Ekoi Supersoft Short Bib Shorts Black

The Ekoi Supersoft Short Bib Shorts are very well made and – despite a tightly elasticated fit – very comfortable. The pad is excellent for long or rough rides and, maybe best of all, Ekoi seems to offer very significant discounts on everything it makes

> Buy now: Ekoi Supersoft Short Bib Shorts for £138.23 from Ekoi

'Inspired by' the shorts supplied to various pro teams and priced at a correspondingly high level, the Supersofts come with all the usual claims: unrestricted movement, optimal performance, minimal seams and a second-skin fit. 'Composed of 38% elastane, [the fabric] boasts a suppleness superior to most bib shorts on the market as it literally hugs the shape of your thighs,' says Ekoi. Literally all your other shorts literally do as well, I'd wager, though the wager is not literal as you won't get a penny from me.

Nevertheless, these really are comfortable, and I didn't expect that to be the case – I have a long torso that frequently makes heavily elasticated straps a problem, and at first the straps here, along with the lower section's stern elastane squeeze, made me wonder if I was struggling into a size medium instead of a large. They really were size large, though. They just feel kind of small.

Naturally I was anticipating an uncomfortable ride, but I was wrong. Somehow I never got the achy shoulders or sudden feeling of release once I took the straps off at the end, and my thighs remained entirely comfortable in their two-way stretch homes.

These aren't the longest shorts, stopping at an old-school mid thigh rather than down near your kneecaps, but the raw-cut ends and broad, effective silicone grippers work perfectly to keep them comfortably in place.

But it's the pad that's the real highlight. It's actually the part that's 'supersoft,' and while I didn't personally find it 'provides a pleasant sensation on contact with the skin' as claimed – frankly I think it'd be a bit weird if it did – I found it very comfortable. I had zero problems with chafing from that soft surface, the thickness tapers down nicely towards the well-stitched edges, and the firmness is perfectly judged. For me, anyway. I guess we're all different. But it's firm without feeling at all unyielding, and doesn't collapse over time.

It also deals very well with rough roads and gravel tracks; these are the kind of shorts you don't have cause to think about while you're actually riding. If I was buying I'd like to try the next size up as well, as I think they'd probably work without issue, but given the comfort of the tight fit in my regular size I wouldn't say the sizing is out.

Value

At £276.46 these are extremely expensive, topping everything we've tested lately from some very fashionable (and spendy) boutique brands. Even the Assos Equipe RS Schtradivari S11 Longs look positively cheap against these at £215. And that's schaying schomething.

Meanwhile the Pas Normal Studios Escapism Bibs are £240 and the MAAP Training Bib 3.0s are £195, and neither brand is known for shyness with high prices. Furthermore, while it may be subjective, I don't think the Ekoi name has the same cachet as Assos, PNS or MAAP – and that's a fair bit of what you're paying for with all of these things.

We can only fairly compare RRPs, but there are certain brands that play games with those – and Ekoi may well be one. Everything on Ekoi's site I looked at was discounted at a rate between 40 and 60%, and even brand new designs were 50% off – the Supersoft Shorts, at the time of writing, were also 50% off at just £138.23.

At £138 these are far more competitive, and while the quality and performance are good enough for a pair of £275+ shorts, they're obviously a lot more impressive at half that price. That's still not super cheap, despite the 'discount's' best efforts to make it look that way, but these are easily as good as their rivals at that price.

Our best bib shorts for cycling buyer's guide covers different styles of shorts at a wide range of prices.

Overall

The Ekoi Supersoft shorts have a great racy fit and prove very comfortable in every way. They feel very well put together too, and look like they'll last. Yes, the price is extremely high, but in reality you're probably not going to pay anywhere near it, and the performance and quality are worthy either way.

Verdict

Excellent, very comfortable shorts with a (nominally) very high price