Bibs “R” Us

Ride road bikes long enough and you’ll don a variety of apparel, most noticeably “the cycling bib.” My first official cycling “garment” was a pair of Black Bottoms wool drawstring shorts, complete with a stitched-in chamois accompanied by zero padding. That’s how we rolled in the 1980s (after blow-drying our hair to stand outlandishly tall while lip-syncing Flock of Seagulls hits). If our private zones ached, we just rode more to build up tolerance, callouses and courage. We didn’t discuss anatomic saddle cutouts, widths of sit bones, or whether to use chamois cream that had a “pleasantly numbing” sensation versus just going with Noxzema (awesome choice then, and according to some, even now).

Technology and all its wondrous human-made materials have ushered us into the 21st century. Today, consumer choice has made buying cycling bibs an exercise in learning a new language. For the benefit of you who do not want to master the language of cycling bib marketing-speak, BikeCrave is sharing a first-arse (not hand) experiences with modern cycling bibs. I have more than half a dozen makes and models, including the very pinnacle of bibdom, so the BC bib blog-posts “series” will be meted out (like punishment) over the next few days. Plus, I’ve been off all this week, and this morning my legs needed some chill time. Today’s Black Friday installment of Bibs “R” Us includes these three brands (1) Pearl Izumi (2) Vermarc (3) Nike

1. Pearl Izumi – A longstanding iconic logo in the cycling world (notice Lance here sporting P.I. bibs in his first of 7 consecutive TdF victories), Pearl Izumi bibs are steady performers that remain consistent year-to-year. I was sad to see the manufacturer move to full synthetics for its pad versus a previous hybrid (as shown below). Clearly, my memories of natural chamois in the ’80s influenced my choice of then top-of-the-line PIs in 2004-2006. The all-black Pearl Izumi Microsensors (now called P.R.O.) have served me well. I’ve used them until threadbare from repeated washings, watching the rubber-band like weavings in the leg openings turn to dust. The proprietary Microsensor shorts material is much too thin for brisk winter rides in the mountains, but excellent for hot days when you go through 10 bottles. They truly are hard to feel on your skin, which can be weird the first time you kit-up. Feeling naked in public is something you never get used to — unless you’re a streaker. I do own a single pair of Microsensor P.R.O. bibs today and rotate them in with my other favorites. This image is of a 2006 circa pad. Works well with all forms of chamois cream. Can occasionally provide a “pinching” sensation (if you know what I mean) by virtual of its unique design.

2. Vermarc – Based in Belgium and worn by QuickStep, Silence Lotto and Milram, Vermarc bibs are a solid bib benchmark. How else could they survive Paris-Roubaix, Tour of Flanders, all three Grand Tours, and so much more? Of course, pro teams don’t keep bibs beyond maybe last month, which means durability is among the least of their worries. Comfort must be heavily weighted in the bib-wearing equation, and Vermarc bibs are among the most comfortable I’ve worn. I picked up a two pair from Moots, which offers them Moots-logo-adorned in its online store. The pad of the Vermarc bib is more on the minimalist side, but provides help in all the right places. The combination of pad and mesh bib upper provides for a very nice fit — even for American-shaped bodies of all sizes. Everything stays in place, and nothing feels exposed. The fabric does well year-round and I’ve yet to see them go threadbare from repeated washings (although I’ve only worn them this season and rotated heavily with my other bibs). Vermarc does not go to great lengths to describe its fabric, opting instead to claim superiority with its 3D-OF pad. I have no clue what that means. It just works. Here’s that pad, which gets along well with chamois cream and stands up to the rigors of the washing machine and a regular hang-to-dry routine.

3. Nike -  Perhaps the biggest surprise to me has been the two pair of Nike bibs I own. They are all black but clearly direct descendants of the pro-style from the Discovery and this year’s Astana mold. This bib features a vertical “mesh” venting stripe along the back of each leg and the thick mesh leg band. Very different. Very Nike. Or very Giordana, I suppose, because Nike is a branding company, not so much a cycling apparel manufacturer (to wit: DMT made their cycling shoes, including the Nike “Lance” model when there was a Nike line of cycling apparel). The Nike bib pad is worthy. It was my choice for my first double century in March up in Solvang. We started in sub-50 temps. We rode for more than 11 hours. The pad for this bib is bulkier than the Vermarc pad and looks more like a diaper encased in Lycra when you’re off the bike or straddling the top tube at a red light. But no big deal. The shorts material is shiny and unremarkable. Nothing to write home about. It can’t compete with Pearl Izumi’s Microsensor in summer, and its upper is a micro-mesh that frankly adds zero value for me. I found the Nike upper similar to Voler and Nalini bibs I’ve worn. Overall, though, not a bad bib from Nike. I’ll be curious to see what the company brings to market if it decides to leverage Team Radio Shack, in addition to the Livestrong movement.

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Tagged as: cycling, livestrong, moots, nike, pearl izumi, training, ultra distance cycling