Mavic Cosmic Wind Bib Tights

At £170 the Cosmic Wind bib tights are Mavic's most expensive tights and there's a lot to like in the pad and windproofing, though the oddly positioned seams aren't so great.

Mavic have gone for a two pronged attack in a bid to keep your legs warm in the winter. First up is what it calls Warm Shell Wind, a three layer membrane used in the panels of the thighs and backside. A lot of manufacturers only put windproof panels on the front of the leg so it's good to see Mavic using it right round as if you have to stop for any reason on an icy cold day you can keep the heat in your leg muscles.

Using three thin layers the fabric feels very flexible and when wearing them you can't feel any difference between this and the lycra that makes up the rest of the tights. On cold rides you can feel the temperature difference between the two panel types so its definitely doing its jobs. All the panels have a brushed fleecy lining for comfort and to add a bit of warmth.

On top of all these you also get a Teflon coating which makes the bibs water repellent for light showers and drizzle. You can see the water beding on the surface of the material and it'll keep road spray out for a good half an hour or so before getting overwhelmed.

The seams are flatlocked throughout which means on the whole you can't feel them as you move in the saddle. There's one exception though: the seam that runs across the thigh joining the windproof and lycra panels together sits at an angle just above the knee so when pedalling it moves and can rub on the top of the knee. It isn't so much uncomfortable as just annoying. If they were just a little higher up or straight across it'd be much better.

For those long winter base mile rides you're going to need a comfortable pad and thats exactly what you get from the Ergo 3D Pro. It uses three different densities and six thicknesses of foam in its construction to spread the load. It increases in firmness as it gets closer to the centre with a softer 'sweet spot' under the perineum.

To finish off, the bib straps are a lightweight mesh, ideal for layering depending on the conditions plus they are soft enough to avoid any pressure points on the shoulders. The front panel sits mid stomach keeping your front warm but not too high to make pee stops difficult.

Overall the Mavic Cosmic Winda are decent tights that perform really well in the cold and slightly wet conditions. My definition of a good pad comes down to how many times you notice it on a ride and I literally didn't once. Only those seams across the knee area bothered me; a slight tweak and they'd be fine. As far as the price goes you can get the unpadded versions for just £15 less so that leaves £115 for the material, stitching etc which does seem a little steep even against the opposition.

Verdict

Annoying seams and high price spoils an otherwise great pair of bib tights