Cafe du Cycliste Blandine

The Cafe du Cycliste Blandine bib shorts perform well, with a superb chamois and great ventilation. They could do with being a bit higher at the front, though.

When I was first given the Blandine bibs, I looked at them, looked out the window, and thought 'I am never going to be able to test these properly'. When you look at them they seem to be 90 per cent ventilation (okay, some above the hem and up the side) and a typical British summer wouldn't normally provide effective testing. However, I got lucky and had a few 25-degree-plus days, so I took full advantage.

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As the ventilation is a big part of the shorts, this seems like an obvious place to start. The ventilation consists of perforations above the hem and running up the entirety of the outside of both legs. This means breathability is really strong, and compared with others I have used they are really comfortable even when pushing hard in relatively high temperatures.

Cafe du Cycliste has used two types of lightweight Lycra to create the shorts, and the material choice is good. It has a decent amount of flex that allows for a full range of movement and no crinkling or folding at all in use. It is also breathable, and moisture is quickly moved away so there is no irritation at all, even on longer rides.

At the business end of the shorts, Cafe du Cycliste has used a Cytech chamois, the same used by Rapha (maker of my favourite shorts). It's easily one of the best pads I've used. It moves nicely with you while providing a decent level of padding, but without taking away too much feeling on the saddle.

The fit of the shorts around the legs is good and the medium size suited me nicely. They have a slight degree of compression, which is good for longer rides and kept my legs feeling supple. At the hem there's a line of silicone gripper which worked well, and throughout the review period I never found them moving too much.

At the top end, the straps are made from a perforated Lycra material and the back also has a perforated Lycra panel. Unlike many other bib shorts I have used, the straps don't connect to the legs through a gradual curve, but instead are sewn directly to the the hem at the top of the legs. They are also slightly wider set than many I have used, and had a propensity to twist and were slightly awkward to put on.

My only real gripe was with the waistline, which could do with being a couple of inches higher; it just felt a bit low, and if I was sitting up on the bike I would sometimes be able to see my baselayer – not a good look. It could also be a bit uncomfortable for the first few minutes on the bike, though fine once everything had shifted into place properly. However, it is worth mentioning that this won't be the case for everyone, and I know that proportionally I have a longer body than many, so well worth trying before you buy.

The bibs' RRP of £146, although not cheap, is acceptable given their quality, especially with the excellent pad and how well the ventilation has been thought out. That Cytech pad puts it alongside some of the more established brands at this price point.

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Overall, I liked them, even if I had a little issue with the straps twisting and the height of the waistline. The pad is excellent, the material choice is very good, and I was particularly impressed with the ventilation.

Verdict

Really good pair of bib shorts with a great pad, though cut a bit low at the front for me