Santini Adapt Polartec Thermal C3 bib tights

Santini has used Power Wool for its Adapt Polartec Thermal C3 bib tights, a blend of natural and synthetic fibres designed to keep you warm yet sweat-free. It works really well and is very comfortable against the skin, although you take a hit in the pocket for the benefits.

• Pros: Fabric is soft against the skin; works in a large temperature range
• Cons: Expensive; reflective details would be better running right around the leg

We are seeing Polartec's name pop up on quite a few manufacturers' products lately, with some very good items of clothing as a result. Its Power Wool used here, a mix of merino wool and synthetics, has wool fibres on the inside, against the skin, and synthetic fibres on the outer. According to Santini, this enables the tights to stretch but keep their shape, helps with durability and provides quick drying times. (Polartec has more info here if you're interested.)

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First up, they are very comfortable to wear – the wool is warm and very soft against the skin. Heading out for some longer rides over the Christmas period I was wearing the Adapts for up to five hours at a time and I never really noticed them at all. There are no seams in irritating places and the cut is great, so I had no bunching of material.

I like the way the tights come up over the bottom of your stomach to provide warmth and support, and the bib straps are snug without applying any unwanted pressure.

Santini says the Adapts work in a large range of temperatures and I would agree. On some colder rides I was perfectly comfortable down to around 3°C, while on days when it warmed up to around 13°C I was still feeling fine.

Riding hard at that upper temperature I did get warm in the top half of my body but my legs didn't feel clammy at all. The rear panel of the bib helps regulate that temperature once things slow down a bit – when paired with a decent baselayer and jersey, anyway.

On cold days with vicious windchill stinging my face, my legs felt toasty warm and I could continue to ride hard without cooling muscles starting to struggle.

The Santini branded pad has a few differing densities and the odd channel running through it to relieve pressure when sat in the saddle for a long time. It works well and I found it very comfortable. The padding is quite firm, so it feels like a supportive barrier between you and the saddle, helping to soak up bumps without completely blocking feel and feedback from the road.

The legs are held in place with nothing other than the elasticity of the fabric itself. It works a treat – they never rode up – although the ankle cuff is quite fitted so you need to be a little bit patient when pulling them on and off.

On each leg you also get plenty of reflectivity, but in a subtle way. It doesn't really show up in the daylight other than as a rainbow-effect logo, but when bathed in light after darkness falls it is quite striking, showing the legs moving and screaming 'cyclist!'. It's just a shame they only wrap halfway around the leg, as having reflectives on the rear makes so much more sense.

The tights are available in a good range of sizes, from XS through to 3XL, and the sizing is pretty realistic to the UK market. If you are a medium in most brands you will be in the Adapts.

Value

Price-wise, at £215 they are very much at the top end of the market. This is Rapha territory, with the likes of its Pro Team Winter Tights II coming in at £210. Ash was certainly impressed with those, and they offer a bit of water resistance too.

Jack was also impressed with the Pearl Izumi Pursuit Hybrid bib tights, which again offer great weatherproofing and fit and for just £159.99.

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Others, such as the Gore C7 Partial Windstopper Pros and 7Mesh TK1s, offer decent weatherproofing and performance for well under £200, so the Santinis are up against some tough opposition.

That said, these are the bib tights I've been grabbing out of the wardrobe time and time again whatever the weather, and not once have I been disappointed. If you can find a decent discount somewhere, these are highly recommended.

Verdict

Very comfortable and great at regulating temperature, but you pay for the performance