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review

Lusso Primary Bib Shorts

5
£60.00

VERDICT:

5
10
Good quality fabrics and construction, but not everyone will get on with the Primary pad
High-quality materials
Fit is a nice balance of comfort and support
Live up to the 'no more chafing' claim for the two-panel construction
Made in the UK
Claimed low-impact supply chain
Pad won't suit all
Size up large; I'd recommend going a size down
Weight: 
170g
Contact: 

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The Lusso Primary Bib Shorts have been designed for everyday use, whether you're commuting, on a tempo ride or anything in between, but while the two-panel construction results in a great balance of the shorts being comfortably relaxed but still supportive, I found the Primary pad a real disappointment. While their quality and materials are up there with the best cycling bib shorts, their pad limits them to short rides.

According to Lusso, the Primary Bib Shorts have been designed for 'the everyday cyclist'. They're machine washable and have survived plenty of 30-degree cycles without any noticeable degradation in performance.

> Buy now: Lusso Primary Bib Shorts for £60 from Lusso

Props to Lusso for managing to price them so keenly. It's rare to get such a well-manufactured pair of bib shorts for this sort of money, especially considering the quality materials used. The soft-touch Lycra and lightweight mesh bib section strike me as similar to those found on significantly more expensive bib shorts.

Lusso claims the minimalist two-panel Lycra construction means 'no more chafing!' for riders to deal with. I certainly haven't had any issues.

2022 Lusso Primary Bib Shorts - legs back.jpg

The fit is fairly relaxed, but the shorts do still provide a little support. And though the leg grippers feel like they're barely there, the shorts never move, even on rougher surfaces.

2022 Lusso Primary Bib Shorts - cuff gripper.jpg

The mesh bib top is exactly as advertised – high stretch – which means a comfortable, relaxed fit that doesn't put pressure on the shoulders or neck when tucked into an aerodynamic position.

2022 Lusso Primary Bib Shorts - back.jpg

It's not all good news, though. My only gripe with the Lusso Primary Bib Shorts, and it's a deal-breaker as far as I'm concerned, is with the Primary pad. At the start of a ride it felt comfortable, but after 10 minutes of light riding I felt it was akin to putting a piece of corrugated cardboard between my sit bones and saddle.

2022 Lusso Primary Bib Shorts - chamois.jpg

The basic foam construction of the chamois compresses under very little pressure and provides little relief from even the smallest ruts and bumps. As a result, I'd only recommend them for short daily commutes or similar – I've found anything over 30km to be extremely uncomfortable.

Sizing

The Primary Bib Shorts are available in six sizes, from S to XXXL, but I would recommend double or triple checking your measurements – and if in doubt, size down. I've been riding around in the medium bibs, but with their relaxed fit and roomy shoulder straps I could easily have worn a small.

Value

Coming in at just £60 a pair, on the face of things the Primary Bib Shorts appear excellent value. However, you can pick up cheaper options, such as the £29.99 Triban RC100 bib shorts that Stu tested recently and enjoyed.

And Steve spoke highly of the Sundried Drop Men's Training Bib Shorts, including its thin chamois, which can be picked up for £50.

Conclusion

The Lusso Primary Bib Shorts could be a really good buy, with their excellent construction and use of soft-touch, premium materials, but for me the Primary pad really lets them down, resulting in an overwhelmingly disappointing experience.

Verdict

Good quality fabrics and construction, but not everyone will get on with the Primary pad

road.cc test report

Make and model: Lusso Primary Bib Shorts

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for

Lusso says: 'An all-round pair of bibs for the everyday cyclist. Designed to deliver support, comfort, and value.'

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Lusso says:

Our primary bib shorts construction has been refined down to 2 panels of stretchy lycra which reduces irritation in key areas by removing unnecessary seams; There is only one down the inseam and another through the centre of the chamois. No more chafing! The fit is close but relaxed and unrestrictive and the sewn-on leg grippers secure the shorts in place. Sewn onto the shorts is a breathable and high stretch mesh bib top that has a taller front coverage. Paired with our tried and tested Primary chamois pad.

Support, comfort and value

Refined 2 panel construction

Minimal seams & irritation

Unrestrictive stretchy fit

Minimalist leg grippers

Breathable & lightweight mesh bib top

Primary chamois pad

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Lusso's claimed 'no more chafing' rang true. Excellent two-panel Lycra construction with soft-touch materials used throughout.

Rate the product for performance:
 
5/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
7/10

Relaxed and comfortable fit – with a barely-there feeling. A nice change from more restrictive 'aero' bib shorts.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
6/10

On the large side, and more relaxed than any bibs I've worn. I would recommend sizing down for the best fit.

Rate the product for weight:
 
5/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
5/10

They have a comfortable, relaxed fit, and are made from soft-touch materials, but the chamois was disappointing; they're fine for everyday commuting, but I wouldn't recommend them beyond that.

Rate the product for value:
 
4/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

As always, I chuck my cycling gear in a wash bag and machine wash on a quick 30 degree cycle – nice and easy! Overall, the fabric and chamois have not been affected by the washing and have maintained their shape.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Disappointing – the chamois was not suitable for rides longer than 30km. I've resorted to only using them on my commute.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The price, that they're manufactured in the UK, and Lusso's claimed low-impact supply chain.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The Primary chamois was underwhelming – it felt more like I had a couple of layers of corrugated cardboard between myself and the saddle. I practically felt every bump, rut and rough surface.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

While £60 isn't exactly expensive in the world of bib shorts, these are outdone on the comfort front by Decathlon's £29.99 Triban RC100 bib shorts and Sundried's £50 Drop Men's Training Bib Shorts.

Did you enjoy using the product? No – I found the overall fit poor (oversized) and the chamois uncomfortable.

Would you consider buying the product? No

Would you recommend the product to a friend? No

Use this box to explain your overall score

While the shorts are well made, and from high-quality materials, the pad provided little comfort or protection. Pad comfort is somewhat subjective, and you might get on with it better than me, but I wouldn't recommend these for more than a short daily commute (I'm talking around 6 miles/10km).

Overall rating: 5/10

About the tester

Age: 24  Height: 173  Weight: 72

I usually ride: BMC Teammachine SLR ONE  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, general fitness riding,

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