Pearl Izumi Attack 3/4 Bib Tights

The Men's Attack 3/4 Bib Tights from Pearl Izumi use a soft recycled nylon for the bulk of their construction, and it's comfortable. It's not the thickest fabric though, which limits these to early spring, late autumn or very mild winter days.

As the years go by, I seem to feel the extremes of temperature less and less. I remember the early days on the bike, back at the turn of the century and I really felt the cold. I'm guessing I've hardened up over the years with all of those winter commutes where I used to turn up looking like Frosty the Snowman after another ride in freezing fog.

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With this in mind I tend to ride 3/4s well into the depths of winter. The pair most of grabbed are the Primal Dawn Men's Bib Knickers I've had since 2018, which cope with a massive range of temperatures from the mid-teens centigrade down to well below freezing.

The Attack uses a much thinner fabric, though which kind of limits them to temperatures at best in the upper single figures. So, you're basically looking at either side of the summer months.

That aside, they are very nice to wear. The SELECT Transfer fabric contains 80% recycled nylon yarns and 20% elastane to offset your carbon footprint (tyre track?) a bit, and it feels soft and has plenty of stretch. It gives a close fit without feeling restrictive.

Pearl Izumi has done a good job creating this fit without a huge amount of panels, and therefore seams. Stitching has been kept away from irritation points such as the back of the knees, and for that I'm hugely thankful.

I've ridden the Attacks on rides of various lengths, and always returned home feeling relatively refreshed and unscathed.

The pad is SELECT Escape 1:1 and to look at it's, well, basic. There are no channels, no varying density pad sections; it just looks like a slab of foam with a bit of material covering it. Don't get me wrong though, it really works. The padding isn't overly thick and it's quite firm, so there's not much squidginess, which I like. It avoids hot-spots and doesn't bunch.

Of all of the 3/4s I've tested, these may be the longest. This medium has an 18in leg, so if you're on the tall side, you'll appreciate the coverage. The cuffs are held in place by an elasticated gripper which does the job – I had no issues with them riding up.

Up top, the thin material and wide straps mean that they don't cut in even when you're tucked down in the drops.

When it comes to sizing, the Attacks are quite generous. I'm towards the top end of the size guide for the mediums, but don't feel restricted or like I need the large. And there's enough compression in the fabric that, if you find yourself at the lower end of the size, they'll still provide a good fit.

So, pricing. The full price is £114.99. Those Primals I mentioned are still available for £75, which is very impressive considering the quality and how comfortable they are. But for some reason or another, 3/4s aren't something we get sent for testing much, so it's hard to give direct comparisons.

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The Attacks may not be as versatile temperature-wise as the Primals – almost fitting into a different category – but the quality is very high in construction and materials, which goes a long way to justify the price.

Looking around, Rapha has the Men's Classic 3/4 Bib Shorts for £180, and Lusso offers the CoolTech 3/4 Bib tights – which look a similar fabric weight to the Attacks – for £79.99.

Overall

There are some very good, cheaper alternatives out there, but the Pearl Izumis are very well made. While their usage may be limited in the winter months of the UK, anytime you get to wear them will be an enjoyable one.

Verdict

Very comfortable 3/4s to bridge the gap in the shorts-to-tights switchover