Band of Climbers Empire Bib Shorts

The Band of Climbers Empire Bib Shorts are really well put together with a decent enough pad for six hours of riding. If you're unconcerned that the logo on your thighs might amount to false advertising, chances are you'll be very happy with them.

> Buy now: Band of Climbers Empire Bib Shorts for £115 from Band of Climbers

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Donning the Empire bibs for the first time, my immediate thought was that Band of Climbers wasn't just a brand name and these shorts had been specifically designed for spindly mountain goats. It took a bit of hoicking and manoeuvring to get them into position and I blamed this on an unusually tight fit in the legs.

I quite quicky revised this view, however, because it is not narrow leg holes that provide the resistance, it's 65mm deep panels of silicone. These sizeable leg grippers don't exactly slide up your thighs when you're putting the shorts on... but then they don't exactly slide down your thighs once they're in position either.

That, I would say, is the greatest strength of the Empire bib shorts. You get them into position and they stay there. The legs don't shuffle up or down at all. The pad doesn't move about. Everything feels very solid – which is very reassuring if you're heading out for five or six hours during which even a slight bit of fabric rub can do actual physical damage.

So, despite knee-jerk reservations, I would actually say the sizing is as per Band of Climbers' guide and in keeping with most other brands. I pretty much always wear large bibs and I wouldn't have wanted or expected these to be any larger or smaller.

The key element for any road cycling bib shorts that are billed as being for rides of up to six hours is of course the pad. This one, from Elastic Interface, does the job, I'd say. It's 13mm thick at the sit bones and decently firm.

I've pads that feel as if they would give you more support when assessed off the bike between thumb and forefinger, but none where I've really been struck by some great step-change in comfort level. If anything, in most cases, the shape, structure and (really very) neat stitching of the Empire shorts gives them the edge.

They're comfortable shorts. I wouldn't say I was unaware I'd been on a bike after five-and-a-half hours, but I also wouldn't say that my saddle ranked all that high on my list of discomforts by that point – which I'd take as a win.

Other than that, everything feels unremarkable but very sensible. The front is low enough that toilet stops aren't a faff and the upper half is a light, stretch mesh, including the straps.

There's nothing wacky or objectionable, unless you for some reason take issue with the two small reflective tabs on the backs of the legs.

Value

At £115, the Empire bib shorts are not cheap, but it's a fairly typical price if you're after gear for longer rides.

Of those we've scored highly in recent times, Stef really rated the £135 Albion ABR1 Bib Shorts Albion ABR1 Bib Shorts, which feature a large proportion of recycled materials.

Ben found the £125 Santini Karma Kinetic Bib Shorts were a great option for summer rides, as well as having a compressive fit and an excellent pad.

Coming in at the same price are the Assos Mille GT Bib Shorts G2 that Ben also liked, though he thought some might find the legs a little short.

Hollis rated the £99 Gore Wear Torrent Bib Shorts+ Mens bib shorts, but he felt they were more suited to milder weather rather than full-on summer days.

Conclusion

The pad is very good and the fit – for this rider at least – is exceptional. If this is your price bracket, it's hard to imagine you'll be disappointed.

Verdict

A great fit, lovely stitching and a decent pad at a price that shouldn't especially raise an eyebrow