off-road.cc

The Tsuki bib shorts from PEdAL ED are high-quality cyclewear of Japanese design and Italian manufacture. Designed for gravel and road, these comfy lycra shorts have also been a hit on the mountain bike.

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The Tsuki bib shorts and Hane jersey (also tested) are part of PEdAL ED’s first women’s collection. Designed for everyday riding, I have tested these on both my gravel and mountain bike and found them superbly comfortable for both disciplines. Although at £160 they are hardly an ‘everyday wear’ price!

The shorts feature an Elastic Interface® chamois pad which I thought was just the right thickness i.e. not too thick to ruck up and not too thin that is doesn't dispell pressure. The high density foam used conforms to the body well and the pad doesn’t move around at all, wet or dry.

Wearing the shorts and legs parts of the lycra is like slipping on a second skin, the elasticated material is supportive and with well placed seams over the thighs. There is a wide band above the knee that is backed with silicone which does a good job of keeping the shorts in place. They also don’t ‘roll up’ from the knee when under baggy shorts as other flat finish shorts seem to. A tiny amount of frayed elastic is started to show on the bottom edge of the shorts though which is surprising given the high price tag.

The upper body of the bib shorts are fairly classical in design, a ‘racer back’ bib which disappointingly doesn’t offer any way to pull the shorts down without first removing your jersey, there’s no quick toilet stops here. The middle of the back features a breathable strip that pairs up with a similar strip on the rear of the Hane jersey. I didn’t find these shorts particularly any more breathable than other bibs, but given the lack of material on the upper half, it’s not something I would normally consider a problem. If the heat of bibs is something that bothers you, I expect that you'd choose regular shorts instead. I guess in the height of summer I might be glad of any extra airflow but it's not something that was prominent when I wore the Tsuki’s. That said, I wasn’t unnecessarily hot either.

The straps of the bibs are super stretchy, comfortable and don’t cause any pressure points over the shoulders and sit in place nicely against the skin. The strap section is a one-piece, flat affair which lies smoothy against the body and flexes well with movement.

It is worth noting that alongside being made in Italy, the gear also features very 'Italian sizing', by that I mean it comes up small. Whatever size you think you are, size up a whole size for both top and bottoms. I’m a dress size 8 and wore medium shorts and jersey.

If you can stretch to £160 for a pair of bibs then you’ll be delighted with the comfort on offer from the Tsuki’s. They are a superb quality option for gravel, road or off-road riding, with or without baggy shorts or knee pads, the chamois will keep you chafe free and the bib and the shorts parts genuinely feel like a second skin. I’m just not sold on the claims of extra breathability.

• www.pedaled.com

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