Lusso NiteLife Thermal Bib Tights

Bib longs and tights are an essential piece of kit for winter riding, and the Lusso NiteLife Thermal bib tights do a decent job, offering comfort, warmth and plenty of visibility.

As well as feeling good on the bike, the NiteLife bibs also include a few features that should really make a difference to your winter riding.

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Their appearance is dominated by the grey panels on the lower calf and upper rear thigh. This grey fabric is reflective and catches light fantastically, even in bright daylight. This is extremely useful if, like me, you commute in the dark or do training rides in the mornings/evenings before or after work. Although not measurable, the reflective panels gave me a boost in confidence that I was more visible to other road users. And as it's a woven fabric, the reflective property isn't going to peel off – as has happened with some ageing garments in my possession that feature (or used to!) a reflective print.

It's surprising just how well these panels reflect light. The light source doesn't have to be at 90 degrees to the garment to catch the reflective elements in the fabric. Their position is well thought out, too: the calf panels not only give 360-degree coverage, crucially, they're a moving object, which helps draw attention as they follow your pedal stroke. And on top of this, the upper thigh panels give further high-level coverage.

Inside, the H4 pad is comfortable, extending well towards the inner thigh and with decent coverage from front to rear. Long training rides and short commutes have been carried out with no ill effects, despite the pad not feeling the most supple when I first took the tights out of their packaging. It's also an easy pad to walk around in, which is good when you wander into the café for your post-ride cuppa (and cake, goes without saying).

>> Check out our guide to winter cycling bib tights here

Sizing is as expected; there's a bit of give to the four-way-stretch fabric, so the bibs don't feel restrictive. The reflective panels have a different feel, not restrictive as they also offer a decent amount of movement, but different nevertheless. Leg length is also good, allowing the pad to be positioned correctly without straining the foot loops. These are my first foot loops for a while, having had issue with them on a previous pair of bib longs where they were uncomfortable, but Lusso has got them right. They're not noticeable when you've got your shoes on, and they keep the lower leg in place well.

The bib straps sit well over the chest area, with no nipple chafing thanks to the broad and softly seamed edges.

The back panel also hugs you firmly around the kidney area and extends high to the rear, while the front is high enough for decent midriff support yet low enough to make a mid-ride pee a fairly straightforward affair. There's no zip around the front, and the looped feet means no ankle zips either, so no moving parts that could end up compromising the tights' longevity.

The thermal fabric is brushed on the inside and is fairly toasty, and doesn't get overly hot if the temperature warms up to the high single figures. The warmth they retain does mean they're more suited to the lower temperatures of winter rather than late spring/early autumn, though.

Verdict

Thermal bib tights with 360-degree visibility in low light levels, all-day comfort and great UK-made build quality