Le Col Pro Bib Shorts review

The latest incarnation of Le Col’s high-end Pro bibs, designed in conjunction with professional road cyclists, are intended for racing and long training days in all ride positions.

The Pro Bibs are built around Le Col’s Lycra Sport fabric, which is designed to offer all-day support while remaining highly breathable.

They boast a race cut optimised for aerodynamic advantage from top to bottom, and men's and women's-specific designs are available.

Le Col has used wide elastic shoulder straps that sit flat to help keep your jersey smooth against the body for added time-saving benefits. The low front and rear panels are both mesh for breathability.

For rear-end relief, Le Col incorporates its Pro Dolomiti chamois, which has a smaller profile to reduce bulk with high-density padding in the areas where you need it most.

Le Col Pro Bib Shorts performance

The Pro bibs feel instantly comfortable because there’s enough leg compression to keep the shorts in place, so the bib straps don’t feel like they’re pulling the pad up between your legs in a wedgie fashion, like some.

The fit is true to size and the leg length was spot on for me. The stretchy and wide silicone leg grippers are comfortable, and everything sitting as it should keeps things as aero as possible.

I liked the upper sections, which have wide, flat shoulder straps with mesh back and stomach panels. They do their job well and go almost unnoticed while riding.

The Pro Dolomiti pad soaks up road vibrations for pain-free miles even on the longest days. The simplicity of targeted padding creates channels that allow airflow, aiding breathability so chafing was never an issue. The pad sits perfectly whether riding on the hoods or hooks.

Le Col Pro Bib Shorts bottom line

The overall execution here is spot on. There are no gimmicks, just a hardwearing pair of race bibs that work in a variety of temperatures. Their fit and performance almost justify their steep price tag.