The Storck Comp bib shorts are super-comfy, with a plush chamois ideal for long days in the saddle.
Storck are best known for their bikes but branched out into cycle clothing in 2012 and the Comp shorts are part of the debut range.
The shorts, which arrived for review alongside the Comp jersey, utilise what Storck call Seamless Textile Technology, which is essentially the use of a textile fabric on the top half of the shorts (from the midriff and lower back, onto the bib straps, except for a short section of mesh at the top of the straps as they pass over the shoulders), and a conventional lycra on the bottom half of the shorts.
The bib straps are the widest we’ve seen – a full four inches. We like to see wide bib straps as they’re less likely to bunch up and dig into your shoulders, and the Comp’s straps are wholly successful in that regard.
The STT fabric is also soft to touch (and comfortable against the skin if you ride without a base layer, helped by the width of the straps, which sit flat on the body) does an excellent job at wicking sweat away, though it is very stretchy and so the straps aren’t quite as supportive as others. There’s a fine line, however, between compressive and restrictive, so the Comp shorts fall on the right side of that fence.
The bottom half of the shorts are made from a regular polyamide lycra, which performs as you’d expect from a high-end short: it’s light, breathes well and the fit is, on the whole, very good.
These are shorts ideal for long rides, thanks to the comfy fit and also the plush chamois. On the face of it it’s quite a simple chamois: thick and with a dimpled texture which, as noted in our first look, is much like the pad found on the Assos T FI.Mille_S5 reviewed last summer – another excellent long-distance short. The pad is thicker than most, so may not suit riders who prefer a leaner, racier chamois but we found it well-suited to long days in the saddle.
Details include blue, flatlocked seams and a small Storck logo on the right leg. The legs are finished with a elasticated band, which in turn is lined with a silicone gripper which reads ‘Handcrafted to perfection’, so the shorts stay where you want them.
Storck have a reputation for high-end bikes and set out to replicate that with their clothing range. The Comp shorts fit the bill in that regard and are a super-comfy, luxurious option.
Price: £139
Sizes: S-XXL
Website: Storck
