Giro Chrono Pro Bib Shorts

These Chrono Pro bib shorts from Giro are absolutely lovely to wear. The fit is excellent, the materials are great and the chamois pad is up there with the most comfortable I've tried. The only fly in the ointment is that they are pricier than some that deliver a near-perfect ride.

• Pros: Very comfortable pad for road riding, soft fabrics
• Cons: Pricey against the competition, thin pad is better suited to smoother roads

Holding the Chronos in my hand I wasn't too sure how they were going to perform; after all, that Gradient Stretch Woven fabric that Giro has used for the majority of the leg and the lower body doesn't exactly feel the softest to the touch with its ribbed finish.

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Put them on, though, and they feel great. That Gradient material actually feels really comfortable against the skin and its slightly compressive nature feels very supportive around your thighs. It feels quite robust as well, so plenty of durability too.

Giro doesn't use the fabric all the way around, with the inside of your legs getting a more standard Lycra. The thinner material feels less compressive than the Gradient so it offers a nice balance of support, along with comfort and freedom of movement.

Thanks to the fit, Giro has provided minimal leg grippers in the way of a strip of silicone, but it works.

There's yet another fabric for the Chrono's lumbar support panel. Again, it's compressive and is designed to support the muscles of your lower back when riding for a long time. It makes sense as back pain is probably one of the most common cycling niggles, but in reality I didn't notice any performance benefits here.

You get a central rear mesh section heading up to the bib straps and it incorporates a radio pocket for all of you budding pros out there. It'll take all but the biggest of phones and with its position it is a very secure place to keep some cash or credit card.

The main straps are wide and flat so there is no irritation to be found and they don't dig into your shoulders either.

Like many manufacturers, Giro has used Elastic Interface for the chamois pad. Judging by the name, Chrono Pro, the fact that it's stamped with Giro's logo, and that you can't find it on Elastic Interface's website, I'd say it's a custom design.

It's very good too, with just a couple of changes of foam density and a central channel to reduce pressure. I found it very comfortable for road rides of any length no matter how hard I was riding, but its thinness does mean you can take a bit of kicking if you spend a lot of time on rough roads or take to the gravel.

The cut is designed to work on the bike, as in when you first try the shorts on and stand up they feel a little short in the body, but once perched in the saddle they feel exactly right.

They are shaped to fit close but aren't anywhere near as extreme as something like dhb's new Lab shorts.

Which brings me on to value... I said that the dhb Labs are some of the best race shorts money can buy, and these Chrono Pros come very close but are £30 more. You can also get some excellent bib shorts for less than £100, such as Lusso's Carbon Bib Shorts for £89.99.

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In their defence the Giros are very well made, hardwearing and offer that excellent fit. And you can certainly pay more – the Alé PRR 2.0 Fusion HDs, which head the Italian brand's bib short range, are £170.

Verdict

Impressively comfortable shorts for whatever style of road riding you do