As part of their new CONCEPT collection, the CONCEPT Bib Shorts have been designed to provide maximum speed, making them Velocio’s ‘fastest bib short ever’, according to the brand. That’s all well and good, but I suspect most riders are looking for comfort as the primary quality from their bib shorts, although free speed is always welcome.
The tough, woven fabric provides good support and compression
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
This is especially true of these shorts, which appear to be biased towards gravel riding according to the wording and imagery of much of the marketing, although I can’t see anything that marks them out as off-road shorts specifically; there are no thigh pockets, for example, which is typical of shorts that fall into the best gravel bike clothing. They do, however, follow Velocio’s usual subtle and muted aesthetic, as does the rest of the CONCEPT range
Construction
With a stretch-woven, softshell-style fabric, the CONCEPT shorts feel a little bit like Castelli’s pricey Premio Evo Bibshort. There is a slight rustle to the material, and it manages to feel both tough and light at the same time, which is a clever trick. As is the way with modern shorts, seams are kept to a minimum. Gone are the days of more panels equating to a better fit. Velocio has even managed to get rid of the central seam under the pad, which is the first time I’ve seen this in a pair of shorts; it makes a lot of sense though, so you aren’t sitting on a seam all the time and probably adds to their durability.
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(Image credit: Andy Jones)
Despite the relatively few seams, the shorts are heavily shaped and three-dimensional for comfort in the riding position.
The laser-cut legs are finished with a couple of centimetres of silicone grippers, whilst the top of the shorts is bound with Lycra edging. Neither the front nor the back of the shorts comes up particularly high, sitting just about at belly button level on me.
Nice deep grippers hold the legs in place
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
The rear of the shorts is double-layered, with a kind of mesh drop liner for reasons that were not entirely clear to me. I guess it might help with moisture management or a touch of extra protection against mud or road spray?
There is a nice, substantial feel to the multi-density pad, with its tiered structure ramping up the padding under the sit bones and reducing it towards the edges. There is also a nice, soft section which extends up the front of the shorts. It is worth noting that the pad is not the same as that used in Velocio’s best-selling LUXE shorts; the CONCEPT pad feels a bit more contoured and thicker.
The straps are wide but don’t look especially breathable, and just feature a small mesh panel between the shoulder blades to help keep them in the right place.
Visually, the matte material looks great and shows off the large, reflective ‘Velocio’ wording on both thighs.
The shorts don’t come up as high as some shorts
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
The shorts come in five colours for men: Black Olive, Smoked Paprika, Deep Lichen, Black and the Plum Truffle as per the review pair. Sizing runs from XS to XXXXL for men and XXS to XXXL for women in the same colours.
Performance
As with the CONCEPT Jersey, there is a bit of an off-road bias to the wording and imagery used by Velocio, but there is nothing in the construction of the shorts themselves that screams gravel. Thus, I used the shorts (and jersey) both on and off road with equal success.
Sizing was consistent with other Velocio shorts and tights, and with other brands like Castelli and Assos, so size Large was an ideal fit. The leg length was great, which, as a slightly lanky guy, is always nice. Strap length was also good, holding the shorts in place on the bike without feeling any pressure on my shoulders when standing up, and the combination of great cut and the silicone grippers meant that the hems didn’t migrate upwards whilst riding, which is a pet hate of mine.
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
My local gravel riding has plenty of interesting singletrack, which is great, but at the time of my testing, spring growth had left some of the trails a bit overgrown, which in turn leads to scratched legs and snagged shorts. However, the tough fabric of the CONCEPT shorts shrugged off any malicious vegetation without a problem.
Back on the tarmac, albeit the very warm and pleasant Mallorcan variety, the shorts proved themselves comfortable and cool. I can’t objectively quantify the degree of compression that they provide, or the level to which that aids performance, but subjectively, there was a really nice, supportive feel to the shorts, which some lightweight materials can struggle to provide.
Shorts felt great, with good comfort and support
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
With plenty of long rides under my belt wearing these shorts, I can confidently say that the pad worked fantastically well for me, with comfort aplenty even after 160km+. The firm-ish foam held up well without getting compressed over the duration of the ride, and the tapered edges also helped with comfort. Perhaps the only negative is that it is quite a wide, bulky pad and some riders might find it a bit intrusive, but it certainly didn’t bother me.
Value
I’ve used a few bits and pieces from Velocio recently, and they have rapidly become one of my favourite brands. The consistency of fit and quality of materials stands out for me, and the CONCEPT Bib Shorts are no exception.
They are comfortable, durable and feel great on, but there is a catch, and that is, inevitably these days, the ticket price. At £258 / $349 it’s a considerable chunk of cash for a pair of shorts, but (and bear with me here), at least the CONCEPT shorts do offer something different in return for your cash – whether it is worth it is up to you. The fit and feel are top-notch, but more importantly, the fabric, pad and pattern are all an upgrade on Velocio’s other shorts. The lack of under-pad seam is neat and possibly unique, whilst the plush pad worked perfectly for me.
Not cheap, but very good nevertheless
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
However, this all has to be caveated by the fact that I found the Assos Mille GT Shorts very comfortable too, for example, and they are half the price of these.
If you are struggling to find some comfy shorts, or value innovation and exclusivity along with versatility for road or gravel, then try the CONCEPT Bib Shorts. If not, then there are plenty of less expensive shorts that should do the job, and for this reason alone I think they can’t quite be a 5-star product.
