The Altura Raceline Comp bib shorts are stylish and comfortable shorts for summer riding, though watch out for the generous sizing.
Raceline is Altura’s flagship collection and these shorts continue the positive experience we’ve had to date when reviewing the Raceline arm and knee warmers, gilet and short sleeve jersey, as well as the Thermocool base layer.
The shorts, made from an 80 per cent nylon and 20 per cent lycra mix which ensures there’s plenty of stretch in the fabric, have a pre-shaped, multi-panel construction and, on the whole, the cut is compressive and close, though the chamois does requite a little manoeuvring to sit in position, and you’ll need to pay attention to sizing.
Altura is a British brand and their clothing is cut with British riders in mind. We had to move down from our typical size, a medium, to a small to get the close fit desired.
The material used for the main body of the shorts breathes well and the supportive mesh straps (again, once you get the right size, as our medium shorts had a fair amount of excess in the straps) are made from a mesh fabric, which extends down to the front of the shorts, and that adds a little ventilation beneath your jersey. The legs are finished with a perforated fabric and, on the road, it’s difficult to determine how much – if any – effect that has on ventilation but it looks smart and the adhesive lining is grippy without tugging on the skin.
Finally, the shorts use Altura’s ‘3D Ergogel’ chamois. As ever, when it comes to a chamois, what works for one rider may not work for another, and, while quite thin, the pad’s multi-density construction, with extra gel added in the area beneath the sit bones, has proved comfortable on summer rides.
Conclusion
The Altura Raceline Comp bib shorts tick the boxes as a pair of shorts that offer good performance at a price which won’t break the bank.
Price: £89.99
Sizes: XS-XXL
Colours: black, black/red, black/white
Website: Altura
UK distributor: Zyro
