Weight: 240 gm
Just reduced my bucket list by one, by riding the US coast to coast. 33 days/5500km in one set of riding clothes (Ringleaders bib shorts and a Road Rage shirt) and despite the nightly motel-soap-handwash-roll-them-up-in-a-towel routine, a slightly shiny seat is all they have to show. Grateful as always that the clothes and their contents weren't subject to road rash testing (roadkill included untold skunks, armadillos, badgers, deer, possums and the odd otter, turtle and snake - such variety!), but the roads were smooth, the traffic extremely well mannered, and calories readily available.
These bib shorts are reasonably priced (when compared with European equivalents) and quite good. I especially like the thigh cuffs which are a nice change from the "grabbers" you find on other shorts. I am very pleased with this purchase.
Very good construction and fit. Pad could be thicker. Great for 1 hour rides/racing but not for a 200km day on the road.
Short padding is a very personal thing. A softer thicker pad may give you more immediate comfort on the bike. From our testing and product benchmarking, along with our customer and expert rider feedback, a lighter pad will be better the more riding you do.
Great pair of shorts. Go a size smaller compared to your normal shorts & they'll fit perfectly. I suffered from saddle sores from other shorts, but not with these.
I bought these as an upgrade to the sputniks (the large was too big resulting in too much movement). The ringleaders are much more comfortable for longer (2+) hour rides Pushing out a few hundred k's per week. I'm 178cm 80+kg's and fit between a medium and large. I bought the medium and they are very snug, I find the chamois pad a bit small resulting in some chafing. Apart from that they're great.