There's been a lot of talk about bib shorts over the last week or two, so I thought I'd post a review of some bibs that I recently purchased...
I ordered a pair of
Love2Pedal's $36.95
Falconi Deluxe bib shorts last week. They showed up within a couple of days and I've now completed several rides, including the 2-hour/30-mile loop that I normally use when evaluating saddles and shorts. As background, let me say that my favorite shorts so far have been Pearl Izumi's $100 Slice Ultrasensor shorts. I bought a couple of pairs last year when they were on sale at Performance for around $65. They're fantastic! Unfortunately, I need more shorts or bibs and couldn't find the Slice on sale at a price I was willing to pay. For $37, I figured it was worth giving Love2Pedal's Falconi bibs a try...
Quality of the bibs is pretty good. I'm no expert, but I'd say that it probably isn't at the same level as the PI Slice bibs/shorts, but for 1/3rd the price I didn't expect it would be. It's certainly as good as any of the "house brand" shorts I've purchased from REI, Performance Bike, etc. The lycra is the same as in any other generic cycling short. The flatlock stitching that holds the panels together seems a bit more widely spaced than the stitching on the PI Slice short. I like the
look of the PI stitching better, but suspect that both are perfectly adequate. The mesh upper seems a bit flimsy and the part of the bib most likely to be damaged; I could easily imagine snagging it on something. The rubberized Falconi logo on the left leg looks a bit cheesy to my eye. I'd be just as happy if it wasn't there and will probably attempt removal at some point. Note that the logo isn't shown in most of the pictures on the Love2Pedal site; you can find it at the very bottom of the product page, but it doesn't show up in most of the bib pictures.
Fit is as advertised, though snug. I'm about 5'9" with a 37" waist, 32" inseam and right at 180lbs these days. Ordered the XL size, which is advertised to work for 36"-38" waists. The fit is perfect for me! Snug, but not too snug, and the length works great. Like most bibs, the shoulder straps on the Falconi bibs stretch but aren't adjustable. Pulling up on the shoulder straps, it looks like your torso could be 4-5" longer than mine and the bibs would still work. It feels like the bibs are designed for someone with a reasonably athletic build. If I had a 38" waist I'd be tempted to order the XXLs rather than trying to squeeze into the XLs.
So how do they ride? Very well, it seems! Have to admit, I was a bit concerned when I first saw the chamois. I really like the chamois in my PI Slice shorts, even if it is a bit on the thick side. The chamois on the Falconi bibs isn't nearly as thick as the chamois in the Slice shorts, though it is a bit thicker than the chamois in any of my cheap house-brand shorts (e.g. REI Novara). On my 30-mile loop, I honestly didn't notice any difference between the chamois in the Falconi shorts and the one in the Slice shorts. A longer (50-100mi) ride will be needed to know for sure, but I'm very encouraged at this point! The chamois wicks well and I didn't notice any chafing. The rubberized leg cuffs do a good job of keeping the shorts in place. It's been cold enough that I've been wearing a base layer t-shirt along with the bibs. I don't
think the shoulder straps would cause nipple chafing if you wore the bibs without a base layer, but I don't know for sure at this point.
Bottom line: these bib shorts feel like a great value for the money! Easily better than other "house brand" shorts that I've tried recently. Obviously, I can't say anything about long-term durability yet, but it's difficult for me to imagine that I wouldn't get $37 worth of value out of them. In fact, I liked the pair I bought so much that I just ordered two more! If you're going to order multiple pairs, be sure to use the two pair for $64 product page; you'll save a bit more that way. And don't forget to try the BFDN coupon code that Dan created for us. I saved $5 on each order, which effectively means that shipping was free.