The Bib

August 9, 2010

North Americans aren't known for their aesthetic inclinations. We're not confused with connoisseurs. Not that we're neanderthals, just that we exit the womb at full speed; we slow down long enough to enjoy, but not to savor. We're consumers, aggregators, collectors. Not appreciators.

There are food connoisseurs, coffee connoisseurs, some are connoisseurs of fine literature. But "connoisseur" is an approach, rather than a specialty. You're either a connoisseur by nature or you're not.

The antonym of connoisseur is not troglodyte, or philistine. North Americans are not stupid. We are, let us say, under-cultivated. Taste-challenged. Rough polished. We're over-focused on the cost:benefit ratio.

An awkward subset of our uncultivated sensibilities is the North American triathlete: a jack of all trades in the unapologetic birthplace of two buck chuck.

That established….

We do appreciate what works. What's efficient. Our palette might not be sensitive enough to tell between a $20 and a $200 bottle of wine, but, most of us can identify leather from vinyl. And, we're not unteachable.

Bibs
In fact, triathletes are quick studies. In that spirit, let's study bike shorts. It's time you got yourselves hip to bibs.

Used to be, if you really wanted to get on my good side, the way to my heart was through my margarita. A fine bottle of tequila (a fine bottle, not a big bottle), or maybe 750ml of Cointreau, got it done. But I've probably had enough tequila to last for one lifetime, and I'm living pretty alcohol free these days. Now, my soft underbelly is fine bib (and under my fine bib is a soft underbelly).

I received a care package just this past week, unsolicited, from a Slowtwitcher. It was a new Sugoi RSE bib short (size large, apropos of nothing, I'm just sayin'). This Sugoi exceeded my expectations. Not that I didn't know Sugoi made exceptional clothing, rather that this bib is near, or maybe at, the level of Assos, which represents for many the apex of cycling bib manufacture.

The bibs I have in my closet are Garneau, De Soto, Hidden Bay, Assos, and a few others (great bibs all). I don't wear cycling shorts anymore. Only bibs. It's the only garment style a self-respecting cycling connoisseur will ride, and it's high time you knew it.

Good bibs
The same things that make for a good short make for a good bib. The soul of the bib is its contour, but its heart is the chamois. The Sugoi's RSE bib—mine is entirely black—has an appropriately long leg length, comfortable grippers, and a great silhouette. The shoulder straps are of correct length, and, the back is sufficiently high to keep the straps from straying over to, and down, my shoulders. The chamois is padded, comfortable, has no chafing seams, and sits underneath me well.

All these characteristics are true of the bibs I mentioned above, and the three reasons for a bib, over a short, are: bibs don't sag, and the crotch material won't get caught on the saddle nose while sitting after a spate of out-of-the-saddle riding; with bibs there is never a gap between short and jersey exposing the low back; and bibs stay in place—the chamois never moves.

Bibs as compression wear?
Bib's are not compression wear, but, some bibs are more compressive than others, and it's a happy coincidence for garment makers attached to compression technology that bibs lend themselves to the compression narrative. Sugoi's 4 bib models are increasingly compressive as they move up in price. But the RSE, while compressive, doesn't feel restrictive or binding.

Such is the case with De Soto's bibs. This company was extolling the praises of Lycra's compressive characteristics before anyone had heard of compression wear. The 400 Mile Bib is an excellent example of a form fitting bib that works like a compression garment, but doesn't constrict.

The main problem with bibs is the sticker shock attached to this class of product. The Sugoi RSE sells at an MSRP of about US$200. That's a lot. But not if you consider that this sits at the apex of a line-up of 4 Sugoi bib models. Nor if you realize that this the going rate for Castelli's exceptional Body Paint bib short is $250, and Assos—considered by many the king of bib makers—gets $360 for its T FI.13 (Assos very attractive, and moderately priced, T FI.Uno bib is pictured at the top of this article).

By comparison, De Soto's very popular 400 Mile Bib short sells for $144, and its Limited Edition version at $160 is currently sold out.

Bibs for more than cycling
What I'd like to see is for triathletes to view bib garments as cross-platform. I don't run in running tights any longer. In Winter, I run in a cycling bib tight designed as outerwear (made without a chamois). I also tend to use this garment for nordic skiing. I have bib tights and bib knickers with chamois installed for Winter cycling.

I'm on the lookout for a bib knicker sans chamois for Winter running. This, because it's often not quite cold enough for a tight, but cold enough for a knicker. I can find knicker tights for running. And I can find (and I own several pairs of) bib knickers for cycling with chamois installed. But chamois-less bib knickers are my holy grail and I haven't yet found these.

I've heard a rumor Craft makes them (Craft's very affordable PB Tour bib is pictured just above). Perhaps Slowtwitchers Jonas Colting and Torbjørn Sinballe—Craft athletes both—can answer this question.

On the subject of the bib motif, De Soto obviously likes the bib platform for its T1 wetsuits. It made a bib trishort in the early part of the past decade, 2002 or 2003. That design was a bit ahead of its time. But just a bit. De Soto will be introducing a bib trishort again for 2011, and Emilio De Soto tells me its first official introduction will be on the Slowtwitch Reader Forum.