Velocio Men’s Luxe Bib Short

Velocio Men's Luxe bib shorts are luxurious indeed. They feel and fit like they've been sprayed on, and the pad is super comfy too. As you might have guessed, the price tag follows suit.

A previous pair of Velocio's bibs – the Concept Bib Shorts – won the 'money no object' category in our 2023 Best Cycling Bib Shorts Shootout, so I had high hopes for this Luxe pair. The Luxes are cheaper, but not by much – £20 – and they're still very much premium shorts territory. Luckily that's exactly how they feel and perform.

> Buy the Men's Luxe Bib Shorts from Velocio now

These shorts are made in Italy from a 63% polyamide / 37% elastane mix, described as 'ultra-high gauge compression lycra' by Velocio. It is indeed a highly stretchy fabric that gives a lovely compressive feel, and the bottom line is that putting these on makes you feel great and up for going fast.

The pad is a Proprietary Signature Chamois developed with Cytech Elastic Interface. While it is a new model to me, Elastic Interface's pads tend to work well for me, and it's the same with this one.

These bibs are made with just three panels, keeping the number of seams to a minimum. The edges are raw cut, with a two inch band of silicone print at the leg ends. Between the fit, the stretchy fabric and the grippers, these shorts have not moved a millimetre in use, making chafing a non-issue.

The seamless microfiber bib straps are nice and stretchy without being restrictive; just right. They cross over at the back, presumably to stop them sliding off your shoulders. I've never had an issue with this on any shorts, though, and I found the cross just makes it slightly harder to untwist the straps when you put the shorts on.

Looks

There's a small reflective detail on each leg and one on the left bum area, and that's it. Between this and the spray paint-like raw cut fabric, they look minimalist and sleek. The slightly matt finish only adds to that.

While we have these on test in default black, there are an impressive seven other colours available – a nice touch if you're after something a little different.

Sizing

I'm normally a medium in non-Italian brands and, based on my weight and height, Velocio's size guide suggests I should be in a medium. Medium is what we have on test, and fits perfectly.

Value

While £229 is an awful lot of money, there are plenty of others at this level, such as Rapha's Brevet Shorts at £230, Santini's Redux Speed Shorts at £240 and MAAP's Alt-Road Cargo Bib at £235.

You can get some very good shorts for a lot less, of course: for instance dhb's Aeron Lab Raceline Bib Shorts 3.0 are still great and cost £150.

You don't even have to spend that much: Stu was very impressed with Triban's RC100 Bib Shorts when he reviewed them, and they are only £29.99.

Still, these are great and Velocio offers its 'signature guarantee', which means that you can try its stuff properly: ride in it, wash it and ride again, and if you don't like it after 30 days, you can send it back for a full refund.

Overall

These shorts really deliver on the 'masterclass in comfortable performance cycling apparel' claim. They fit perfectly, feel supportive and the pad is comfortable for hours on end, rain or shine. I'm not convinced about the crossed straps at the back, but that doesn't get in the way too much. I like that you can get these in a variety of colours too.

It would be nice if they weren't quite so expensive, but you do get what you pay for and with the Signature Guarantee at least you can safely make sure you'll get on with them.

Verdict

Super comfortable bib shorts that make you feel like a cycling god