Former pro cyclist Yanto Barker’s cycling apparel brand, Le Col, has steadily been making a name for itself since its inception in 2011, and while it’s not quite mainstream yet, with products like the Pro bib shorts, it’s surely only a matter of time.
The centrepiece of the any bib short is the pad – put simply, a rubbish pad adds up to a rubbish bib short in my view – and what a pad it is. It’s a Pro Dolomiti chamois that features silicone inserts alongside the usual dense foam. In fact, it does away with a lot of the foam, giving it a really dense spongy feel while remaining relatively thin compared to others on the market (Cytech, I’m looking at you).
The padding is graded in key areas for maximum pressure relief, especially in the perineal region, really allowing you to settle into your optimum position and stay there. The silicone also serves to give the chamois a really cool touch, and in tandem with the ventilation allow heat to dissipate effectively.
