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review

Endura Pro SL Bibshort

9
£119.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Excellent fit, comfort and performance, especially from the pad
Excellent comfort levels
Well made
Hard to detect any difference using ‘wrong’ pad and saddle width pairing
Weight: 
165g

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The latest Endura Pro SL bib shorts are one of the most comfortable pairs I have ever used. The pad is sublime, and the overall cut and the fabric used mean they remain comfortable no matter how long you are out riding for.

The heart of any pair of bib shorts is the pad, and the 700 series used here is very impressive indeed. Rather than having multiple grooves and differing thicknesses of padding spread out across its layout, it is reasonably flat and smooth with just the slightest transition into a thicker depth of padding where it sits over the saddle.

> Find your nearest dealer here

This means it doesn't bunch up when changing position on the bike, and whether out for a short hard blast or a longer trek the whole thing is basically undetectable.

Endura's 700 series pad was developed with gebioMized, a bike fit specialist, and through testing and feedback from pro riders. The pad is offered in three widths – narrow, medium and wide – to suit your pelvic shape, saddle and riding position.

2020 Endura Pro SL Bibshorts - chamois.jpg

To work out which one is right for you, Endura has a specific web page – here – where you find your saddle using a dropdown menu, and it shows you the suggested pad size option. It's pretty much based on saddle width.

I have quite a large choice of saddles sitting around, and Endura's pad fit page suggested the narrow or medium pad for the majority of my favourites. I was given the medium width pad to test, but I must admit I could detect very little difference, if any, in comfort levels on the different saddles, even the narrowest. Thankfully, those comfort levels were high.

> When should you replace your shorts?

The multi-panel design of the Pro SL is shaped to suit your position on the bike, and I found the fit spot on. Endura says that the fit is enhanced by the lumbar support panel that runs around the lower back and sides. It uses a much more compressive fabric here than the rest of the shorts, which Endura says keeps the bib shorts in position, removing some of the pressure from the shoulder straps. It is something that I could feel, and the wide shoulder straps certainly don't give any irritation or hotspots.

2020 Endura Pro SL Bibshorts - back.jpg

At the other end of the shorts, Endura has kept the leg grippers to a minimum. A simple row of silicone strips attached to the standard material keeps them firmly in place without any excess pressure on your legs.

2020 Endura Pro SL Bibshorts - gripper.jpg

The shorts are available in two leg length options, with the long version getting an extra 4cm over the standard ones on test.

2020 Endura Pro SL Bibshorts - logo.jpg

The build quality is very good throughout, with all of the seams stitched and finished to a high level. Yanking at the seams saw no threads coming away and even after plenty of miles in the saddle the fabric is showing no signs of wear or bobbling.

2020 Endura Pro SL Bibshorts - strap detail.jpg

The Pro SLs are priced at £119.99, which isn't cheap but isn't extortionate either when you look at some of the other bib shorts on the market.

For instance, I recently tested the 7mesh RK1 bibs and they are great when it comes to the comfort and fit, but they cost £200. I'd still be happy to pay that for their performance, but the Enduras near as damn it offer the same levels for a lot less.

Simon was very impressed with the comfort levels and fit of the Le Col Pro bib shorts, and they'll set you back £150.

> Buyer’s Guide: 32 of the best cycling bib shorts

Overall, the Pro SLs really deliver as well as many of the competition in terms of performance and quality, but achieve it at a very competitive price.

Verdict

Excellent fit, comfort and performance, especially from the pad

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Endura Pro SL Bibshort

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for

Endura says, "Overhauled for 2020, this game changing road bibshort with award-winning multiple pad width technology now boasts a 'perfect fit' with lumbar support and power straps."

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

From Endura's website:

High quality Italian power Lycra® fabric with coldblack® technology dramatically reducing heat buildup and providing UPF50

Updated 700 series pad with improved foam construction and a micro-polyester face fabric for unrivalled comfort. Computer cut 'Continuously Variable Profile' (CVP) stretch technology with antibacterial finish and available in 3 pad width options (find you perfect match on https://padfit.endurasport.com/)

Ergonomic, pre-shaped multi panel construction

New bib construction combining wide elastic straps and supportive high wicking rear panel

High power, lumbar support panel

Raw edge hem bands with inner silicone print

Long leg options (+4cm) also available

90-Day-Comfort-Guarantee

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
10/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
9/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
9/10

The sizing reflects Endura's size guide.

Rate the product for weight:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Following Endura's washing instructions saw no problems throughout testing.

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

Lovely shorts to wear for long or short rides.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Excellent fit and comfort.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

It's not really a 'dislike', but I couldn't detect any difference in comfort when using the medium pad with 'narrow' saddles.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Against some very good shorts like the 7mesh mentioned in the review there is little to separate them in terms of performance, but the Pro SLs are 80 quid cheaper. They undercut other good shorts from the likes of Le Col that we've tested recently, too.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

A really top notch pair of bib shorts across the board, for a very competitive price.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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4 comments

Avatar
brokenorange | 3 years ago
0 likes

I have had three pairs of the Pro SL shorts. The original (I think) 2015's, the 2019's and some of the new 2020 ones. To me it seems these ones have been significantly redesigned. The pad seems firmer and is way more comfortable. The cut of the shorts themselves are a lot tighter but once on the bike they are wonderfully supportive. For me they have nailed the design. As for longevity, thats the big question mark over Endura products. The reflectives are about average - I have Castelli and Sportful garments that started peeling after similar lengths of time however I have had two jackets (the shell and the primaloft) that started to fall apart after only one season. Time will tell how these shorts fair.

Avatar
sammutd88 | 3 years ago
0 likes

As per the others I have the first generation, on which the branding came off after 10-12 washes. Not acceptable for the price. The pad is good, but it's a thin pad compared to anything Assos or Rapha offer. I only use them on rides up to 2 hours, I go for the Assos shorts usually because the pad is thicker and more dense. 

Avatar
Tuslareb | 3 years ago
0 likes

I have the previous version (bought in 2019) and it's a very good pair of bibshorts, but as Porky PT mentioned in the comments: the logo starts to peel off very soon. It makes the bibshorts look old and cheap. 

As a sidenote I can tell that the padding is very minimal compared with some other bibshorts I have. The Castelli Kiss pad for example is much thicker. This has the advantage that the Endura pad doesn't begin to irritate the skin after 100 kms, but the disadvantage is that your bottom can feel painful after a long ride, especially when using a hard saddle. But having said that: the Endura is my best pair of bibshorts. 

Avatar
Porky PT | 3 years ago
0 likes

I've got these 2020 versions, plus the previous version, and they are indeed very very good in all the ways mentioned in the review. However... the one area they always disappoint is the dye-sub graphics. The white reflective logo on the back is starting to peel off after only 8 weeks and looks tatty. All their bibs seem to do this, so it's one area where they still haven't nailed it, while others seem to. Annoying, as they are great in every other way.

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