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review
Shorts & 3/4s
Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts
Nalini AHS Marmotte Bibshort

Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts

8
by George Hill
UPDATED Tue, Sep 11, 2018 15:45

First Published Sep 11, 2018

1
£110.00

VERDICT:

8
10
A very good pair of bib shorts that are comfortable over long hours in the saddle
Weight: 
171g
Contact: 
www.nalini.com
How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts perform well on the bike, are comfortable over long distances, and offer good wicking and ventilation.

  • Pros: Comfortable pad, nice stretch in the material for ease of movement
  • Cons: Nothing major to note

The Marmotte shorts sit below the Italian brand's top-of-the-range Tourmalet Black and 'Vintage' designs. The main difference between the Marmotte and Tourmalet shorts is the pad, with the Tourmalet using the '1nt3gra' insert and the Marmotte using the Tiger Long.

> Find your nearest dealer here

I found the Tiger Long pad very comfortable; I didn't feel any real discomfort even after four hours out on rough roads. It offers a good level of wicking and ventilation, while also having enough cushioning to deaden most bumps in the road.

nalini_ahs_marmotte_bibshort_-_pad.jpg

Elsewhere Nalini has used a 'four-way stretch' Lycra with UV protection. It allows plenty of freedom of movement, making them very comfortable on the bike. Each leg is made up of four panels, using flatlock stitching to prevent chafing while pedalling. The fabric is also good for wicking and quickly moved sweat away from the skin, something that was much appreciated when testing these during the recent heatwave.

nalini_ahs_marmotte_bibshort_-_riding.jpg

At the bottom of each leg is a 60mm wide hem, of which 45mm is built-in silicone grippers. This holds the hem firmly in place; there was absolutely no movement up the leg during sustained use, even when I was particularly sweaty.

On the left leg Nalini has also included two high-vis logos, which are subtle during the day but offer a nice bit of visibility in low-light conditions, though it would be better if this was on the right for UK customers.

nalini_ahs_marmotte_bibshort_-_rear.jpg

Up top, the bib shorts have wide, comfortable straps made of mesh across the back and from around halfway up the front. The cutout on the back allows for better ventilation and heat dissipation.

nalini_ahs_marmotte_bibshort_-_straps_back.jpg

The straps have a fair amount of stretch in them, which adds to their comfort.

nalini_ahs_marmotte_bibshort_-_front_straps.jpg

One of the key selling points of these bib shorts is their compression qualities. You do notice a bit of a compression effect, but without a lab it's hard to judge exactly how much impact this has.

nalini_ahs_marmotte_bibshort.jpg

Build quality is very good, with the flatlock stitching used throughout holding strong through a month of almost constant use and the logos on the legs not looking like peeling even after going through several washes.

With an rrp of £110, the Marmotte shorts aren't cheap but with the quality of construction, the pad, and the fabric choices, I'd say it's a fair price. That said, they're a tenner more than Rapha's Core bib shorts and Castelli's Velocissimo IVs, and £20 more than the very highly rated Lusso Carbons.

> Buyer's Guide: 22 of the best cycling bib shorts

They're cheaper than dhb's Aeron Lab Raceline bib shorts, but those do offer a few more technical features for the extra £20.

Overall I'd say these bib shorts are very good; they have a very comfortable pad, offer a good amount of stretch, and wick moisture well. 

Verdict

A very good pair of bib shorts that are comfortable over long hours in the saddle

road.cc test report

Make and model: Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for

Nalini says, "Bibshort ergonomically shaped on the ride position, with high features muscle support fabrics and UV protection."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Nalini lists these features:

· Main fabric is Lycra Sport with good muscle support, recovery features and UPF+50

· Braces in soft peach hand stretch mesh

· Bibs in breathable stretch mesh

· Braces system with central back opening, designed to improve comfort and ventilation

· Microfiber lightweight elastic band at bottom leg with silicone gripper inside

· Reflective logos

· 4 ndls flatlock stitchings

· Lycra fabrics muscle support features and UPF +50, stretch mesh, Heat Performance

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Well made with strong flatlock stitching throughout.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Performed very well throughout the review. The material allows for ease of movement while also having strong wicking qualities.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

Seems well made with a good material choice, so likely to last a long time.

Rate the product for fit:
 
7/10

They fitted well, thanks in no small part to both the stretch in the fabric used and the strong leg grippers which kept everything in place well.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10

The mediums I tested fitted well and along the lines of what I would expect from an Italian brand.

Rate the product for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10

The pad used was perfectly comfortable even after several hours on rough roads, plus the wicking qualities of the fabric quickly moved moisture away from my skin.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Very easy: I washed them several times at 30 degrees without any issues.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well, they were comfortable, breathable, and wicked moisture well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The leg grippers were particularly impressive, holding the bib shorts in place really well.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

There was nothing major that jumped out as noticeably negative.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

They are £10 more than Rapha's Core bib shorts and Castelli's Velocissimo IVs, and £20 more than Lusso's Carbons. Although the dhb Aeron Lab Raceline bib shorts are £20 more, they offer a few more technical features.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

They're very good: comfortable for long rides, high wicking, with good fabric choice and excellent leg grippers. 

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 29  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: Cinelli Gazzetta  My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts 2018
Nalini AHS Marmotte bib shorts
Nalini 2018
Nalini
George Hill

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

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1 comments

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lbalc | 5 years ago
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There's not that much tested on road cc. that is from Nalini so it is nice to see a reivew. Almost all my shorts are from Nalini. I own  5 pairs (2 the same) of shorts across the range from near the bottom to the top of the range- from about 3-4 years ago. I own a couple of jerseys and a nanondry jersey, leg & arm and bib tights. I tend to find their stuff great quality. The stitching is high quality, I've not had anything come undone. I've a few times pulled their shorts with compression leg grippers too hard and heard tearing. I've looked over the shorts and never seen the stitching unravel or fail because of pulling too hard. So even under strain their shorts hold up and stitching seems to hold despite damage done. Considering I own a lot of Gore I've experienced a few items where stitching has come undone. Nalini logos on shorts have not been good as they have peeled off over time, same with some mitts I have. Otherwise I've been impressed by quality and longevity. I commute daily and have washed their shorts many times and no real loss of stretch in their shorts- just the logos peeling off. Size wise I'm 31." waist and an L is correct on their old size chart which said L was between 30-32". Their new size chart doesn't make sense to me. Like any brand their cheaper models often have a more relaxed fit. So their red lable shorts seem a bit big. Go to their black label and their compression aeprolight shorts in L fit like a glove. I'm M for jerseys. 

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