Best cycling shorts for men: bike bib shorts for comfortable riding
The best cycling bib shorts will keep you comfortable, look great and support your muscles too
A surefire way to ruin any ride is to find yourself in discomfort while still miles from home. While tired legs are hard to avoid after a few hours of cycling, a well-designed pair of bib shorts go a long way to negating any issues you may have between you and your saddle.
The best cycling shorts typically blend stretchy Lycra with a seat pad or chamois to deliver compression and comfort. Of course there are a huge range of shorts on the market, many with differing seat pads and choice of material, designed for different conditions and seasons. We’ve focused on summer shorts here but we also offer a Winter Bib tights guide for when the weather gets colder. Similarly our focus here is men’s shorts, as we have a dedicated guide to the best Women's cycling shorts.
Choosing the right pair of cycling shorts for you is no easy task given the wealth of choice. Fortunately we’ve tested numerous pairs in recent times and have selected the best performing here. To help you narrow your choice somewhat we’ve chosen shorts that are particularly notable in a certain area, such as fit and price tag. You might also want to check our guide to the best cargo shorts, as well as our selection of the best Chamois Creams.
Best Overall
What seems like a relatively bargain price for Assos, the Mille GT C2 Bib Short blends value with premium design, construction, and performance.
The Castelli Competizione uses innovative technical materials with high-end trims at a relatively low price, all stitched together into Castelli's trademark snug fit.
The Attack Bib Shorts punch well above their weight class. Laser-cut solid edge cuffs and silky smooth knit fabric boast an outstanding feel and performance.
The Core Bib Shorts offer solid value without compromising comfort or performance. It’s not flashy, it’s not the latest tech, but it is solid and reliable.
On performance alone the Mille GT among the very best bib shorts we’ve ever tested. Combine this with their outstanding value and they become unparalleled in the road category.
Like many Assos shorts, the star of the show here is the chamois. While it’s not the Swiss brand’s top tier offering, it still impressed us with its construction and its comfort. It boasts thermoformed compressive 11mm foam layers, which are designed to both absorb and support. From our testing we can confirm that it works. Assos’ ‘floating’ platform also helps provide greater comfort; essentially there’s stitching that anchors the pad front and back but still allows it to conform with your body during riding. Add in a perforated waffle-like foam for ventilation and you have a pad that doesn’t miss a trick and is ready for long days in the saddle. We were especially impressed with its ability to wick moisture away during hot days.
Just as supportive is the shorts ‘X-Frame suspension’ design. Here the suspenders are made from a thicker, high rebound material delivered in an 'X' shape to fit snugly across your upper back. Combined with the aforementioned floating pad it results in superior fit and performance compared to any of its rivals. Another noteworthy feature are the hidden seams, which add further to the overall comfort of the shorts.
Our expert review:
Castelli’s achieves a great fit with its Competizione shorts thanks to a clever choice of materials. The Affinity Pro Lycra is both highly stretchy and comfortable against the skin and is used for the more sensitive inner thigh area. This is combined with a dimpled Vortex fabric on the side that adds compression and a panel on the outside that’s designed to be aerodynamically enhanced. Given their affordability it’s an impressive mix, although we did find the flatlock seams a little rough during the first ride or so.
The Kiss Air2 pad is good but not without its flaws. The shape and construction made sure we experienced no chaffing during our testing but it didn’t keep us cool during hotter rides. That said, at this price point the pad is impressive and well-suited to the shorter ride times these shorts are best suited to.
Our expert review:
The sign of a great pair of budget bib shorts is that they don’t look or perform as such. Just like the Attack from Pearl Izumi.
The knit fabric used in the main body is smooth to the touch and results in a luxurious feel against the legs that really belies their price. We loved the next-skin-feeling and feel that it comfortably rivals far more expensive shorts. At the price it’s perhaps unsurprising that there is a drawback, and here it's the lack of breathability, making the Attack shorts one for cooler conditions only.
That said, the rest of the shorts are just as impressive as the feel of the material. The silicone leg grippers successfully held the shorts in place throughout our testing, while the brand’s mid-tier chamois, the Elite Levitate, performed well. It’s certainly not the most breathable and will only really provide the support required from shorter riders, but again given the price of the shorts, it does an admirable job.
Another bonus is the choice of colors. There are five different colorways, including our favourite, ‘Screaming Yellow’, which surely help aid visibility.That said even if you opt for one of the more muted offerings the shorts features some BioViz reflective elements for enhanced night visibility at up to 100 meters.
Our expert review:
For an everyday pair of bibs, Rapha’s Core shorts are hard to beat.
Made from a densely knitted fabric, they aren’t the most breathable but they do offer plenty of compression with a good fit. We found that flatlock seams were comfortable throughout our testing period where we focused on short to mid-length rides. We wouldn’t recommend them for all-day rides, but then that’s not what they are designed for.
The chamois too reflects the shorts suitability to shorter rides as well as its lower price point. While it’s comfortably padded and proved to be reasonably breathable, we did find that they began to chafe when wet.
Ultimately the Rapha Core bibs are a solid all-rounder. While they don’t excel in particular areas, all the components parts - material, fit, and price - combine to make for a reliable set of shorts that are ideally suited to those rides where you want to get on the bike for a couple of hours.
The dual-density, size-specific chamois in use here is not our favorite. Though the padding itself is comfortable upon static contact with the saddle and modestly breathable, the construction encourages ridging down the middle of the pad. We found that this can lead to additional chafing for longer rides or when wet. At minimum, it can be uncomfortable to feel it ride up your underside when walking.
Our expert review:
While the exceptionally high price tag means the Pro 2.0 suffers in the value for money department, they are nonetheless a beautifully designed pair of bibs.
Their comfort and performance comes from both their construction and the materials used. The closed-back design helps to promote a form-fitting cut, while the material results in plenty of compression. We were left impressed by the level of breathability, too. The clever use of fabrics ensured that we were comfortable even when riding in hotter weather, or during hard efforts. Even the dimpled side panels breathed well.
At this price you’d expect a superb chamois. And you get it. Like the materials mentioned above it does a great job of wicking moisture away, while at the same time providing plenty of comfort and support.
Our expert review:
Cargo bib shorts have been gaining in popularity for a while now, buoyed by both the practicality of the design and their association with gravel riding. The Utility bibs from Velocio aren’t cheap but they do feature all that is good about the cargo design.
That starts with the pockets that give the shorts their name. Here you get three deep pockets that we were able to pack with all the essentials, such as nutrition bars and a puncture repair kit, as well as a mobile phone. Velocio eschews any clasps or flaps to secure the contents but during our testing all the contents stayed in place, even during descents on rocky terrain.
Talking of gravel trails, Velocio’s proprietary Signature Chamois worked a treat when the going got tough with enough padding to dampen vibrations without it feeling too bulky at other times.
While we’ve reviewed the men’s version here, it’s worth pointing out the women-specific Utility bibs feature Velocio’s ‘Fly Free’ design, created to make bathroom breaks less of an issue; the design means the bibs can be pulled down without removing the straps.
Our expert review:
Another pair of cargo bibs, but this time at a far more affordable price point. The Expedition Bib Short delivers plenty of value for money, featuring smooth, breathable fabric that did a great job of keeping us cool, as well as feeling pleasant against the skin. No rubbing or chaffing here!
The Elite chamois proved adept on tough, hilly terrain where its high density padding came in handy. We did feel like it was a little too thick at times, especially when we were off the bike.
In terms of fit, the high waistband and the shoulder straps which secure with a clasp combine to deliver plenty of security. Even when tackling challenging terrain, they stayed firmly in place. The same can’t be said for the legs however. The small grippers weren’t up to the job, and as a consequence we found ourselves having to reposition the legs of the bibs far more often than we would have liked.
As for the pockets, they proved large enough to store all the essentials.
Our expert review:
The standout feature of the Prime bib shorts is the material. It’s soft against the skin while being compressive and breathable. The simple construction allows the fabrics to perform, with the hidden seamwork adding to the comfort. The seam length, for us, is perfect, as is the clean design and overall aesthetic.
It’s worth pointing out that the contoured fit, which helps generate excellent compression, does make for a tight, race-style silhouette. It may suit your body type, but it may not. Similarly, the chamois is likely to divide opinion. We found the Body Geometry pad lacking in support, especially during longer rides.
The most critical part of any cycling shorts is the seat pad, so it's worth looking for a pair with a pad that's dense, even if it's not thick, to help protect you from the saddle on longer rides. Elastic Interface is generally considered to be the foremost seat pad maker.
Next, look at the fabric. Do you want super-lightweight shorts for hot summer rides or more insulation for spring and fall? Or maybe you're looking for extra protection for gravel rides or in case of a fall. They're all catered for across the range of available shorts.
Look at the leg grippers. Wider grippers tend to be more comfortable and less likely to cut into your legs.
Do you want bibs? They help keep your shorts and seat pad in place as you ride and avoid an elastic waistband cutting into your stomach. On the other hand, they do make comfort breaks harder.
Some straps are designed to lay flat over your shoulders for more comfort and a more streamlined look.
The crucial question, of course, is how much you want to pay. Although you can find excellent bib shorts at reasonable prices, the best bib shorts tend to be expensive.
The number one job for a pair of cycling shorts is to protect the rider from saddle sores and chafing by providing a layer of padding that is shaped to suit the riding position.
In preventing saddle sores, it's also really important to ensure you have the right saddle, so highly recommended further reading are our pieces on the best bike saddles (or best women’s bike saddles).
Cycling shorts are also constructed from high-wicking, quick-drying fabrics that encourage sweat to leave the surface of the skin thus keeping the rider dry and stink-free on hot days and helping to reduce the discomfort associated with riding in the rain.
You can pick up a pair of cheap cycling shorts for as little as a meal out—just take a look at our best budget shorts guide.
These will meet basic needs, coming with a chamois pad and will be constructed from lycra which won't flap in the wind and shouldn't bunch up when riding. These will be a marked improvement over jeans or non-padded sports shorts, but the difference between super cheap and a branded pair of shorts is like night and day. The pad and fabrics used will likely be thin, the fit won't be great and durability will be poor.
The middle ground for a pair of quality cycling shorts will likely take you into triple digits, and for that you can expect to buy a high-quality pair of bib shorts that will provide several seasons of cycling in comfort.
Spending even more for a high-end pair will provide you with more durable fabrics and extras such as compressive materials, and better fit thanks to the use of multiple panels and carefully constructed leg grippers. The chamois will often offer more breathability, better comfort and multi-density padding that provides more targeted cushioning.
At Cycling Weekly, we test predominantly bib shorts, as in the main we find this style to offer the best cycling shorts for comfort, fit and performance. These have bib straps attached to the main body of the shorts.
The bib straps mean there's no need for an elastic waistband to hold them up, eliminating any digging in at the stomach. It's also impossible for them to fall down - so there's no need to worry about plumber's crack or an unfortunate sunburn. Finally, the straps mean that the material stays put, and the chamois can't move around.
Shorts or waist shorts are, however, still popular. There is a simplicity in just pulling on a pair of shorts - and pulling them down for nature breaks.
Waist shorts are also generally cheaper, and often a good 'first cycling short' option for those new to the sport, who aren't totally onboard with padded bib shorts — yet.
Regardless of what you choose, it's important to know that you are not meant to wear underwear with padded cycling shorts. The chamois is designed to sit against your skin.
How to dress for hot conditions
The choice of materials by cycling short designers is huge, from thicker, fleece-backed leg material used on thermal bib shorts for chilly spring conditions to well-ventilated back panels to combat the summer heat.
It's a good idea to have a selection of bib shorts in your collection, with varying options depending upon weather conditions.
Breathable fabrics or cut-outs at the back are good additions to a pair of summer cycling bib shorts.
More expensive bib shorts will use fabrics that aid blood circulation through compression. Those aiming for the aero edge may also feature technologies said to slice through the wind faster than skin.
You can also buy bib shorts with extra carrying capacity and the best cargo bib shorts will give you space for your phone or a few extra energy gels where they're handy to reach during a ride.
Breathable fabrics or cut outs at the back are good additions on a pair of summer cycling bib shorts
Cycling shorts should be constructed from multiple panels of fabric. In general, the more panels used, the better the fit, although more advanced cycling shorts will use more technical fabrics that are capable of delivering a second skin fit from fewer panels. Fewer panels mean fewer seams and less risk of chafing.
You need to ensure the shoulder straps are comfortable. Some come up short, feeling a little restrictive, even for a rider of average height. Wherever possible, try on bib shorts (over underwear) and — as silly as you may feel in the dressing room — adopt a riding position to get a clear idea of how they’d feel on the bike.
Styles vary as well - some riders like cycling shorts that reach almost to their knee joints, whilst others prefer them to finish mid-thigh. Longer shorts can rub against the tendons in the back of the knee while shorter ones may leave your legs rubbing on the sides of the saddle.
The other details are important to consider, but the chamois is the absolute key bib short component. Get it right and your shorts will offer years of comfortable miles. Get it wrong and the pad can be like a medieval torture device.
The best cycling short chamois pads are shaped to suit different sorts of riding — often the product description will give you an insight into the pad sewn into a pair you're looking at.
Endurance-focused chamois pads will be thicker to cater for longer hours in the saddle and will usually have denser foam at the rear to cater for a more upright position.
A chamois that's designed for short, hard, race efforts will often have more padding at the front as riders on the rivet will usually rotate more to sit on the end of the saddle.
Cycling short chamois is at the heart of the construction
Many clothing brands buy in their chamois from an external company, with Elastic Interface being the leading supplier, and can often use the same pad as a competitor.
The chamois sometimes comes with some additional features, such as perforation to provide breathability or an anti-bacterial treatment to keep the shorts fresh.
Cycling Weekly has a highly experienced team of testers, who know what to look for in the best cycling shorts, thanks to their hours spent out riding and reviewing cycling products.
Our team has reviewed literally hundreds of pairs of shorts from all the leading brands, wearing them for many miles in the saddle, so we can spot the best cycling shorts that stand out from the crowd.
