Endura Xtract Bibshort II

Endura's Xtract Bibshort II is a well-priced option, ideal for the cost-conscious cyclist. They're good quality shorts and I found the pad comfortable; in fact, there is a lot to like here – as long as your thighs are wide enough to stop the leg grippers riding up.

Not all of us want or can afford to spend big on our cycling outfits, and these Xtract IIs offer plenty for those on a budget.

Comparing these with bib shorts I've worn that are two, three, even four times the price, I could easily feel and see where costs have been saved – they don't have any specific shaped panels for when you're on the bike, for example, and the material doesn't have that much of a compressive nature to it – but the fit is good, as is the sizing, exactly as I'd expect for the UK market.

The Xtract fabric is comfortable against the skin and Endura would seem to have thought carefully about where to put the seams as there are none on the inside of the thighs that could rub against the saddle as you pedal.

Silicone gripper at the ends is meant to hold the legs in place, but unlike many shorts the hem band doesn't have that much compression and so the strips of thin silicone can't always stop the shorts from riding up your legs.

It wasn't a huge issue for me as they'd only ride up a bit, but my thighs are quite large; if yours aren't, there is likely to be more movement.

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The mesh section of the bibs helps to let heat escape from your upper body and I do like the wide straps as that removes any issue of pressure points on your shoulders.

Endura uses a 400-Series pad in the Xtracts and I found it a good one for the majority of riding. At 15mm it's quite thick, but that is reserved for the rear sections that'll protect your sit bones. The front section is much less deep, which means there is little in the way of material to bunch up when you are on the bike.

Because of this I found it better suited to more relaxed riding in a slightly upright position than head down, racing style, with the extra padding at the rear giving more support with your bodyweight on it.

Otherwise, I found it comfortable, with the central channel removing pressure and also allowing for a bit of breathability. The material is also anti-bacterial.

The quality is good throughout, with neat and tidy stitching, and the fabric seems hardwearing too. Even after hundreds of miles the shorts haven't bobbled or shown any signs of wear from their interaction with the saddle.

At £57.99 the Xtract IIs are at the cheaper end of the shorts we've tested on road.cc.

They are a bit less than the dhb Blok bib shorts (£65) that Iwein tested last September, but from his review it sounds like they outperform the Enduras as he was very impressed with them overall.

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Altura's Progel Plus bib shorts also scored highly in our review from last year and are just a couple of quid more than the Enduras.

Conclusion

On the whole, the Xtract IIs are a good quality, good value pair of bib shorts. They don't really excel in any specific area but they're comfortable, well made and the sizing is good; it's just those leg grippers that let them down slightly.

Verdict

Decent all-round bib shorts, though the leg grippers could be grippier