Based out of Squamish in British Columbia, Canada, 7Mesh is well placed to be able to make fantastic kit — the mountains just outside its HQ are breathtakingly large and the scope for riding is almost limitless.
It comes as no surprise then, that the majority of its kit is astoundingly well designed and made with fantastically comfortable materials.
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The 7Mesh MK3 Bib Shorts build on the fabled popularity of the MK2 shorts and on the comfort- and performance-first design.
They're positioned as shorts best-suited to be taken on long-distance road adventures with comfort at the top of the priority list.
7Mesh Mk3 Bib Shorts specifications and details
They're made from an elastane (38 percent) and warp knit nylon (62 percent) material mix that’s dubbed Miti Gravity Interpower and have a chamois that’s been redesigned to reduce numbness in the saddle by helping blood flow and reduce vibrations in the perineum area, thanks to its high-density foam construction.
The new chamois technology has been called Elastic Interface Performance Space 2 Chamois and, despite the clunky name, if it does what it promises to do, then 7Mesh is welcome to call it whatever it fancies!
There are discrete silicone grippers around the inside of the shorts' hems that give away no external clues of their existence.
Each leg is made from one piece of material and the crotch section that heads underneath your groin, and finally up your back, is constructed using only two bits of material.
The shoulder straps are 45mm wide and are made from elastic with a soft brushed knit bib strap junction that sits between your shoulder blades.
There’s no external stitching on the shorts, and internally the stitching is covered where there are potential pressure points. The shorts weigh 213g (for a size large), only 12g heavier than their claimed weight.
- Sizes (tested): XS, S, M*, L, XL, XXL
- Short material: Miti Gravity Interpower
- Chamois material: Elastic Interface Performance Space 2 Chamois
- Weight: 213g (size medium)
- Features: Clean finish hem with silicone gripper, mesh chamois hammock lining, 45mm soft elastic bib straps, soft brushed knit bib strap junction, gClip compatible, clean finish chamois construction
- Price: £150 / $200 / AU$TBC / €175
7Mesh Mk3 Bib Shorts performance
Slide the bib shorts on for the first time and you’re in for a welcome treat. The seamless exterior’s smooth finish represents perfectly the feeling the shorts give your legs — they’re akin to wearing something that’s softer and comfier than being naked on a bed of feathers. An air-pillow, if you will.
The material’s slightly compressive but exceptionally smooth finish is very luxurious and they feel and look like an extension of your body’s form.
The snug hems stay where you put them thanks to the discrete silicone grippers, but I didn’t find the openings to be excessively tight.
Sometimes shorts have a tendency to bag out around the hems if you’ve got skinnier legs, but the level of compression on offer with these shorts is ample to circumvent this problem.
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Sitting on the saddle, the levels of comfort are exceptional. The chamois is perfectly formed so that unwanted pressure is almost totally eradicated, whether I was on the drops, hoods or pootling around on the flats.
I’m yet to find another pair of shorts that have such an impressively rounded, consistent and pressureless feeling no matter my riding position.
Take a closer look at the chamois and you can see how this is possible. The central channel is deep and wide enough to maintain pressure on your sit bones, where there’s enough foam to pad and protect them from unwanted vibrations and shocks.
The front of the pad is very thin, which can also help reduce bunching and pressure when you’re in a forward or attack position on the drops.
The pad’s material is exceptionally soft to touch and there are no discernible seams where it attaches to the shorts’ main body.
The particularly soft and compressive overall construction means that the shorts stay put no matter how you’re riding. Drop the hammer and there is no movement, and re-adjustments aren't needed to rectify any slips.
The shoulder straps are superbly sleek, too. They aren’t especially tight which means you don’t feel like you’re being concertinaed by overly compressive shoulder straps, but this doesn’t hinder the shorts' knack of not moving thanks to the compressive fit.
The thinner straps also help with heat dissipation — there’s less material to trap heat and sweat especially on your back.
Fit wise, the shorts seem fairly flexible and can suit quite a few different sizes and shapes. I’m 178cm tall, weigh 74kg and have an athletic build with an 85cm inseam, and the medium is the correct size for me.
If you’re looking for a pair of sleek-looking shorts with unparalleled comfort and fantastic attention to detail and quality, look no further.
