Sundried Drop Men’s Training Bib Shorts

The Sundried Drop Men's Training Bib Shorts offer really solid performance at an attractive price. The padding is fairly thin but proves comfortable anyway, the panel shaping and stitching is good, and they even look decent. So long as you're not planning loads of three-hour-plus training rides they're ideal.

These are good shorts, especially given the price. The construction is simple but effective with well-shaped panels, and the stitching is overlocked or completely flatlocked where necessary for unobtrusive comfort. It's all neat and feels strong, too.

> Buy now: Sundried Drop Men’s Training Bib Shorts for £50 from Sundried

The mesh upper breathes well and, being white, it doesn't show too much through jerseys – the downside, as always, is that it's easier for suntan lotion to stain it.

The printed main fabric breathes perfectly well too, as it's fairly thin. It feels robust, despite that, and the also-thin elastic cuffs (dotted inside with silicone) work well to keep the legs secure.

Okay, the patterned fabric fades whiter wherever it's very stretched (such as deep in the seams), but it's not very noticeable and, for £50, very hard to mind.

I also wore these under baggies on a gravel bike, and despite some long, steep climbs on hot days, they still didn't overheat.

The elastic edges of the broad mesh straps are reasonably firm – I notice the pull while standing, but don't find it uncomfortable – and entirely secure on the bike, where the tight sensation disappears. I've got a long torso relative to my overall height, which makes me a bit of a worst case scenario for bib straps, so you're very unlikely to find these too tight if you're in the right size.

I say that because technically, I wasn't even testing the right size. Sundried does these in six sizes, and I found my usual preference (large) fitted me and my 6ft 1in bones well. The chart actually recommends XL for my height, which I'm confident I could happily wear.

However, if I also heeded Sundried's warning about tight fits and sizing up, that would put me in XXL. I'm not at all convinced that would work.

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If you follow the size guide table and don't size up, though, I think you'll find a good fit.

Value

Compared with the majority of recently tested bibs, which have been in the £150-£200 range, and some even beyond that, £50 looks a very good price, and they also stack up well against more budget options.

The Altura Icon Men's Cycling Bib Shorts, for instance, also have a thin yet comfy pad but are £70, and Endura's Xtract Bibshort IIs are £57.99, though the wide legs suit big thighs best – the grippers can have a hard time otherwise.

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Pearl Izumi's £49.99 Escape Quest Bibs do offer similar performance, and are relatively thin and cool, too, so good if you want something for the warmest days.

Conclusion

Overall, these are very good shorts for the price, and as a bonus they're not even just black – though if that's what you're after you're out of luck, as there's no other option. The pad's quite thin but proves comfortable for short/medium duration rides, they're pretty breathable and they're built well, too. Bargain.

Verdict

Good fit, comfort and performance for a really good price