Getting back into longer rides as winter departed, I needed decent legwear. I had been considering the Assos F.I. Uno S5 after being fitted to them at last years Cycleshow in London. I knew Assos country of manufacture could vary and was interested in their ‘made by ethos’.
As I was looking around and reading forums and twitter I did see more and more mention of Shutt VR – An English company who made their products in England! This is a rare thing so I thought, why not try them?
Shutt VR were a relatively new entrant to bike clothing – one formed by bike fanatics during a ride!
What better basis could there be for starting a bike related company?
A quick phone call to Simon, a credit card number handover proceeded and a Jersey and a pair of Pro Bib COOLMAX shorts were on the way.
Yes, I bought the item I’m reviewing. I’m sorry, I will really try not to do this again.
I decided to only write something after using them in a variety of rides – I was appointed a head marshal for the Tweed Run London and this meant a number of ‘Recce rides’ through central London and good time on the bike. Additionally a 40 odd mile trip or two gave me a good feel for how they performed when used in non-urban sustained speed situations.
First of all then, the pad.
This pad converted the oh so hard Specialised Toupe into a sofa. A 5.5 hour ride (Tweed Run London 2010) no problem at all. Whilst doing faster paced stuff /climbing and moving around the saddle it was way better than the Specialized shorts that I had been using before.
The pad itself has multiple layers – the gel layer plus additional padding. It was superb. A back to back comparison with an equivalently priced Specialized item was not even close. This pad is VERY good.
A non riding comparison was made with a pair of Assos Fi Shorts from a friend – we agreed the feel of the pad was similar.
Next, do they stay in the right place?
![Pro Bib leg grips](http://bikehugger.com/assets_c/2010/04/P1290521-thumb-300x225-1670.jpg)
Short answer yes. The leg grips worked, no skin irritation resulted. Slight indentations were left in my legs afterwards.
Will they last? I think so and here’s why:
The seams were compared to the Assos. Almost identical. No loose threads, no irritation from the seams.
The lycra itself seems quite thick and strong – there’s no sign of any wear yet – will report back on this.
Fit
I’m 5’ 11”, 145(ish) lbs – Medium worked pretty well. If I’d been taller I think the next size up would be the one I’d go for.
They’re long enough on my legs to be comfortable – they don’t feel ‘short’ shorts.
Summary: Good value shorts, awesome pad.
Note: My set is part of the first production run – no white trimming and a few other changes. Check here for the latest details. They’re on twitter here
Worn for : 200+ Miles total – Single long rides of up to 5.5hrs.
Saddles : Specialised Toupe (non-gel), Fi:zi’k Aliante Gamma
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