Nalini Dimaro Fluorescent Bibtights

Nalini's parent company MOA Sport has a 40-year pedigree in cycle clothing manufacture, and it shows in the Dimaro bib tights. These may well become your go-to winter kit for chilly, fast rides - with a few caveats.

The Dimaro is Nalini's flagship cold-weather bib tight, part of their Pro line and recommended from 6 °C down to zero. It comes in what they call Regular Fit - 'a technical cut that is not too body hugging'. Your typical UK sportive rider might welcome this as a sign Nalini have abandoned the notorious coffee-and-cigarette-for-breakfast Italian sizing crapshoot for something resembling reality.

Sadly, no. At 6ft tall and 72Kg with a 32in waist I'm flattered as a Small by the Nalini size chart. In reality I needed a Large to achieve optimal pad placement and leg length/calf-ankle zip tightness. Thankfully the cut and fabric combine to make a Large feel just right, so as ever size-up a couple when purchasing la via Italiana.

The fabric is a fleecy-lined Roubaix throughout, including the upper body and ample-width shoulder straps. The panels curving above each knee and outside the thigh to meet across the lower back are shiny printed lycra with less stretch than the rest of the garment, but with the same fabric weight and feel on the fluffy side. These panels feature thick printed fluorescent yellow bands around the lower thigh, with matching yellow at the ankle bands. During night rides these bands were remarked upon by other cyclists as being highly visible, resembling 'those snap-on ankle things'.

While Nalini claim the fabric is treated to prevent ingress of oil or mud, in practice after a few winter rides through Hampshire's finest clay/effluent mix the anklebands were in a less-than-pristine state. Repeated washing at the recommended temperature didn't shift the stains - possibly an unavoidable price to pay for built-in enhanced visibility on the lower leg and a reminder why most winter tights are black all the way down. This isn't an issue if wearing overshoes, of course.

The non-shiny fabric comprising the majority of the garment is treated with a water-repellant finish which sheds water when new only slightly less-well than the wet-weather winter tight benchmark, Castelli's £110 all-black Nanoflex bibs. After half a dozen rides/washes the Nalini water-repellant performance hasn't degraded noticeably from new. It's a noteworthy pity the shiny fabric across the lower thigh and back isn't treated with the same water-repellant finish - possibly because it's also printed. A generous 15cm-long locking YKK zip on the outside of each ankle rounds out the legs, with small hanging loops inside the cuffs if you need to suspend them upside down.

On the upper body the panels extend up to between the shoulderblades and level with the ribcage, whilst at the front the panel is level with the bellybutton. There's enough give in the material to allow a slightly-bent-over answer to call of nature numero uno without having to remove jacket / jersey and slip an arm out of one strap. Wee-in-a-hedge sportive/audax types will appreciate this.

The panel seams aren't flatlock-stitched - somewhat surprising in a flagship product but not unexpected for £89 (noting Giordana's £160 FormaRed Carbon bibs aren't flatlocked either). No discomfort was apparent during testing up to four hours, but if you plan to do full-day rides and have sensitive skin in particular places you may find seams an issue.

The pad is MOA Sport's STP Gel Pro, a single top layer divided into four sections. The area beneath each sit bone includes an elongated pencil-thin gel donut underneath the surface. These are aligned so that you are supported either when sitting up or in stem-chewing TT position. There are a further two thin gel sections under the centre of the pad. Overall this reviewer found it to be a very comfortable pad, however with all things nether-region Your Mileage May Vary.

The main reason for a Roubaix tight is warmth and the Dimaro tights score highly in this regard. During multi-hour rides in 6-8 °C at high effort (average 85% of maximum heart rate) the Dimaros were just right - shins and calves were warm, quads felt right and the upper body didn't overheat. Getting out of the saddle generated a few breezes around the midriff, but nothing uncomfortable given the effort being expended and easily managed by a warmer base or mid-layer.

Long rides at lower tempos (60% MHR) in slightly warmer 12 °C temps felt likewise just right, but you probably wouldn't want to do a slow ride closer to zero, unless you normally run a bit warm. (For reference I wear shorts with a padless Roubaix tight over the top when it gets below about 4 °C, so for me the Dimaros are an option for 4 to 5 °C and warmer).

Riding in prolonged rain highlights the previously-noted absence of a water-repellent finish on the thigh material. This isn't a problem at first, but after an hour or so manifests itself as water feeling like it's collecting behind the knee. The ride on which this was apparent was by anyone's account very wet indeed (Met Service amber weather warning, water sheeting off the road), and at around 2 °C any water was always going to be noticeable and cold. I would normally venture out into anticipated hard, cold rain with Roubaix tights over Roubaix knicks, so the fact a single layer could keep things relatively comfortable is a tribute to the overall package.

Overall for an RRP of under £90 the Nalini Dimaro tights are a very good buy. They fit well, are warm all over, have high visibility built-in and the pad is very good. The only real downside is the lack of an overall water repellent treatment.

Oh, and be aware of the typical silly Italian sizing. When I'm King Of The World, mutter, mutter...

Verdict

Great value tight for chilly or wet days, with high-visibility legs and comfortable pad