Hey Everyone,

tl;dr I bought a bunch of bibs and ranked them (see image below)

Long Version:

I'm a relatively new cyclist who wants to get deeper into the sport. When I started, I bought a few bibs and jerseys off Amazon which have been just fine for me. However, after my last century I began to wonder if I could increase my comfort with a higher quality bib. Please note that I am under no illusion that a bib will somehow transform my performance or overall cycling experience, but as I'm getting things dialed in (like a bike fit, lighting, bags, etc) on my bike I figured why not look into upgrading my bib as well.

However, the problem is that cycling clothing companies are a dime a dozen. There are tons of brands big and small at every price point. Most don't accept returns of used gear (shout out to Voler who accepts used returns, giving the option to ride it before making a final decision or if you're able to find these at REI), so it's a gamble to know if a given bib will work out or not. And what if you purchase a more expensive bib, how do you know if your money went towards materials or marketing? It's tough to find comparison reviews online so I did what every (in)sane person would do, and I bought 14 bibs from 14 different companies at 14 different price points. I bought from some large companies and some microbrands as well as some in-between. The only common thread is that I bought the best (defined by price) bib each manufacturer has to offer. I was less interested in mid-level bibs as I'm more of a "buy once, cry once" kind of guy, or rather, I have champagne taste on a beer budget. I reviewed each brand's return policy and will keep only one. The rest will be returned as I don't have that kind of money.

So, I bought 14 and ranked them according to fabric hand (how does it feel?), construction (stitching quality), thoughtfulness (seam placement, overall garment design), and chamois quality (based on the ever reliable "squeeze test" to make a judgement call about how much support it'll give over a long day in the saddle). Lower is better as I ranked them in 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, etc. Finally, I averaged the scores to find out which one placed lowest overall. Additionally, I have the MSRP (not necessarily what I paid), country of origin, and the warranty (including if there's a crash clause). I went back and forth on whether or not to include fit, but ultimately decided against it as that's going to vary from person to person. Results are below:




Random thoughts:

Boure's chamois was noticeably the worst of the bunch. Voler, MAAP, Aero Tech, Louis Garneau, Ornot, Cerotipolar, Giordana, La Passione, and Pearl Izumi all felt similar. Eliel, Castelli, Sugoi, and Assos all felt noticeably nicer.

Boure, Cerotipolar, Ornot, Aero Tech, Assos, Voler, Louis Garneau, La Passione, Sugoi, and Pearl Izumi all had the traditional spandex feel and felt very similar. MAAP, Giordana, Castelli, and Eliel felt different with an almost tissue paper feel. Felt thinner, more breathable, and high quality, thus the higher rating.

So, which one is the overall best? Giordana rated first in my ranking despite having an average chamois. MAAP also did very well. If either of them had an above average chamois, they would be the easy winner.

What would I pick for me? Eliel and Castelli would be my top picks as the overall best bibs if money is no object. They both had middling construction scores, but keep in mind that even though their stitching wasn't quite as tight as the leader, it didn't look/feel fragile either. I'd probably lean towards Eliel because I'm biased towards USA made and it has less obnoxious branding on the bib. Actually, if money were no object I'd keep both the Giordana and Assos and then take them to a seamstress to have the Assos chamois put into the Giordana bib. That would be a $735 bib, but oh, what a bib it would be.

Pearl Izumi is a great choice because of good scores and frequent sales. It's possible to get it at up to 50% off, making it a strong contender.

For the budget conscious, Cerotipolar off Amazon is 90% as good as Pearl Izumi at a fraction of the price. Eliel and Castelli are noticeably better but are wildly more expensive.

I'm sure I'm going to get comments about "why not x brand or y manufacturer?". The simple answer is that I ran out of money and time, so I missed some big ones like Gore, Le Col, Pedal Mafia, and a bunch more. I ordered Rapha but it's been sitting in customs hell at the LA Port for a week, so it missed the comparison. At the end of the day, there are hundreds if not thousands of options, so my sample size is small.

So, this is entirely based off my opinion and is in no way objective. That being said, what do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my ratings? Why do you love (or hate) any particular brands?