Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

review

Morvelo Women's Skye Race Shorts

9
£80.00

VERDICT:

9
10
All in all, supportive and well performing bib shorts for all-round use; comfortable and stylish
Weight: 
190g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

Like their jerseys, Morvelo produce seasonal editions of their bib shorts in different designs, all printed on to the same style of bibshorts, which are designed in thr UK and made in Europe. There are designs aplenty; most match Morvelo's stylish jersey range, but there are a couple of black designs available which will go with almost anything. Although the 'Skye' design on test is no longer available, the bib shorts themselves feel and function beautifully regardless of the colour.

I owned a previous iteration of these bibshorts, which I loved to death. Morvelo know a winning formula, and I was pleased to see little has changed in the new design, though the sewn-on sizing washing label has been replaced by a heat sealed sticker to prevent irritation.

One of the most distinctive features of Morvelos' bibshorts for women is the unusual bib design. Morvelo have shunned conventional suspender-style strap and opted for a single strap forming a Y shape at the front. This results in a very supportive fit; the shorts sit high, coming up to the true waist on the sides and scooping up into the single strap in the middle. The stomach area is covered and supported instead of being squeezed between a low cut front and two straps on the side.

As for toilet stops, it's simply a case of slinging one strap over the head and pulling down to the sides. Not much more annoying than messing about with dual straps. How does this sit across the chest though? For me, it's a really comfortable alternative. Rather than having two straps stretched over the widest part of the chest, the single strap sits suspended in the middle, with a bit of give, depending on your design of sports bra. In my day-to-day cycling, the only real disadvantage to the design is aesthetic. When zipping a jersey right down, the bib strap does look a little odd, especially when the bibs are worn over a baselayer. Having black mesh instead of white would definitely help to mitigate this somewhat.

The bright orange perforated pad is extremely comfortable. The padding doesn't vary massively in density, or have gimmicky coloured channels and labelling. It simply provides support where it's needed, in multiple positions, thanks to the cushioning memory foam. The pad placing is quite centrally balanced; there's no spare overflow of padding beyond the contact points on my saddle, and the thinner outer edge comes up quite high on the front, providing coverage and, for me, comfort on the drops. A silky soft fabric on the covering feels lovely on the skin too.

A similar silkiness can be found in the fabric of the shorts themselves. The lycra is a medium thickness and provided me with pleasant but not over restrictive compression; this is with a surprisingly snug fit in a Large (I am a perfect Medium in Morvelo jerseys and a 12 in standard size DHB shorts). The multi-panel design goes a long way to helping with overall support too, and it's good to see no loose fabric around the pad at the front or back. In my experience, the Morvelo bib construction has stood the test of time in terms of not becoming baggy and overstretched from washing and heavy use.

They're pretty good at performing year-rounder too. Morvelo being a British company, it's apt that the bib shorts are great performers in our mild climate. They aren't the thinnest or lightest bibs out there, and despite still being comfortable in warmer weather, they wouldn't be my number one choice for very hot and balmy days. They're perfect for spring and autumn though, stretching right into much cooler temperatures when paired with the right legwarmers.

For night riding, reflective tags are subtly sewn in into the back seam of each leg; these are fabric so will last much longer than printed equivalents, and do light up really well from both the sides and rear.

Wide bands on the bottom of the shorts keep the legs firmly in place with a combination of the silicone printed fabric and the strong grip of the elastic. The leg length is on the long side of average, providing plenty of coverage and comfort if this is your preferred style.

Verdict

All in all, supportive and well performing bib shorts for all-round use; comfortable and stylish

road.cc test report

Make and model: Morvelo Womens Skye Race Shorts

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

"Our award winning shorts will let you cover hundreds of miles in supreme comfort leaving you to focus on either the beauty of the landscape or the suffering of your fellow escapees as you attack the final climb. They are also the piece of clothing that comes under the most abuse so it's vital that they not only look good but work faultlessly."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

- Italian M.I.T.I. Lycra

- Italian Dolomiti dual layer perforated chamois

- Lightweight mesh straps for maximum ventilation

- Printed Gripper Elastic (PGE) leg bands

- Flat lock stitching

- Heat seal label

- Panelled construction for superior fit

- Rubberised Morvelo seam tab

- Sun Protection Factor 50

- Handmade in Europe from Italian fabrics

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Clearly a well thought out design which has been followed through with very good production.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10

Not the thinnest or lightest bibs, with the shorts and bibs taking up much - the mesh bibs are very light.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10

Very comfortable strap design. Pleasant compression is helped by having flatlocked seams. Brilliant pad.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Great value considering the quality and style factor, plus an excellent pad. These are a bit different, and should be a good investment for year-round riding.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

I was comfortable in every situation I wore them in.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Novel bib design, wide silicone printed fabric grippers on the legs, and range of style choices.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The mesh bib strap looks a bit odd anyway, and being white doesn't help at all.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes - definitely.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 23  Height: 5ft7  Weight:

I usually ride: Sabbath September  My best bike is: Van Nicholas Mistral for summer

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, audax

 

Add new comment

7 comments

Avatar
queenofthemountain | 9 years ago
0 likes

gosh i don't like the back shot the design isn't the best

Avatar
Curly | 9 years ago
0 likes

looks nice from the front! shame about the rear  3

Avatar
Beefy | 9 years ago
0 likes

I have a few sets of morvelo kit, descent stuff good styling and reasonable quality. I must admit the quality is not up to that of casteli which I must admit is my favourite as bomb proof though pricey, i have had a couple of minor problems (thankfully I can sew) a pair of bib shorts with a little stitching coming away at the gripper section of material and the zipped pocket on a jersey needed a few stitches on the zipp. Still this was after a year so given the price of there kit I would buy again. Nice UK brand good quality even with minor gripe at a good price. Also a bit less "trendy" than rapha and much cooler. IMO the best UK kit I've seen, also really great pad in bibs

Avatar
Tin Pony | 9 years ago
0 likes

These look the business, a pal swears by Morvelo, and I certainly approve of the styling. The rear reflective detail is a nice touch as is the bib straps. Can't say I'm qualified to say how comfy that would be but the Mrs. Says she Is interested.
www.tinpony.co.uk/shop/

Avatar
crikey | 9 years ago
0 likes

Looks like a decent pair of shorts, and at a price which seems to be acceptable these days.

I would like to make a comment about the design without being insulting or inappropriate; the use of a lighter band across the bum does... emphasise... that bit, which is not an issue with the model, but could be done in a different way. I reckon taking the spotted area up the thighs might work better?

Avatar
Colin Peyresourde replied to crikey | 9 years ago
0 likes
crikey wrote:

Looks like a decent pair of shorts, and at a price which seems to be acceptable these days.

I would like to make a comment about the design without being insulting or inappropriate; the use of a lighter band across the bum does... emphasise... that bit, which is not an issue with the model, but could be done in a different way. I reckon taking the spotted area up the thighs might work better?

It's quite a common thing to have a band across like that. I think mimics the iliotobal band (I've probably misspelt that). Whether that is a good thing or not (performance wise) who knows?

People tend have some good things to say about Morvelo stuff.

Avatar
Awavey replied to Colin Peyresourde | 9 years ago
0 likes

bands like that are designed to look better with you sitting on the bike it gives a cleaner aesthetic line, join, etc IMO anyway,

the bigger problem, unless road.cc know something different about Morvelos release plans, is you cant buy the Skye womens bibshorts at the moment, the Morvelo website link at the top of the article doesnt work & all the other main Morvelo stockists are out of stock  2

Latest Comments