Revised seam placement on the Capo Atlas bib short's new six-panel pattern more closely follows the curves of your body and eliminates the one gripe we had with its Diavolo predecessor – occasional seam irritation at the front of our hips.
Thankfully, just about everything else we did like carries over. The Atlas's highly stretchy Power Lycra fabric occupies a perfect middle ground between 'compressively tight' and 'just barely taut', mesh bibs allow for good airflow and soft silicone leg grippers hold on tight without digging into your skin.
Moreover, the pre-formed, multi-thickness and multi-density stretch Cytech chamois provides excellent long-distance comfort with nary a saddle sore to speak of.
Traditionalists may find the insert on the bigger and thicker side of things but aside from personal preferences, it's a good pairing for ultra-minimalist saddles that have little padding built in.
Durability has been very good as well, with not a hint of wear after over a dozen machine washings (not to mention a few inadvertent trips through the dryer, too).
Whether or not you can get on with the colour scheme is one thing – and you'd certainly want to pair the shorts with the matching Atlas jersey for a proper look – and the shorts are lacking in current trendy features like wide leg bands and so-called 'compression' fabrics.
But they hit all the essential points with their excellent fit, quality made-in-Italy construction and comfy chamois, and thus offer good justification for the moderately premium price tag.