Italy isn’t short of high-quality clothing manufacturers, and Nalini is among the best known.
With the Giro d’Italia uppermost in our thoughts during May, we called in clothing from a host of Italian manufacturers, with De Marchi and Nalini’s sister company, MOA, among them.
The Rusco bib-short was one of three items we called in from Nalini, via their UK distributor, Chicken Cycles, alongside their Camedrio SS jersey, and Talco gilet. Check out our ‘first look‘ for a detailed description of each.
We had no complaints from our test rides in the Rusco bib-short, which we found comfortable, supportive, and unrestrictive.
The lycra in the leg we found to be of good quality. We’ve encountered more compressive lycras, but not on a short with change from £100.
The lazer cut, elasticated hem grippers were excellent, plenty deep enough at 40mm to hold the short in place without irritation, and the black-on-black logo provided an elegant detail.
Lycra braces are always a welcome sight, easily superior to less forgiving polyester in the opinion of this correspondent. It proved to be the case with the Rusco bib-short too, where Nalini deployed a perforated weave, which breathed well.
Nalini use the same fabric at the centre of the short, just above the waist, where its used for a small pocket. At 5cm wide, the braces sat comfortably on the shoulders.
The pad was adequate, if a little uninspiring, and not matching the standard of the leg or bib. For very long days in the saddle, we’d reach for an alternative, but for rides of around three hours, it proved up to the task.
Our final observation concerns the aesthetics, which we felt were elegant. The smooth, slightly glossy lyrca in the leg, and the black-on-black logo on the lazer cut hem gripper, gave the Rusco bib-short the appearance of a far more expensive garment.
We think you’d struggle to find a better short and leave the shop with change from £100. If you’re seeking a good quality, Italian bib-short without breaking the bank, the Nalini Rusco is worth investigating.
The Nalini Rusco bib-short is available in black, and in six sizes from S to XXXL. It costs £94.99.
Website: Nalini
UK distributor: Chicken Cycles
