PEARL IZUMI Men's Pro Cycling Bib Shorts - High Performance Bike Shorts for Road Cycling & Training - Breathable & Padded for Comfort

A bib short is only great if it truly meets your own unique fit, chamois & other design preferences. I'm 125lb with a 28" waist so I not only need a sz. XS (other than in Castelli or Giordana) but a tight race fit; otherwise the legs ride up and allow the chamois to move backwards enough to leave only lycra between my saddle and sit bones. So my deal-breaker issue with bib shorts (no matter how wonderful they might be otherwise) is whether the fit/design keeps the chamois in the right place which has typically meant they must fit very snugly...until now....These P.I. PRO’s don't fit as tightly as my other favorite bibs (Castelli Free Aero, Giordana FR-C & Rapha Pro Team). The lycra is uniquely soft and uniformly lightly compressive (luxurious-feeling as many other reviewers have noted) yet it hugs my body very effectively without feeling like a sausage casing. The raw-cut leg openings with a 2" tall pattern of silicone is also more effective than separate leg bands since they literally don’t budge (my other bibs normally ride up 1/2"+). Also the chamois’s "floating top sheet" seems to keep it glued to my butt and the compliant lycra doesn't try to tug it out of position. Because of this I spend far less time fiddling with these bibs while riding (i.e., repositioning the leg openings and chamois) than any other bib short I've ever owned.Without a sausage casing fit & tight leg bands (and associated seams), the use of the same soft lycra for the bib uppers (with straps that seem to lay flat…though with such a soft lycra who cares), and soft raw-cut edges throughout there is nothing digging in or rubbing. The chamois has a fairly small footprint but with thick padding (vs. the current trend of thin but dense) that also breathes well, so it is both unobtrusive and comfy. This all makes them so comfortable that they are the holy grail of bibs that literally disappear while riding.I only have two quibbles: 1) The use of lycra in the bib uppers means that my back (especially the lower back area where my jersey pockets sit) gets sweatier than normal. I'd be willing to trade the soft lycra in back for a more breathable mesh material and gain a few extra seams to help with this issue. 2) The leg length is a bit long (even by today’s standards) especially since they don’t ride up at all while pedaling. I have short legs for my size and the leg openings come down to within ~1" of the top of my knee caps. This is about 1/2"+ longer than my other favorite bibs but these other bibs then creep up another ~1/2” further while riding which puts them at a nice length for me. The P.I. PRO’s are long-enough that the lycra rubs the back of my knee while pedaling. Fortunately the soft raw cut edge of the leg openings seems to make this a non-issue (it would be a real problem with if the leg bands on my other bibs did this). I also initially thought the length looked goofy but have grown to see a benefit in having the maximum coverage possible. Nevertheless a bit less length would be nice.My first set of bibs. Very comfortable. The pad on the chamois didn’t a great job of cushioning and soaking up sweat which made my first ride very comfortable. I gave this a 4 because the straps are a little too flimsy and fold over on themselves. I am not a typical cyclist body since a lift weight, so maybe it has something to do with more bulls on neck and shoulders. Regardless, it didn’t bother me when riding. I’m 5’10” and 202lbs, and I know there’s comments about the inseam being long, but it fit me fine. Very happy.