The race-fit Bioracer Epic Women's Bibshorts are well priced and feature a Bibzip designed to help with comfort breaks. This doesn't compromise their performance, but it does come at a cost to the shorts' aesthetics and breathability, and I felt the Wave chamois was overly large.
> Buy now: Bioracer Epic Women's Bibshorts for £104.67 from Bioracer
The most distinctive feature of Bioracer's Epic Women's Bibshorts is the 'BibZip', which runs from the top of the chamois to halfway up your back and is designed to make bathroom stops easier.
For a pretty substantially sized zip, I was initially wary of how comfortable it would be, but I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't notice it when I was riding and it didn't compromise performance.
The fabric of the shorts is reinforced around the zip and there is a generous zip guard to stop the zip rubbing on your lower back. However, for shorts marketed for use in temperatures above 20°C, this extra material did result in my back being sweatier than usual even though it never got that warm during testing.
The BibZip in action
Once unzipped, you can pull the shorts down while still leaving the bib straps in place. However, I did find this took a bit of practice before I got the hang of it.
It's designed to work best when squatting down as low as possible to minimise the strain on the surrounding fabric, which works best for an outdoor nature stop. I found it less convenient when using a standard toilet because I needed to squat low to get enough stretch to pull the shorts down.
The Epic Women's Bibshorts are shorts designed for racing and personally, a comfort break feature isn't something I would look for in performance-oriented shorts.
Materials
The material of the legs is highly stretchy and breathable, with integrated leg grippers. They are compressive without being tight and the grippers proved effective, staying in place well without digging in.
The back panel of the shorts, where the zip is located, is made of a different material to the legs. Because of the large zip, this area has considerably less stretch than I'm used to in a pair of bib shorts. As a result, putting them on does require a bit more effort than with standard bib shorts, as I had to ensure I'd moved enough material up the legs. However, once on and properly positioned, they were comfortable – apart from being sweaty.
The wide bib straps are made from a mesh fabric to help enhance ventilation, and the fit of the shorts was great. However, when using the comfort break feature, I had to ensure I squatted close to the ground to avoid putting too much stress on the straps since there wasn't much excess material.
One small niggle is that the care instruction label is overly large. Yes, you would cut this out after trying them on the first time, but you don't notice the label at first, as the black label blends into the material of the shorts.
The Epic Women's Bibshorts are available in five sizes from XS to XL and I tested a 2/S according to the label in the shorts, as Bioracer's size chart recommends for me.
Pad
The shorts feature Bioracer's Wave pad, which is large with minimal padding at the front. Bioracer claims that the 3D anatomically preformed pad will mould to your body, providing benefits such as 'better pressure distribution, less friction, and more stability'.
However, it's important to note that there isn't a single design of seat pad that works best for everyone. Personally, because of its substantial size I didn't find the chamois particularly comfortable on rides longer than 90 minutes.
Value
Systems for comfort breaks are quite personal and may not be a priority for everyone, and while I wouldn't necessarily look for shorts featuring one, I can see their value.
It's difficult to find bib shorts around £100 any more, particularly ones featuring a comfort break feature. However, Velocio's Women's Foundation bib shorts that Anna reviewed are a fraction cheaper at £100, and they also feature an easy-pee design that she found practical and effective.
There are some decent cheaper options though, if a full-coverage bib doesn't bother you. Lara thought the Madison's Sportive bibs were comfortable, effective and easy to use for comfort breaks.
Our best cycling bib shorts buyer's guide covers our favourite women's and men's shorts.
Overall
Bioracer's Epic Women's Bibshorts are reasonably priced and while I can see the positives of the comfort break feature, I think it compromises the aesthetics. I really like the sleek design of the front of the shorts but it's a shame the substantial zip shows below your jersey at the back. If I was considering a comfort break feature on a pair of performance-oriented shorts, I'd prefer a more discreet solution.
> Buy now: Bioracer Epic Women's Bibshorts for £104.67 from Bioracer
Verdict
Performance-oriented bibs at an affordable price – and with a comfort break solution
Make and model: Bioracer Epic Women's Bibshorts Black
Tell us what the product is for
Bioracer says: "Looking for high-end bibshorts for rides and races in mild to warm conditions? With the Epic Women's Bibshorts, you go for high-end performance bibshorts featuring an innovative Wave pad. The BibZip makes bathroom stops easier."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Bioracer lists:
Weight: 0.35kg
Colour: Black
Fit: Race
Sports: Road
Weather: Warm
Temperatures: >20°C
Collection: Epic
Product Type: Bib shorts
Gender: Women
Cycling Pad: Wave
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Good attention to detail where the zip is, which reinforces the fabric, though this does come at a cost to breathability.
Rate the product for performance:
7/10
The main feature of these shorts is the BibZip, which despite the sizeable zip didn't impact upon the riding performance. I found these shorts comfortable for rides up to 90 minutes but the size of the chamois caused me discomfort on rides longer than this.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
The construction quality appears good and I have had no issues so far.
Rate the product for fit:
8/10
The legs are very stretchy and fit nicely – compressive without being restrictive.
Rate the product for sizing:
8/10
I found Bioracer's size guide accurate, with the recommend Small fitting me well.
Rate the product for weight:
6/10
Rate the product for comfort:
8/10
I was pleasantly surprised that you couldn't notice the zip when riding but I didn't get on that well with the chamois.
Rate the product for value:
8/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
I washed them at the usual 30°C and there were no issues.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
After getting the hang of how to best use the BibZip feature, I can see its value – though I do feel it could have been more efficient.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The sleek design of the front of the shorts.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The aesthetics of the zip.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
They are very reasonably priced and similar to Velocio's Women's Foundation bib shorts that are a few pounds cheaper at £100. There are cheaper shorts available with a comfort break feature, such as Madison's Sportive bibs which at £49.99 are a smidge under half the price of the Bioracer shorts.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Maybe
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Maybe
Use this box to explain your overall score
While I can see the positives of the comfort break feature, I think it compromises the aesthetics and it could have been more efficient. I really like the sleek design of the front of the shorts but it's a shame there's a substantial zip that shows below your jersey at the back, so I would prefer a more discreet solution. Also, for shorts designed to be used in temperatures above 20°C, the reinforced zip has the effect of limiting breathability.
Age: 23 Height: 175 Weight: 64
I usually ride: specialised tarmac sl6 My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, club rides, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
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