Santini Women’s Volo Bib Short C3W Pad

The Santini Women's Volo Bib Shorts are comfortable – once you get used to the leg grippers – and have a great fit, allowing you to spend hours in the saddle through the spring and summer months. Having tested the matching jersey and found it excellent, I must confess I was a little less enthused by these, but nonetheless enjoyed riding in them.

• Pros: 'Butterfly cut' braces and comfortable chamois
• Cons: Leg grippers

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Let's start with the key feature of any good shorts: the pad. The C3W chamois is light and compact. It doesn't feel bulky or irritating when off the bike and relaxing at the cafe. On the bike, it stayed in place as I shifted around in the saddle and was comfortable for over four hours of riding.

The wide bib straps are super-stretchy and laser cut (along with the entire bib section) for minimal seems and maximal comfort, which they certainly provide. The butterfly cut design features multiple mesh panels for breathability and comes up higher at the front than most of my shorts. I found this design incredibly comfortable with the straps sitting in place well so that I barely noticed them while riding.

In its search for ultimate comfort, Santini has done away with elasticated leg grippers and instead, the inside of the shorts is peppered with small silicone dots which adhere to your skin to hold the shorts in place. While these microdots do stick to the skin very effectively to hold the shorts in place, I found that it took me a lot of adjustment during my first few rides in the shorts to sit the grippers in a comfortable position around my legs. This was followed by further mid-ride adjustment because of some rubbing from a seam on the inside leg. However, in the past couple of weeks my legs seem to have grown used to the grippers and I've had no more issues.

The predominantly black design of the shorts means they'll match just about any of your kit, but colourful stitching and mesh panels in the bib are designed to match the lovely Volo Women's Jersey. Both are available in three colour options of orange, blue or the violet I tested.

According to the Santini size guide I'm somewhere between a small and medium (a UK size 8/10 in most shorts) and the medium fit me well (it's not me modelling in the photos). Santini kit does generally come up small so if you're unsure then sizing up is probably sensible.

The fit around my legs and bum is just right and the stretchy bibs hold everything securely in place with no excess material. I don't like my shorts too long in the leg, especially as I don't have very long legs myself. These are a great length for me, finishing a good few cm above the knee.

An RRP of £125 is the sort of price I would expect to pay for a really good quality and comfortable pair of shorts, but I have worn more comfortable ones than the Volos that are also cheaper. That said, while these haven't quite lived up to the comfort claims, I would still consider buying a pair – especially if they were on offer.

> Buyer's Guide: 18 of the best cycling bib shorts

If you're looking for some quality, comfortable shorts, I'd suggest you also check out the Rapha Women's Core Bib Shorts which are £25 cheaper at £100. In the other direction, maintaining their title as the best pair of shorts I've ever had the pleasure to ride in are the Assos Women's T.laalalai S7 shorts which I reviewed a couple of years back. You'd need to be prepared to spend a little more, though, as they cost £160.

Verdict

A good pair of shorts with a comfortable pad and great bib section, but the grippers take some getting used to