Endura have unveiled the FS260-Pro SL – a semi-custom bib short which allows the rider to specify pad width and leg length.
The short, part of Endura’s mid-range FS260 collection, will be offered in five conventional sizes, but the customer can then choose from three chamois widths and two leg lengths – creating 30 possible combinations.
The FS260-Pro SL will effectively allow the rider to tailor the fit according to their body size, Endura’s man at the 2014 Core Bike Show told us. While two riders may wear the same size short, one may have narrow sit bones and the other wide sit bones. Personal preference, height and a rider’s position on the bike also come in to play.
Endura see the FS260-Pro SL as the next step in a bike fit. A rider may be recommended a saddle, or a suggested saddle width, following a bike fit, but shorts – a vital contact point on the bike – often go accounted for.
Comfort, therefore, is the FS260-SL’s USP and that extends to how the pad has been stitched in to the short. The chamois has effectively been flipped, exposing a much smoother surface than the channeled exterior typically seen on the side of a pad which comes into contact with your undercarriage.
Endura say that while this has no direct effect, positive or negative, on comfort in terms of padding, having more of your rear end in contact with the chamois improves its ability to wick away sweat, reducing the chance of chafing on a long ride.
Otherwise, features on the shorts include a laser cut hem, which is in turn infused with silicone to provide a secure fit on your legs, and the wide, low profile bibs are made from a mesh fabric.
The FS260-Pro SL will be available from the spring, priced at £90. Endura acknowledge that a dealer is unlikely to stock all 30 fit combinations, but with manufacturing based in Scotland will be able to fulfill orders within approximately four days.
The shorts certainly look an interesting proposition and we’ve put ourselves down for a pair to test.
Website: Endura
