La Passione Minimal Bib Shorts

Tell us what the product is for

La Passione says: "Made of a matt and soft fabric, characterized by an excellent muscle compression and perfect adherence to the legs and hip bone. Its construction, as suggested by its name, is extremely minimal. The leg finish has a Raw-Cut, with a whole silicone inner band to ensure the maximum hold without constraints. The shoulder strap is made of a single piece of ultra-light, perforated elastic fabric with anatomical shape. The newest Elastic Interface® pad used is optimal for extra-long distance rides: you can stay comfortably in the saddle for more than 7 hours. Its anatomical construction has a central channel which improves blood flow and reduces pressure and numbness. The innovative air-mapping structure and the blend yarn guarantee increased cooling functions and quick dry. The central Hybrid Cell System insert with different foam densities provides breathability and extra protection.'

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

From La Passione's website:

KEY FEATURES

Premium dyed Italian fabric

Highly compressive and matte main body fabric

Super-light sweat-proof mesh braces

The flat stitching are reduced to a minimum for a more comfortable ride

Raw-Cut leg hem

Non-slip silicone leg grippers

On tone reflective understated logo on left leg

On tone reflective Hold the Line logo

Elastic Interface® Pad for extra-long distance rides

Anatomical refined construction

'WORTH THE EFFORT' tag printed on the back of the brace

These Bib Shorts weigh 180g / 6.3oz

Conditions: 7-28°C / 44,6-82,4°F

FABRICS

Main body: 62% Polyamide/38% Elastane

Back braces: 70% Polyester/30% Elastane

Hydrophilic treatment

Antibacterial and wicking treatment

SPF UV 50+ sun protection factor

Very nicely made in Italy.

As comfortable as La Passione claims on long rides.

As good as new a month on, even the white bib straps have not gone grey.

Great fit.

Size medium was spot on.

Full marks for comfort.

£125 is good value for very comfortable, well-designed bib shorts that are made in Italy – you can pay a lot more.

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

It went in a 30°C wash with everything else and the crucially the black body didn't bleed into the white straps, but it did lose the 'worth the effort' label on the back of the bib after the second wash. The reflectives are all still there.

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

The Minimal bib shorts performed as well as La Passione said they would. As I say, I didn't manage seven hours but I did do a 70-mile group ride in them and my undercarriage could easily have done the same again.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

I liked everything about them, from the super-comfortable pad to the compressive matte fabric to the stretchy, white bibs.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

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

Very well. They are nudging the premium price bracket but are priced lower than the £140 Santini Tono Puros that I reviewed recently and also the £150 Le Col Pro Bib Shorts. I liked both of those shorts a lot and gave them positive reviews, but I would say the La Passione shorts match them both for build quality, comfort and style at a lower price.

Use this box to explain your overall score

Exceptional is exactly how I would describe the La Passione Minimal bib shorts. They're close to perfect, especially considering their price compared to similar competitor bib shorts. But if I was being really picky I would have liked a tiny bit more leg length, and it's very trivial but the 'worth the effort' label ought to stay stuck on beyond two washes if it's judged worth the effort to put it there in the first place.