustainability Focused. The Ornot bib short is designed in California and made from carefully enviro concious Oeko-Tex certified materials. Upgraded in the middle of last year 2024 , It uses an Elastic Interface for the chamois seat pad, which are around the highest quality sub manufacturers of seat pads, ensuring you comfort and fit. It also contains two leg pockets and two small hidden back. Ornot’s sizing guide on the website is great as it includes waist, weight and scale of compression.
https://www.ornotbike.com/products/cargo-bib-short-black
Rapha Pro Team 3 – $295 – A tried and true high end bib short.
Now on it’s third incarnation with the first and the third being the best. The bibshort builds upon the sucesses of other generations and pro rider inputs, with a slightly revised pad and fit. The materials are nice in hand and performance is top notch, the fit is excellent and the seat pad is second to none. Fewer panels and a laser cut hem for reduced bulk and maximum comfort this short has been used for ultra endurance professionals like Lachlan Morten forever now. Theres no fuss or additional pockets here (zero pockets). Available is short, regular and Long version (3cm+) with high compression fabrics and race fit.
Rapha Regular Leg – Pro Team 3 Bib Short
Rapha Long Leg – Pro Team 3 Bib Short
Hot topic: Stay on the lookout for this smoking Castelli short:
This summer, also be on the lookout for Castelli’s new higher end bib short – the Free Aero Race S – $230 – Aerodynamic, high end focus racy fit with a legendary chamois. This model excites me since Castelli seem to have made this exceptional products a few generations ago, although they messed up the pattern in 2023/24 on this model BUT this means for 2025/26 they are going to come out of the gate even better and more eager to make sure they do exceptionally well … from the pictures all the issues have has all be revised, re-patterned and updated. At the moment this seems impossible to get in sizing and black, with only white being available. I will have an update for you when I get one, but I have high expectations.
Castelli Free Aero Race S – Mens
Castelli Free Aero Race S – Womens
if you are shopping around, as mentioned in my buying tips – check out the seams, here are some examples of what’s great and maybe not as great.
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