Rosti Road Warrior Bib Shorts
I happened to be talking to a very experienced cyclist from the 1950s this evening; one who would regularly cycle over 100 miles or more a day, and once cycled 240 miles in 24 hours. I thought I’d ask them what they believed was the most the important thing about a pair of cycling shorts – so I asked my mum! Yes, back in the day, this drop handle bar touring cyclist knew all about the necessity of good shorts, and I still value her advice: ‘they have to fit well, and not ride up and get in the way, not being too long.’
I definitely agree with mum – and ought to. Living on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and riding in the steep hills in all weathers, having shorts that fit well is vital. Not too long, well cut and multi-panelled, with strong four way stretch lycra that fits where it touches and stays in place with excellent grippers. These are my own crucial elements of any bibs; time to look over these bad boys from Italian brand Rosti then!
Make no mistake, these are a high end garment; everything about these bib shorts oozes quality. From the material, the cut and stitching, the design, printing and finishing, and the ultra-high quality strapping, you’ll be extremely comfortable and glad that you purchased these shorts. I’m generally a fussy cyclist, always looking for an issue or bad stitching, or material that just doesn’t feel right. However, the material used by this stylish Italian brand is superb. It feels right because it is right.
To some extent, the more panels in a short, the more effort goes into the design and the cut, and it requires more stitching, so it’s usually a higher quality item. It also fits a lot better, forming around your legs and lower body areas, and not moving around causing soreness. I lost count of the number of panels on these shorts. The material reasonably breathable, and is also so elastic that when pulled, it felt strong and restrictive against the force, returning immediately to shape when released. In practice, it simply clung to me throughout the ride, whatever the weather, with the PTFE within the fabric ensuring that the weather was also kept reasonably well at bay.
There’s the usual mix of light and heavier fabrics in the right areas, and some light meshing across the chest. The straps are high quality perforated lycra, rather than simply mesh as you get with lots of brands; and the width and weight and strength of the straps ensures that they sit comfortably and will always stay in place. Better still, due to the fabric used on the strapping, Rosti are also able to cut away the back, ensuring that your hard working torso can breathe easily, minimising moisture and improving air circulation.
Now for the real vitals – the pad. This multi layered foam and gel Bormio Chamois is designed by Rosti with TMF,and has 8 different thicknesses within the anatomical design. Best of all, they all seem to work superbly on long rides, on the stretched out fast roads and the steep climbs. It absorbs the sweat and keeps you dry, and stays firmly in place, with no movement, meaning no soreness and discomfort.
Wide terraband leg grippers finish off the sleek race style fitting, and the overall design is stylishly Italian. It even makes a middle aged roadie like me look and feel good – I think!, The red and black colouring make sure that you stand out just enough, and the branding on the legs, whilst large is in keeping with the great design. In terms of overall rating, these Rosti bib shorts would be hard to beat, at this or any price point. I genuinely cannot find fault. Maybe a radio pouch somewhere on the back…but now I’m being picky.
Well done Rosti, they’re ‘il meglio!’