Bibs

The part of the shorts that go over the shoulders are the bibs. These come in various shapes and sizes but they all have the same basic function: to keep the shorts in place. There’s quite a lot of variation in bib material. Some shorts will use an elastane-style material which usually offers excellent stretch and fit, but can be harsher against the skin. Other manufacturers, Hincapie being a good example, go for comfort with the bibs being just as elastic but made out of a far softer material that sits better against the skin.

But almost across the board, most bibs of a certain price (except, perhaps, those thermal shorts designed for cooler riders) will include some form of mesh. That keeps the weight down, increases breathability and wicking properties, and helps with elasticity too.

Grippers

The difference between good grippers and bad grippers is pronounced. Bad grippers will have a biting feeling and snag the skin, and you’ll get that pulling feeling if they slip mid-ride. The classic example of this is the narrow silicone band that used to encircle the hem of each leg in a set of shorts.

These days far thicker grippers which sit flush against the leg are popular, some as much as a few inches wide. They provide a firm hold and while a lot still use silicone it’s integrated into the fabric rather than as a strong anti-slip band, and provides a much more progressive, comfortable fit. And because the grip is spread out over a far larger area, it feels better too. The Vermarc PR.R Mare bib shorts are a great example.

Radio pocket

With radios being legal in UCI top-level races, a number of manufacturers now include small pockets on the back of their pro-grade shorts for the riders to put their radios in. That means that it doesn’t take up valuable space in the jersey pockets, and seeing as they rarely need to adjust the radio mid-ride, it’s out of the way so they don’t have to worry about it.

From an amateur perspective, in my experience it can be really useful for anyone who wants to ride with an MP3 player (especially useful on the indoor trainer) or store something in a particularly safe place, otherwise, in reality, it’s of limited use.

Reflective detailing

Far from an essential in purely functional terms but important nonetheless, lots of bib shorts have reflective detailing which adds a bit of visibility. Especially helpful if the shorts are black or a similar dark colour.

This reflectivity can be as simple as added reflective tags or paneling, reflective logos or even reflective stitching, which is a particularly smart add on.