dhb Vaeon Roubaix Bib Tights

With summer a distant memory, it's time to start considering cold-weather kit. Luckily, there's a new range of autumn/winter clothing from dhb including these very nice Vaeon Roubaix bib-tights.

Specifically designed for riding your bike in cold conditions, these bib-tights are made from a relatively thick style of fabric called Roubaix, which means it's smooth on the outside for a neat look, and slightly fleecy on the inside for warmth and comfort.

After a few recent test rides on some pretty chilly days, we can say they are perfect for autumn weather, and will be fine for all but the coldest winter days as well.

Despite the slight extra thickness, the fabric is stretchy and gives a nice close fit around the legs and rear-end, without being too tight. And if you happen to hit a warm spell of weather while out on your bike (or are just giving it stick on a climb), any moisture from sweat is wicked away quickly.

The bib section of these bib-tights is pretty high back and front, which provides an extra layer of insulation above the waist for those cold days. The straps are made from the same material as the rest of the shorts, with a mesh panel between the straps across the back to help airflow and avoid sweat building up.

The cut is anatomical, meaning the tights have a 'bend' to align with the way your body bends when sitting on the bike. This means a few more panels of fabric than tights from some other manufacturers, and therefore a few extra seams, but they're all neat and don't rub or chafe against the skin.

The Vaeon Roubaix tights are available in several different varieties: male and female cuts, with and without a pad, and with or without bib (the latter called waist-tights). Just for the record, our test pair is the male cut and has a pad.

The pad (also known as the insert or chamois) is the most important part of any piece of cycling leg-wear, and these Vaeon Roubaix tights go for the 'Giro' pad from specialist manufacturer CyTech. This is a medium-range pad, thicker than CyTech's 'Race' variety, but thinner than the full-on 'Tour' variety. It's absolutely fine for several hours in the saddle.

Where the tights fit round each ankle, there's a zip. When we reviewed dhb's previous version of these winter tights (called the Pace Roubaix) we noted that the zips rattled and were clearly audible when cycling. So we're impressed and delighted to see these Vaeons have clip-shut zips which are completely silent.

And wait, zip fans, there's even more good news to report. Rather than being right at the back of the tights , or on the side over the ankle bone, the zips on these Vaeons have been carefully positioned fit between the ankle bone and Achilles tendon; this works well and is a very nice feature.

But there's also a slight downside in this area. At the base of the tights around each hem is a silicone gripper-strip to hold the tights in place. But the fit around the ankle is slightly loose. There is no loop to go under the instep to hold the tights down, as found on some other brands of tight.

This slight bagginess would be expected if the tights were simply too big, but our test pair (size medium) fits nicely everywhere else. To be fair, this loose fit probably won't be an issue for most riders, especially if wearing thick winter socks and overshoes, but those with dainty ankles may want to check this aspect.

Other features of the tights include a zip at the front of the bib to assist with (male) pee stops, with a little bit of fabric over the zip to stop the zipper chaffing against the skin or other items of clothing. There also a bit of reflective piping on the back of the knees, plus a dhb logo and one of those mysterious little orange tabs in the seam on the rear of the tights.

The Veaon bib tights are available in black only, and cost a penny under £50 on the Wiggle website, which is a very fair price compared to similar quality Roubaix bib tights from other manufacturers. At the time of writing this price was further reduced to £39.99 which makes it a real bargain.

Verdict

Well-designed and very comfortable bib-tights, ideal for cold-weather riding. Excellent quality and a bargain price too.