Triban 500 Women’s Bibless Cycling Shorts

Triban's 500 Women's Bibless Cycling Shorts are a budget option, fine for short outings and indoor training sessions, but support is limited and the absence of any kind of leg gripper means they're prone to creeping up.

I've tested a variety of kit from Decathlon that's impressed for the price point – comfortable, with a decent fit and performance, all for a very reasonable price. Unfortunately, the 500 shorts don't really fall into this category.

There are plus points: the fabric is a combination of polyamide and elasthane, and feels super soft and stretchy against the skin – a million miles from any kind of performance-orientated shorts. Anyone who doesn't like the idea of squeezing into compressive Lycra will be pleased.

The waistband is elasticated at the rear, with a tapered, giving panel at the front – basically a double layer of the main fabric. I found it was prone to rolling down when I was on my road bike, though I only noticed this if I glanced down – the material has so much give that I didn't sense the gathering at my abdomen.

Otherwise, there's enough height at the waist to not sink below a jersey, provided it isn't a particularly short one.

The tapered band at the end of the legs mimics the abdomen panel – a double layer of the shorts fabric, with no extra elasticity or silicone gripper to hold them in place. This means they're not a great combination with leg/knee warmers – I was continually pulling them down to avoid an unsightly shorts-skin-warmers sandwich.

They also ride up without warmers underneath, resulting in a very short pair of shorts. If you like short shorts then this might not be an issue for you; if you don't, and you prefer everything to stay firmly in place, you might want to look elsewhere.

Pad

The padded insert is pretty basic. It's best described as a uniform piece of foam with a central channel, covered with a less-than-durable piece of fabric – after just three weeks it's looking old with mild pilling. That said, the edging is impressively tidy for the price point.

I'd say it's best suited to a small frame – some might find that their sit bones aren't as protected as with a larger chamois.

There's a comparison here with Altura's Firestorm Waist Shorts that I tested a couple of years ago.

It provides minimal support which, admittedly, is better than nothing. However, after an hour and a half I was shuffling in the saddle looking for some kind of pressure relief, and I can normally ride for a decent duration on a minimal pad. I found it tolerable on a softer saddle and never actually suffered from chafing or soreness; it's more a matter of not sensing any kind of pressure relief.

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The chamois doesn't offer much in the way of breathability either, though for the shorts as a whole it's sufficient for a gentle ride. They soon become weighty if you are working up a sweat indoors, though, and the fabrics don't dry out rapidly.

As well as the mild pilling on the pad, after a month or so of wears and washes the shorts fabric is starting to appear see-through when held to a window. If you're using them under tights for a commute or on their own for training indoors then it might not be a huge concern – especially considering the price – but it doesn't bode well for durability.

Value and conclusion

Waist shorts certainly have appeal, particularly to those new to the sport, and they tend to be so much more affordable than bibs. It's easy to find options under £60 from the likes of dhb, Altura, and Endura – £30, £40 and £60 respectively – though we haven't tested them so can't comment on their performance or quality (we will have a full review of the Endura Xtract Lites shortly though).

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Triban's 500 Bibless Shorts are among the cheapest out there, but bear in mind you need to be happy with zero compression, a short pair of shorts, and a minimal pad (for your narrow frame). If all of this is acceptable for you, just be aware that you'll also need to feel comfortable in something that could lose opacity quite quickly.

Verdict

Cheap shorts with compromises as a result, though still some appeal to those on a budget