Review: FDX Mens Cycling Bib Tights – Winter

I’ve been commuting on my bicycle in London for a few years now. It took me a little while to transition to lycra cycling shorts, but once I did – there was no going back. That padding really does help avoid a bruised behind, and the lack of seams helps avoid chafing and saddle soreness. Not to mention – decent cycling shorts will also be breathable, which is an added bonus. They’re just comfortable overall!Now, the problem with cycling shorts is that as you continue to use them every day they start to become a little loose as you lose weight and as the waistband stretches a little.

Before too long, you have to pull them up once or twice during your ride. This may not be a problem for those people that spend £50-£100 on a pair of cycling shorts – they may well stay on well and cling to the skin.I don’t have the disposable income to outlay on 3-4 pairs of shorts at that pricepoint (and you need 3-4 pairs when you commute daily), and so I tend to spend around £15 a pair on cycling shorts from eBay stores and/or local sports shops.

How do you know if you’re getting a good pair of shorts for cheap? Personally I’ve found that as long as the bicycle short padding is made of Coolmax, the shorts are usually of good quality. Coolmax is a highly wicking material developed by DuPont for applications such as cycling bottom padding and it has antimicrobial properties, which comes in handy, because of sweating in the area that the padding contacts (need I say more?). I’ve always got on with this padding.

This is how I initially discovered FDX cycling shorts on eBay and I bought a pair of their shorts and liked them. When the average outside temperature decreased, I decided to try out some cycling tights. This was a rather large step for me. Very much in my head, but for some reason I always resisted purchasing cycling tights. I usually cycle in shorts, football socks and bare knees, and on very cold days this results in painful knees. Having have done this a few too many times, for a while I considered getting some knee warmers. At that point I thought it’s not too different from just buying some cycling tights, and so I got some from FDX. They were good enough, but there was some sliding down at traffic lights.

I got in touch with FDX and they were kind enough to send me a pair of FDX Mens Cycling Bib Tights* for review.

So – what do I think about using cycling bib-tights? Well, I am a commuter and as I described above, the cycling tights were a step in the uncharted territory of bicycle racing geekery which I took with trepidation. The cycling bib-tights were even more so! At the same time, I am getting on very famously with the cycling bib tights. Sure, going to the toilet is a complete drag, but apart from that little nuance, they function very well. There’s a distinct and much appreciated lack of a pinching waistband which is a very nice break for the skin around the waist. Furthermore, there’s no slippage, because the tights are held up on the shoulders. You put them on, then a T-shirt on top and nobody is any the wiser. Warm knees, warm midriff, tights that do not slip down, and you really cannot ask for more than that!

The FDX cycling bib-tights are also made of a medium weight velvety material which is warmer than the usual lycra shorts, and I’d say they would easily be warm throughout the british winter.

Considering the price tag of £22, I give the tights 4 stars!

FDX cycling bib tights can be found on eBay: FDX cycling tights on eBay or on the FDX website: http://www.fdxsports.co.uk/