The best winter bib tights are a staple of winter cycling. They keep you warm and comfortable as you put in the winter base miles – if you haven’t decided to take to the turbo trainer until the weather improves.
It’s surprising how many riders you see out in shorts when there’s a nip in the air or even when there’s snow on the ground. Maybe they’re hardier than we are, but there are good reasons to keep your legs covered when it’s frigid outside, even if you don’t feel the cold.
For starters, your muscles will work better when they’re kept warm and you’ll be less prone to injury. Plus, if you do end up by the roadside with a mechanical, you can soon get very cold if you’ve worked up a sweat and are suddenly not moving. Rain and wheel spray from damp roads can cool you down quickly too.
So a quality pair of bib tights, along with the full winter regalia of a winter cycling jacket, winter cycling shoes or overshoes, a quality baselayer and maybe a cap should be on your kit list for your winter rides.
Keep reading to see our pick of the best winter bib tights for men and women and head to the bottom of the page for our winter bib tights buyer’s guide, which takes you through everything you should look for in this essential piece of winter kit.
Editor's Note: We updated our pick of the best winter bib tights on 27 October 2024, to remove discontinued products.
Best winter bib tights for cycling 2024
Altura Icon Thermal Bib Tights
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- £95 as tested
- Thick, insulating, DWR-coated fabric
- Hip stash pocket will hold a phone or energy bar
The Altura Icon Thermal Bib Tights are an excellent winter bib that, at this price, many rival brands struggle to match.
They use a comfy Icon chamois pad and the main material is a weighty (260gsm) thermal, brushed-back fabric.
A durable water-repellent (DWR) coating keeps road spray and light rain at bay. The thermal fabric extends to high up your midriff for great protection against the wind.
Long zips at the ankles make them easy to get on and off. A subtle reflective print on the calves and thighs provides welcome visibility.
A neat hip-stash pocket fits an energy bar or phone.
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Café Du Cycliste Marie Bib Tights
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- £235 / $305 / €240 / AU$408 as tested
- Warm, supple tights that don’t bunch
- Quality pad and excellent leg grippers
The water-repellant Café du Cycliste Marie Winter Cycling Tights are the finest tights our tester had ever tried.
The materials combine warmth with suppleness, which means they avoid the compromises made in the pedal stroke of other thicker, more bunchy bib tights.
Café du Cycliste uses a quality Cytech Elastic Interface seat pad, that’s good for long-distance rides. Like many winter bib tights, they’re cut high at the front for extra warmth.
There’s a choice of four colours, so you don’t need to stick with the winter-standard black.
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Castelli Tutto Nano Bib Tights
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- £160 / $179.99 / €139.95 / AU$249 as tested
- Good spray and rain resistance
- Quality Kiss Air2 seat pad provides all-day comfort
On wet race days, Castelli has led the way in the pro peloton and the Tutto Nano bibs live up to this reputation. The Nano Flex 3G fabric is soft and warm without feeling overly bulky.
A DWR treatment provides good spray and rain protection. We loved the stylish reflective ankle cuffs.
The Kiss Air2 chamois pad is comfortable even on the longest days.
With a high level of breathability, these tights are perfect for all winter conditions, but the cut is small and fitted, so size up.
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Endura FS260-Pro Thermo Bibtights II
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- £109.99 as tested
- Great on-bike fit and insulation
- Pad-free option also available
In colder and less clement weather, the Endura FS260-Pro Thermo Bibtights II offer great protection.
Their Thermoroubaix fabric provides insulation, while a water-resistant treatment sees rain roll off in all but the worst conditions.
The ergonomically cut, four-way stretch panels ensure a top fit and the brushed inner is cosy. Plus, the high front and rear brushed panels insulate your midriff.
Inside, the 600 Series variable profile pad works superbly however long you’re in the saddle. These bibs are available without a pad too, if you prefer to wear your tights over summer shorts.
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Endura FS260-Pro Thermo Women’s Tights
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- £99.99 / $129.99 / €104.99 as tested
- Warm, water-resistant Thermoroubaix fabric
- Plenty of reflective details to up your visibility
The Endura women’s FS260-Pro Thermo waist tights deliver impressive windproofing, water resistance via a DWR coating and a Thermoroubaix thermal lining that kept our tester’s legs toasty on chilly night rides.
There are sizeable reflective details and a super-comfortable chamois with 3D multi-density stretch and incorporating Silver Dry antibacterial technology.
We’d forgo the ankle zips for more potential comfort, though.
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Gore Wear C5 Thermo Bib Tights+
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- £120 / $170 / €159.95 as tested
- Comfortable seat pad’s shape mimics a channelled saddle
- Windproof cup to front of pad keeps out cold breezes
The Gore C5 Thermo Bib Tights+ have a comfortable chamois pad and a windproof panel in front of it helps prevent your nether regions getting chilly.
The full legs and torso section have a DWR treatment, while the groin and rear panels use a thicker water- and abrasion-resistant fabric.
The legs consist of multiple panels with an articulated cut that works well on the bike. For visibility on the road, we appreciate the triangular reflective print panels on the back of the calves.
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7Mesh MK3 Cargo Bib Tight
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- £200 / $250 / €230 as tested
- Two thigh and three rear pockets
- Leg grippers trimmable to your leg length
7Mesh has used its experience of British Columbia winters to make the men’s MK3 Cargo Bib Tights ideal for big days out in cool weather.
The ‘cargo’ refers to the twin thigh pockets (great for empty gel packets!) and three rear pockets at the base of the Y-shaped bibs.
The comfort of the thick multi-density pad befits a pair of all-day tights.
Although they can look a little baggy at the knee when standing, the articulated legs fit like a second skin when you're pedalling.
You can trim the leg hems to match the length of your pins.
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Assos Mille GT Ultraz Winter Bib Tights
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- £250 / $325 / €290 / AU$530 as tested
- Good articulation and warm
- Pricey
The Assos Mille GT Ultraz Winter Bib Tights are expensive at £250 but offer impressive comfort and performance.
The tights use a fabric called ‘Neos Ultra’ which provides good protection from light rain.
Despite using this technical fabric, the bib tights remain flexible with good articulation around the knees, and the fleece lining is comfortable against the skin. The well-padded chamois shores up comfort.
Our tester concluded these bib tights are arguably the best all-round performers he’s tested this winter.
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Castelli Sorpasso RoS Bib Tights
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- £165 / $239.99/ €189.95 / AU$330 as tested
- Water-repellent Nano Flex fabric
- Comfortable, low-bulk seat pad
The Sorpasso tights are a favourite for changeable conditions. They utilise Castelli’s third-generation Nano Flex fabric, which does an excellent job of beading road spray and rain, keeping you comfortably dry for a few hours.
The rear uses the X-Dry version of Nano Flex, which has a coarser surface to help grip the saddle and is abrasion-resistant.
The Progetto-X pad is comfortable but not bulky. The shaping of the legs adds freedom and keeping seams away from areas of potential chafing is a neat touch.
The full bib and legs are fleece-lined to beat the chills. The 19cm zippers on the ankle have a 3cm wide reflective strip for visibility. Size up one from normal though.
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Castelli Sorpasso RoS Wind
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- £240 / $259.99 / €229.95 / AU$397 as tested
- Comfortable chamois and light-rain protection
- Knee fabric is thick
The Castelli Sorpasso RoS Wind bib tights have added poor-weather protection and are suited to the coldest, wettest conditions.
The cold-weather performance comes from the Gore-Tex fabric and soft fleece lining, which keep you warm and the weather out. They aren’t truly form-fitting, but this is a compromise for the added protection. Castelli’s seat pad is impressive and suited to longer rides.
If you ride in the worst weather and the price isn’t a stumbling block, these tights won’t disappoint.
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Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II
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- £250 / $325 / €285 / AU$420 as tested
- Warm and water-resistant
- Not the best breathability
The Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II bib tights do a good job protecting you against the elements thanks to wind-blocking and water-resistant panels on the front of the legs.
They don’t offer the best breathability, but Rapha seems to have made these tights for deep-winter riding rather than milder conditions. The slim fit suited our tester. He praised the chamois for its padding and shape.
There may be better-value options on the market, but these tights could give you the confidence to head out in the worst weather.
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Shimano Beaufort Bib Tights
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- £99.99 / €129.95 as tested
- Warm mid-weight tights
- Non-flashy pad does a good job
Shimano’s Beaufort tights are extremely warm mid-weight bibs. They combine lighter windproof panels up-front that feature a DWR treatment for maximum protection with high-insulating brushed rear panels.
Small, airy reflective panels on the calves help with breathability but let water in, although we liked the ankle cuffs that seal well without using zips.
Inside, the Italian-made pad isn’t as intricate as some but does a solid job, with Shimano rating it for medium to long rides.
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Specialized RBX Comp Thermal Bib Tights
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- £100 / $150 / €110 / AU$180 as tested
- Warm lower-body fabric paired with lighter top half
- Quality long-distance seat pad
For those long, slow winter rides when the temperatures fall to zero or lower, these durable Specialized RBX Comp Thermal bib tights come into their own.
A fitted thermo fabric does a top job of keeping out the chill. A lighter version of the fabric adds upper-body insulation without being overly sweaty.
The Lombardia fleece material is also water resistant and will see you comfortably through a short shower.
The panelled design delivers long-ride comfort, as does the chamois with its variable-density design that places padding perfectly around the sit bones.
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What to look for in winter bib tights
Insulation
Above all other considerations, winter bib tights are about keeping you warmer. To that end, most are made of a fabric with a fleeced inner face that will trap air, even if the tights become wet.
The fabric is usually labelled roubaix, in honour of the cold-weather destination, but you’ll see variants labelled 'superroubaix' or 'thermoroubaix', which are slightly thicker versions of the same thing and so may be a little warmer. Some brands have their own proprietary variants of the same idea, such as Castelli’s Thermoflex.
Water resistance
Your worst enemy in the winter may be the cold, but a close second is the wet. Winter roads are often damp even if it’s not raining, and your bib tights are directly in the line of fire for wheelspray from both the front and rear wheel (if you haven't fitted full-length mudguards).
So many of the best winter cycling bib tights are built to be water resistant too. That usually means a durable water-resistant (DWR) surface coating that repels water, which is what gives you that nice beady-up feature when you run a tap over them.
This does tend to wear off over time or stop being effective as the material gets dirty. Reproofing using a specialist cleaning and reproofing product can often restore water resistance.
Some winter cycling tights may include one or more waterproof panels, particularly on the front side of the lower leg. These usually feature a breathable membrane. The membrane does make the fabric stiffer and less stretchy though, which can be uncomfortable, so tights aren’t usually made fully waterproof.
Windproofing
Third on the list of winter cycling demons is windchill. Again, it can quickly make winter cycling uncomfortable, so the best winter bib tights usually include some wind protection.
That may come from a tightly woven fabric, but a windproof membrane is more effective. Again, a membrane is likely to adversely affect fit and comfort though, so if there are windproof panels they’ll probably be used sparingly.
Seat pad
As with the best cycling shorts for summer riding, the quality of your seat pad is fundamental to how comfortable you will be when riding.
The good news is that most brands fit their best winter bib tights with exactly the same seat pad as used in their summer shorts. They will have been equally precise about where it sits when you’re riding, so there’s no reason why you should be less comfortable in the winter than in summer.
In fact, since you’re likely to be less hot and sweaty, you may even be more comfortable in your winter tights.
Bibs and straps
Another component of your winter bib tights where the same considerations apply as for summer bib shorts is the upper-body straps. As with summer bib shorts, these are often made of mesh, although other brands use the same fleeced fabric as for the lower body.
Even if it’s cold out, with three or more layers on your back, it can get sweaty. If that’s something that affects you, look for a mesh upper. If you prefer more insulation, go for a fleece fabric back.
Like summer bib shorts, straps can be hemmed or lay flat hemless. If you find hems uncomfortable, look for the latter.
Women’s winter bib tights may have a halter or other cunning design to help make rest stops easier. Waist tights are also a popular option for women, to avoid the problem altogether.
Fit around the stomach
Another area where approaches differ is the fit of the front of the waist. Most winter bib tights have a higher cut here than summer bib shorts, so you get an extra layer of fabric and extra overlap with your top-half clothing to help keep you warmer.
Some brands take this to extremes and you may find a short zip is included to help with comfort breaks.
Ankle cuffs
Ankle cuffs are another area where there are different designs. Many winter bib tights have short zips at the ankles to help with getting them on and off. These can become uncomfortable though, particularly if you’re wearing tight-fitting cycling overshoes over them.
So you’ll also find tights that just rely on the fabric’s stretch to get them over your feet. In general, this works fine, although it can be a little more of a struggle to get your tights on and off at the start and end of a ride.
Reflectivity
If you’re riding in winter, ambient light conditions can be poor, particularly if you’re riding at the beginning and end of the day. We’d recommend using bike lights and considering wearing tights with decent reflectivity to help you be noticed.
Most brands add reflective touches to their winter bib tights.
Other options
To keep your lower half warm when cycling in the winter, you have three basic options: leg warmers with bib shorts, tights over bib shorts or winter bib tights. Although tights are the simplest way to suit up and head out into the elements, the other two have their advantages.
Bib shorts with leg warmers provide a lot of versatility and many brands sell bib shorts made of fleece-backed thermal material.
Thermal bib shorts incorporate a seat pad that’s as high quality as a summer pad and the thermal fabric adds a lot more warmth and windproofing.
They can be paired up with a set of leg warmers, which will give you as much insulation as winter bib tights and a double layer of fabric over your thighs for extra warmth, although you may find the upper leg grippers uncomfortable.
If it’s a bit milder, you can swap to knee warmers or in very mild winter conditions just use the shorts on their own. This can be a good option for some summer days too – at least in the UK.
Padless tights over bib shorts give you advantages similar to a double fabric layer over your thighs and your lower torso. These are a good option if it’s really cold or to help keep you more comfortable if it’s wet out.
A disadvantage is you’ll end up with two sets of shoulder straps, which can feel uncomfortable and cumbersome, unless one or other garment has a waistband and is made without straps.
