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souke cargo bibshorts

in the good old days of yore, when tnt was simply an explosive, and we garnered all our tour de france info from the comic, the adverts at the back of said publication were specifically geared towards the british cyclist. and, at the time, if your newsagent kept a copy on order, the chances are you were a dyed-in-the-wool cycle-racing fanatic. given the weather that persists in the uk during january and february, for advertising to make commercial sense, no retailer in his or her right mind would make a show of offering bibshorts to even the hardiest of riders. yes, it's common to watch belgian cyclocrossers wearing shorts in events at this time of year, but as any cyclist worth their salt already knows, they're a breed apart.

however, in the intervening years, as the interwebs have effectively wiped out double-page spreads from the likes of deesside cycles, parker international and mel bentley, cycling has become mondialised, as the blazers in aigle would probably have it. so, while you and i are to be found clad in thermal bibtights, long-sleeve baselayers and acres of fleece-lined goretex, our counterparts in the antipodes are wearing short-sleeved ultralight polyester, and the thinnest of lycra bibshorts. granted, in a few months time, the roles might be reversed (though i wouldn't hold out too much hope north of the border), but for the time being, it's hard to greet fellow pelotoneers without a chittering lower jaw.

where once the british cycling apparel purveyors would shut their eyes tightly and cross their fingers that the server would hold up on release of the spring/summer collection, such seasonal offerings appear no longer to be a part of the cycling year. not so very long ago, i was sent team kit for review in advance of the tour down under, consisting of a featherweight, short-sleeve jersey and lightweight bibs. quite how those responsible expected me to provide a practical review in the depths of a hebridean winter, i will probably never know. and though i'm loathe to criticise, history has at least partially repeated itself with the arrival of a pair of cargo bibshorts from souke cycling, mere days before storm éowyn caused havoc and devastation across scotland.

and, as if to add insult to injury, the last few days have featured temperatures of near zero, aided and abetted by windchill that has turned them into negative equity.

however, i am tenacious if nothing else, reticent to send souke a strongly worded e-mail suggesting i get back to them in late july, when winter in the hebrides will be almost over. as luck would have it, in my thermal bibtight drawer resides a pair of thermal bibtights that were purchased long, long ago with no pad. as i recall, they were sold with the advice that they should be worn with one's favourite pair of bibshorts 'neath their warming exterior. since doing so is easily the equivalent of wearing full-length leg-warmers (of which i also own a pair), and which have no bearing on the effectiveness of any pair of bibshorts, that is precisely how i conducted my review in the depths of winter.

as a result, i am more than happy to report that the shorts quite possibly exceeded their remit, providing excellent comfort, the innate ability to remain motionless at speed (in my case, a relative term), thanks to the comprehensive mesh bibs and excellent grippers on each leg. the latter were also highly effective without leaving any physical impression on my honed thigh muscles when removed. the internal pad offers the perfect compromise between density, thickness and comfort. i think the highest praise i can offer is that they were almost invisible (in a tactile sense) in use. i have managed around 300km so far, during which they have not been found wanting; i would like to test them in the wet, but with the only opportunity so to do being accompanied by 150km winds, i'm happy to wait a few days or weeks.

each leg features a mesh pocket into which i'm sure you could insert an energy bar, gel, mobile phone or discovery+ till receipt.

oddly enough, the souke website prices all items in american dollars, no matter from which country you might be purchasing, so i have used the conversion rate in force at the time of writing, to provide the sterling equivalent. according to the accompanying text, the cargo bibs as reviewed (size small) are of unisex design (which, i grant you, seems a tad unusual), but currently retail at the extremely attractive price of near £53. that price becomes even more attractive when you realise that they seem every bit the equivalent of bibshorts costing over twice that amount.

i'd advise that you order a pair before souke realise they need new batteries for the corporate calculator.

souke unisex cargo bibshorts are available in black only, at a price of $65.99 (£73) and in sizes xs to xxxl. souke cargo bibs

sunday 9 february 2025