Today is the first day of my bib short review. I rode just over 40 miles today over into Marin and back around on the “Paradise Loop.” I decided to wear a pair of Santini CX Bib Shorts with the perforated anti-bacterial chamois (not the gel chamois some people sell). These are the pro shorts and I have to say that I was overly impressed with these shorts. I normally ride Castelli bibs and they are very, very comfortable and feel great even after a long ride. But, even wearing these for only a couple of minutes I realized they are really superior.

First of all, the Santini CX’s are form fitting (provided you get the right size…you will most likely need to go up one size from traditional Italian sizing). Once you put them on, they don’t move. I mean, they really don’t move. They are thin up top and you almost forget that you are wearing bibs. I am 6′-4″ with a 44″ chest and 36″ waist. I have the XXXL’s and they fit great. If you are my height, I would recommend the XXXL’s simply for the extra height they will give you. I have a pair of XXL’s and they can be a little restrictive at times.

Secondly, the chamois is money. At first I felt that the chamois on these shorts might leave a little to be desired as far as padding is concerned, but I was completely blown away. Really, the pad is great. It took its place and did not move a centimeter on the ride. Surprisingly, they seemed to have padding exactly where I needed it, and I don’t ride some cushy seat either.

These are really great shorts. And, at the price that you can find them on the web ($89 at the time of this writing) they are probably the best buy around. I don’t think you can go wrong picking up a pair of two of these shorts for $90.

Tomorrow, I will be taking out the new Giordana Tenax bib shorts so stay tuned.

UPDATE: July 21, 2005

I rode the CX’s again yesterday and I have to say that the thin, perforated pad on these is really second to none when it comes to comfort on the bike. I am not sure why it is that a thinner, less advanced pad is twice as comfortable, but it is. These shorts conform to your body once and they stay there for the rest of the ride. You can’t go wrong with the Santini CX bibs.