Rapha Pro Team Bib Shorts II

Rapha's updated Pro Team II Bib Shorts, with new size-specific chamois and enhanced fit, provide stellar comfort and performance for the most demanding cyclist. But do they justify the premium price tag?

Rapha first launched the Pro Team Bib Shorts as part of its growing race and performance focused Pro Team line way back in 2011, which in the cycling world is an eternity. Six years since that launch, Rapha has given them a major update for 2017, and the result is a raft of refinements that subtly improve on the originals.

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There's a familiarity with the Pro Team shorts: the same snug fit of the original Pro Team shorts awaits you when you pull these on. They're much more figure-hugging than Rapha's more relaxed Classic II bib shorts, simply because they're designed for racing and high performance riding where a close fit is desirable.

But they're comfortable once you've slipped into them and lined the shorts up with your tan line and settled the bib straps across your shoulders... They feel good from the outset, a conforming fit free of restriction or tightness, whether you're stood up or crouched over the bike battling a headwind.

That great fit is because they use multiple panels, carefully shaped to ensure that the shorts hug the body very closely. All those various panels work well together to prevent any drag-inducing flaps or ripples of fabric, while hugging the legs with a reasonable level of compression.

The leg openings have a wide elastic hem lined with small silicone stripes, printed directly onto the fabric, to ensure the shorts don't shift about and spoil your tan line... Even worn over knee warmers, the shorts stay in place. As before, the bibs come in two lengths, regular and long, providing a 3cm leg length difference.

The bib straps have been reshaped and there's a bit more stretch in them, which means a little less pressure on the shoulders than the previous Pro Team shorts. To reduce bulk, the bib straps now use folded bonded edges so the straps sit very flat against the body and underneath your jersey. They feel very comfortable and streamlined.

The real key to any bib short comfort is the padded insert. This is an area that, in my opinion, Rapha has always excelled at, and to raise the benchmark it has developed a size-specific chamois for the new shorts. Each chamois is constructed using dual-density padding, with more padding where the sit bones contact the saddle, and it's smoothly stitched into the fabric of the shorts to avoid irritation.

I obviously can't comment on the difference of the padded insert across the different sizes, but I found it extremely comfortable right from the first outing, with no period of adjustment necessary. Longer rides backed up this initial impression, and a few five and six-hour rides found the shorts not wanting in the comfort department at all.

They only come in black, but as before you can choose from a small range of colours for the large Rapha logo on the left leg, to which the bib straps and mesh back panel are now colour matched too. They're also colour matched to jerseys, so you can co-ordinate your shorts and top if you're that way inclined.

I tested a pair of the previous generation Pro Team shorts in 2013, and they're still part of my regular cycling wardrobe, and showing no sign of falling apart. I've been riding with these new Pro Team II shorts as much as possible over the past couple of months, wearing them as soon as they've dried from a wash, and thus far durability has been similarly impressive.

Rapha has managed to retain the key performance and comfort of the original Pro Team shorts but found a few ways to improve them. The difference isn't so staggering that you need to rush out and buy them if you own the previous Pro Team shorts, but if you're looking for a pair of premium high-end shorts for the summer, these have to be on your shortlist.

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For a premium priced product, the new Rapha Pro Team II shorts deliver premium comfort and performance. The fit is excellent and the cushioning provided by the size-specific chamois produces a high level of comfort for the longest and most demanding rides.

Yes, they are expensive. If you're not after the close fit of the Pro Team II shorts then the Classic Bib Shorts II are an excellent alternative with a similar level of comfort, and save you a few quid.

Verdict

Updated with improved fit and comfort and a size-specific pad