Altura Progel Plus Women’s Cargo Cycling Bib Shorts review

Altura’s Progel Plus Cargo Shorts are designed to provide cyclists with comfort and convenience, and are packed full of additional features.

Cargo pockets offer greater carrying capacity and the cross-body bib straps are intended to make for easy wee stops.

However, while good, the execution of these features isn’t perfect. The fit seems compromised slightly by the cross-body straps and low-cut back, causing bunching and risking skin exposure on the back.

Progel Plus Women’s Cargo Bib Shorts specifications and details

The shorts, available in UK sizes 8-20, are made from a relatively thick polyamide/elastane material mix.

Reflective details feature over the top of each of the substantial gripper bands.

A 3D Progel Plus chamois pad is built into the shorts, and is made up of dual-density foam and a ‘rooted’ gel.

This means the gel inserts are embedded directly in the foam pad, aiming to support key pressure points and dampen vibrations from the road.

In addition, there are cargo pockets on each leg, constructed from mesh with an elasticated top.

The shorts are designed to provide women with a convenient and fast option for wee stops, with cross-body straps attaching either side of the hips.

This combines with a low cut at the rear, enabling the shorts to be pulled down without removing your jersey.

Progel Plus Women’s Cargo Bib Shorts performance

These fall towards the cheaper end of the spectrum of women’s bib shorts, retailing at £75.

While they’re cost-effective on paper, there’s room for improvement.

The fabric of the shorts is certainly heavier and thicker than some of the more expensive women’s summer bib shorts I’ve tested – Santini’s Unico women’s bibs or the Shimano Sumire shorts for example.

The upside is I felt the material was durable, maintaining opacity and preventing a see-through bib experience. The downside is they felt warm to ride in and I didn't like the way they felt against the skin.

Because of the material used and their construction, they weigh 205g in the size 10 – compared to 137g for Shimano’s Sumire bibs.

The shorts are designed for easy wee stops, enabling you to pull them underneath you without removing your jersey. However, the resulting placement of the straps and cut of the shorts led to issues with fit.

I found material bunched in the front of the shorts, which in turn limited how settled the chamois pad was and caused it to sit further forwards – making for a less comfortable ride.

The design also means the cut of the shorts at the back is very low, and not well supported by the straps. This resulted in material pooling here, and a triangle of skin being exposed whenever my jersey rode up slightly.

The cargo pockets are great for giving you flexibility to carry more. I found them roomy – possibly excessively large – but they're built robustly and held the things I stowed securely.

My other issue was with the leg grippers, which I found overly tight when compared to other bib shorts I've tested. They began to dig in during riding, giving me ‘sausage legs’.

I was even left with a lasting impression of the chunky rubber stipples and the “tried, tested, trusted” slogan imprinted on my thigh.

While I found the gripper band uncomfortable, it provides great visibility because almost the whole band is reflective with an additional reflective Altura logo to boot. It was a big plus for riding in the dark.

Progel Plus Women’s Cargo Cycling Bib Shorts bottom line

These shorts do the job they're designed for. The additional features are great, but they didn’t quite excel in my eyes.

While wee stops are made easy and I could carry my whole lunch in the pockets, I was a little put off riding in them due to the issues with fabric bunching, the chamois moving around and the tight gripper.

However, this may be less of an issue for someone with narrower legs.