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review
Odlo 3:4 flash tights£80.00
VERDICT:
Expensive but well made, comfortable and versatile women's tights
Weight:
168g
Contact:
www.odlo.com/en
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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Odlo have been producing incredibly popular technical sports clothing for years, but they'vee just launched a new range of cycling kit, for both men and women, on road and off road – including these Flash 3/4 tights.
The Flash 3/4 Tights are a lightweight knicker designed to offer more coverage for those who like that, but without compromising movement or coolness, so they look to be ideally suited to three season use in the UK.
They are made from a super lightweight and very stretchy fabric, with silicone grippers at the legs and lower back. They have a reflective trim and logo and a small zipped pocket to the back. The pad is a synthetic chamois with Odlo's Effect anti-microbial treatment and the company's medium level of padding. They also come with a mesh bag for washing them in, to defeat the dreaded Velcro attack in the washing machine.
The fit was true to 'normal' clothing sizing, with a size medium roughly equivalent to a UK12. For a 3/4 knicker they are quite short in the leg, finishing just past the knee, which might not be everyone's cup of tea, but suited my shorter stature fine. On the bike they are exceptionally well-fitting, with a very comfortable waistband, good stretch in the fabric and little feeling of binding on the muscles. They are so lightweight that you'd probably be fine wearing them for all but the absolute hottest days, and they'd make a good choice for women who prefer the coverage of a longer leg to shorts, without the heat penalty that usually has to be paid. The pad was very pliable and quickly moulded to shape, and was comfortable for long rides with no problems. They also look good and the fabric is a nice dull black, rather than being too shiny. It's also pretty tough, despite its light weight.
£80 is quite a lot for a pair of 3/4 tights, but both price and quality are on a par with the likes of Gore and other similar premium brands so it's not unexpected or unwarranted. Given how light they are, and therefore versatile, they'll get more wear than many 3/4 tights, so they're not a bad investment at all.
Verdict
Expensive but well made, comfortable and versatile.
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Odlo Flash 3/4 Tights
Size tested: Size Med
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Aimed at female cyclists looking for comfort and performance.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Power Stretch Performer fabric
Gripper tape at legs and lower back
Small zipped lumbar pocket
Women's specific synthetic chamois with antimicrobial treatment
Reflective trim
Available in sizes XS-XXL
Machine washable at 40
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Very well made with high quality fabric and materials.
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
Great in a range of temperatures and didn't restrict the legs.
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
Lightweight but durable fabric; mesh washbag will help avoid damage in wash.
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
10/10
Very light for 3/4.
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
9/10
Extremely comfortable. Good for a variety of temperatures.
Rate the product for value:
8/10
Expensive but well designed and versatile.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Performed excellently.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Comfort, fabric, mesh washbag.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing really.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?
A premium product in both price and performance. Comfortable, versatile and durable.
About the tester
Age: 37 Height: 1.65m Weight: 67kg
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, general fitness riding, mtb,
Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling.
Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other.
She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting.
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