What is the difference between cycling bibs and shorts?

Cycling bibs refer to integrated shorts and braces. Shorts, in contrast, are as the name suggests - knicks minus the braces. Personal preference and the type of riding you do will influence your choice between the two.

What length should bib shorts be?
This is based on personal preference, weather, type of riding, and cycling apparel trends. Typically, bibs and shorts will finish higher up the leg for triathletes. However, triathletes and road cyclists will normally wear tight, aerodynamic shorts. Mountain bikers, in contrast, will usually opt for less fitted shorts and will rarely wear bibs.

How do you know if bib shorts fit?
Bib shorts are designed to sit close to the body. They need to feel fitted but not restrictive. Be mindful of how the braces and leg ends of the bib feel - if they are digging in too tight or feel like they’re affecting your circulation, then you need to go up a size.

Do you wear anything underneath bibs or shorts?
This is a personal preference, but bibs and shorts are designed to be worn without underwear. However, some cyclists will wear a layer over their bibs or shorts.

The Santini men’s bib shorts guide provides information on the critical components of this essential piece of cycling apparel. They include:

Material
Gone are the days where every bib short was made with Lycra. The choices available to you include anti-abrasion fabric reinforced with Dyneema fibre, Thunderbike Power stretch fabric, double-knit, stretch-compressive microfiber fabric and more. The type of material selected will dictate other bib short features, as detailed below.

Breathability
Breathability refers to the feel of air circulating over the body and through the apparel. The longer you’re in the saddle, the harder you work, and the hotter you get, the more this becomes of critical importance. The Santini men’s bib short guide indicates how breathable the item is.

Aerodynamics
In the world of performance cycling, marginal gains are everything. So a bib short’s ability to be aerodynamic can have a significant impact on your sense of drag - whether you feel like you’re slicing through the air or riding in wet concrete! The Santini men’s bib short guide rates whether or not the apparel offers high, medium/high or medium levels of aerodynamics.

Chamois (seat padding) Chamois refers to the padding inside the bib short, where your sensitive nether regions will be making contact with the saddle. Here Santini provides an extensive amount of information, as there is significant research and development that goes into all Santini chamois. The Santini men’s bib short guide refers to the “seatpad” and then offers terms such as Git Evo, Emax or C3, for example. These are specific types of Santini chamois.

Braces
You have two types of braces - elasticated seamless or mesh. Although both offer excellent breathability, the seamless braces do lie flatter on the skin due to the surface construction.

Temperature
The Santini men’s bib shorts guide indicates the ideal seasonal temperature in which to wear the item.

Contact us
Do you have any questions regarding the Santini men’s bib shorts guide? We’re happy to help, so don’t hesitate to contact us.