Stolen Goat Men’s Climbers bib shorts

The Stolen Goat Climbers Bib Shorts are very light and breathable with a great compressive fit, but there are a few niggles – and be careful choosing your size, too, as they come up pretty small.

These are designed for summer days, and indeed did a great job of keeping me fresh on a recent trip to Mallorca with temperatures hitting 25°C. They also coped well with some hard turbo sessions in an overly warm flat without forming excessive damp patches. The AquaRacer material is designed to be light and highly breathable, and it does feel noticeably lighter than normal.

> Buy now: Men’s Climbers bib shorts from Stolen Goat for £120

I also wore these on some spring days of around 10°c and they were still fine. Any colder I'd opt for something else, though.

The main factor with any shorts is, of course, the pad. I found Vapour pad here comfortable, and it has a 3D webbing structure designed to change into a rubberised state when under stress – certainly I found it did a good job of providing support even on poorly-surfaced lanes.

It's nicely breathable too, and I never felt overly hot or damp when riding hard on hot days.

Sizing

The guide says you should size up with these, and I agree. I tested a medium and, even though I was in the middle of its stated range, these felt very snug. If you're at the upper end of any size range, definitely go up – and even if you're in the middle, consider it. There are seven sizes, at least, so you should be able to find one that suits.

The fit is apparently aero and tuned to the cycling position, but then it should be, really. I can't verify any aerodynamic claims as my professionally-calibrated windtunnel is suffering issues with not existing, but certainly there's no loose fabric in the compressive leg fit. I liked the level of compression these give, and it feels supportive when riding hard.

The legs are a touch shorter than some. Whilst I found them fine (I am 178cm and as I said, wore a medium), if you're tall you may find them slightly lacking. With no silicone grippers (just elasticated panels) I thought they might ride up, but I never found myself adjusting them even after five hours in the saddle.

The straps are light and breathable but don't feel like the hardly-there straps of some, such as the recently-tested Castelli Free Aero RC Bib Shorts. In fact, they're not as comfortable as the same straps on my Bioracer club kit (Bioracer makes the Stolen Goat stuff), which tells me it's the sizing that's the issue.

There is a 'stash' pocket on the rear straps, which I used for a few bits of nutrition and found comfortable throughout the ride.

These shorts come up quite high at the front, to around the belly button. I normally don't like this, but the stretch in the material made comfort breaks much easier on those long days out than with similarly tall shorts I own.

> 38 of the best cycling bib shorts – get comfy on longer rides

After a few months of regular use there were a few places where the stitching had come loose on the inside of the shorts. Although it didn't affect how they performed, it made me question their durability over the long term.

The looks are quite minimalist, with just a discreet heat-applied logo on the leg, which makes them easy to pair with jerseys. I tested them in black, but they also come in navy.

Value

At £120 these are mid-range on price, and up against the likes of the CHPT3 Most Days Grand Tour Men's Shorts at £125. It is easy to spend a lot more – the MAAP Pro Bib 2.0s are £235 and those Castelli Free Aero RC Bib Shorts are £175, for instance – but both received rave reviews when we tested them.

It is also possible to get good shorts for a lot less, though such as the Polaris Latitude Bib Shorts at £79.99 or the Nopinz Pro-1 bib shorts at £99.99. The latter is less specifically a summer pair of shorts, though.

Overall

The Stolen Goat Men's Climbers Bib Shorts perform well in the warm weather, the pad is comfortable for hours, and the compressive leg fit feels great. The issues with stitching coming loose on ours were small, but at this price you don't expect any – and the sizing is something to be careful with too.

Verdict

Light, cool and comfortable shorts for hot rides, but the stitching isn't perfect – and be careful on the sizing