It’s a brave brand entering the bib shorts market. Notoriously overcrowded, it needs a very strong USP (unique selling point) to stand out among the best women’s cycling shorts. Sending a pair of black bib shorts with a sales pitch claiming they’re the perfect everyday option for short to mid-length rides to a cycling tech writer means you’re pretty sure of your product.
After one ride in the Velocio Women’s ONE bib shorts, I could see that the brand wasn’t overconfident. In fact, they have become my talking point to anyone who had the (mis)fortune of riding with me over the past month.
(Image credit: Hannah Bussey)
Construction
The Velocio Women’s One bib shorts are designed specifically to support rides of short to medium length. As to exactly what this distance equates to is akin to the proverbial string length.
However, it’s more about a categorisation of the brand’s own shorts, with the Velocio Luxe shorts taking the lead for long-distance rides, the Concept shorts focusing on aerodynamics, while the Ultralights are the offering for lightweight, ‘barely-there’ shorts. Taking a closer look at the One bib shorts, Velocio says it has ‘cherry-picked’ the best features from all the shorts in the range for a versatile, everyday pair.
The brand states that the cut is more compressive than the lightweight fabric of the Ultralight shorts, but similar to that of both the Luxe and Concept, aiming to support muscles on mid- to long-term rides.
Made from 78% Polyamide and 22% Elastane, a percentage of the nylon is recycled from fishing nets. As with all Velocio products, the clothing is designed by the team in New England and manufactured in Piedmont, northern Italy.
Unfortunately, that’s where the detailed manufacturing information trail ends, with no evidence to substantiate its recycling or sustainability claims. According to the brand, working with smaller factories allows for full control of the design process, enabling the brand to produce proprietary materials and chamois developed in collaboration with Cytech EIT.
At the bottom of the shorts, a wide raw-cut Lycra leg band provides what Velocio describes as a second-skin feel. The legs feed into the FlyFree system, with this roadside toilet feature breaking the bib element.
I recently mentioned in the Petrichor Projects 002 review that I am not a fan of this feature in women’s specific bib shorts. While I greatly appreciate the simplicity of shorts without clasps, zips, or clips, I doubt many women on short or medium-length rides will use this feature, leading me to think that the shorts are somewhat over-engineered.
The bibs are held at the front by a mesh panel, complemented by a high waist that prevents peek-a-boo stomach exposure when not on the bike.
Again, this is another feature on women’s shorts I tend to dislike. It feels like this weird layer of fabric, added with a base layer, bra top, and possibly a heart rate monitor, makes the outfit feel constricting and over the top. I often find myself remarking that I just want shorts, not an all-in-one outfit.
As for the weight, the shorts tipped my scales at 171g for a size small.
(Image credit: Hannah Bussey)
The ride
With regards to the degree of compression the bibs seemed to hit the perfect spot for the size small I was wearing; I’m usually a UK size 10.
I was perhaps a bit overenthusiastic on my first ride in these shorts, finding myself in the hills of the southern German Black Forest with a 60-mile ride ahead in 30°C/86°F weather. This was not only significantly longer and hotter than my recent rides, but as I pulled on the shorts on the morning of the ride, I realised I had forgotten to pack any form of sports bra or baselayer.
Faced with the choice of wearing an underwired bra all day or nothing, I chose the latter. Looking like an early Assos advert, I pulled my jersey on, and hoped I wouldn’t forget about my lack of undergarment and subconsciously unzip my top on the climbs, and trusting that the mesh would be gentle on my more sensitive areas.
Descending was followed by full gas valley flats before an assault of near-mountainous climbing. I found myself increasingly respectful of the shorts. I started telling others on the ride how comfortable they were and how well-fitted they were, and to anyone who would listen, “I’m not even wearing a sports bra.”
The mesh layer was ideal for sweat-wicking—I hate the feel of moisture leaking down my front—and consequently, I wear some form of vest even on the hottest days in the saddle. This built-in layer was perfect for transporting sweat away from my chest and stomach. It would also be ideal as an extra barrier for cool weather riding—some departure from my usual built-in layer preferences. Somehow, something I previously disliked quickly became a major selling point.
I was delighted to discover that, despite the naked top half, I suffered from zero chafing, not even a dab of Vaseline on my nipples to prevent friction rubs.
So caught up was I in the drama of dressing my top half for the ride that it wasn’t until after I realised I had also forgotten to add any chamois cream to the pad.
Another impressive result—riding a bike and saddle I’ve never ridden before, in a pair of fresh shorts, and not even feeling discomfort in my nether regions. And it wasn’t a short ride; if anything, it was quite long, proving that categorizing shorts by distance is merely a matter of the rider’s legs.
Back home in the UK, wearing the Velocio Women’s ONE bib shorts without a vest has become my main choice, although I’ve added a bra top more out of habit than necessity.
I’ve tried the easy-to-pee feature for the sake of the review and can confirm it works fine, but honestly, I haven’t really needed to use it. Even when nature calls, I prefer to just remove my jersey rather than risk anything in my back pockets being accidentally folded into the toilet.
Value and conclusion
It’s not often that I am so vocal about a pair of black cycling shorts, but the Velocio Women’s ONE bibshorts truly stand out, and I keep telling anyone who will listen that they really are the best shorts I’ve ridden in many years.
They fit well, are comfortable and supportive, and after thirty years of bike riding, I have managed to stop wearing a vest on every ride – which on hot days is pretty impressive and eye-opening.
While they are the cheapest bib shorts in the Velocio range, they still fall into the mid-to-upper end of the market at $209 / £158.
I suspect that sustainability credentials influence this price point, so it’s disappointing to see so little evidence supporting the brand’s claims about the use of recycled materials. If the Velocio Women’s ONE bibshorts were entirely traceable, they would undoubtedly have earned full marks.
