The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter – Bib Shorts Review

The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter bib shorts are bib shorts for winter cycling.

You’re probably thinking, WTF, Shawn? Why would you wear bib shorts during the winter?

It would be a fair thought process. Who wants to wear shorts when it’s cold out? And who wants to wear them on a bike in the cold at that? We create moving air, so it’s even colder.

But bear with me for a moment.

I’m a big dude. I’m 6’5” tall and about 245 pounds. I sweat just looking at a warm piece of clothing. But I don’t like to be cold, either. So, how do I cope with not being cold but also not being drenched in sweat?

By using thermal cycling bib shorts and leg warmers. If I get too hot, I can balance the temperature by taking off my leg warmers. It’s been a genius idea for me, really! The last thing I want is to be covered in sticky sweat in the freezing cold miles away from my house. Trust me, I’ve been there, and it sucked.

So, I wanted to give a pair of winter bib shorts a try. But then I looked at prices. Hell, some companies want more for their winter bib shorts than full winter tights! How can you charge more for half of a piece?

Then I found The Black Bibs. I own their original bib shorts (for summer use) that I wore on a 100-mile mountain bike ride. They held up well, so I thought I’d try them again.

Well, I tried them out, and this is my review of The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter bib shorts.

The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter: Design and Features

Let’s start with the design, features, and specs of The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter Bib Short.

Leg Openings

The leg openings are silicon-infused grippers.

They’re not those really super tight grippers that cut off the circulation in your leg like a lot of cheaper bib shorts have.

The leg bands are somewhat compression straps with some silicone parts to help keep them in place.

I rode over 20 miles with them on, and the leg bands didn’t move at all. They were super comfortable and did not irritate me whatsoever. And they didn’t allow cold air to sneak into the bibs, either.

So, as far as the leg openings are concerned, I feel like The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter bib shorts have nailed it. 10/10

Dyed Black Compression Fabric

The compression fabric is dyed black. It’s also made in the USA!

I had to research the benefits of dyed material. From what I read, it’s cheaper to produce but even better for the environment. I do realize that a lot of your spandex and nylons are made through means of chemical production. That isn’t always the best for the environment.

The fabric is thick enough to be thermal, but not feel like you’re wearing a wetsuit. It’s not transparent at all, even when you bend over and stick your butt in the air.

The compression is solid. It’s not too tight, but it’s not loose either. It’s right where it needs to be.

The outside of the bibs is very soft and comfortable. The inside is even more comfortable, feeling like a fleece liner is in there.

I rode with them on a windy day. It was a cold and windy day. The wind never penetrated through the bib shorts, not even once. I also got the outer layer wet a little when I took a drink from my water bottle, and it dried very quickly. To be honest, I didn’t feel the water soak through onto my leg, either.

I think the compression fabric is perfect. 10/10

Ultimate Chamois

The chamois (padding in the shorts) is the Ultimate Pad, according to The Black Bibs.

It’s a 16mm thick chamois that has been tested extensively by the company’s riding crew and customers.

It’s very breathable.

It’s made for long rides.

I loved it on my 20+ mile ride on a cold and windy day. I didn’t have any problems with chaffing or discomfort.

I usually do when I bike over 20 miles. I have to use a Chamois cream most of the time. I didn’t have to when I wore The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter bib shorts, but I probably would if I were going to do another century ride wearing them (which is my plan).

Overall, I found the chamois to be perfect. 10/10

White Mesh Shoulder Straps

The shoulder straps are white and made out of a thicker mesh fabric.

They were the right size and didn’t dig into my shoulders.

While they were fairly comfortable, I found them to fold over and wrinkle up a bit. That caused a little discomfort. I would have to stop and adjust them a few times, but I finally got it under control and continued to enjoy my ride.

I personally think a better shoulder strap can be engineered, but that is my personal feeling.

Pearl Izumi has a shoulder strap that is pretty much the fabric of the bib shorts, and that’s it. It’s a thin but secure strap. I’ve found theirs to be the most comfortable bib shoulder straps I’ve ever worn.

So, while they’re not my favorite, The Black Bib Ultimate Winter Bib shorts shoulder straps were fairly easy to work with. 8/10

Fit and Performance of the Ulitmate Winter Bib Shorts

Now, let’s take a look at the fit and performance of The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter bib shorts.

Sizing and Fit

The sizing was perfect.

BUT…

I wear a large in the regular summer bib shorts they offer. The sizing for the winter bib short suggested an XL. I was werely that I would get a winter bib that was too loose. They do exchanges, but it’s always a pain to have to do that, right?

I decided to go with what their sizing suggested and got an XL.

It fits perfectly!

I think some of their product lines are made differently than others they offer. I highly suggest looking at the size chart and getting what is recommended for your measurements.

These are actually some of the most comfortable-fitting bib shorts I have in my collection, to be honest. 10/10

Price and Delivery

The price for The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter bib shorts was $80.00.

Shipping is free after you spend $75.00, so I didn’t have to pay for that. It came within the week that I ordered the bib shorts. It was faster than I expected for free shipping.

It was packed in a good bag that didn’t let elements get in. And like their other products, there are no labels on the shorts.

Price-wise, these are perfect. I spent less than $100 on comfortable and durable winter bib shorts. All the other apparel companies want $200 and up! 10/10

Performance on the Bike

I was not disappointed at all.

As I said, I chose a cold and windy day. I rode without the leg warmers. My bare legs were freezing by the end of the ride, but my bib-covered portions were not cold at all. That area wasn’t hot either.

It’s like the perfect combination of materials and thermal features.

The shoulder straps bunched up a few times. I had to stop and adjust them.

The leg gripper stayed in place and never failed me.

Overall, the performance was nearly perfect. 9/10

Durability of Material

The material is perfect.

It is warm but not too hot.

It feels resistant to water, but I’m not too sure if that’s the case. It’s definitely wind-resistant.

The chamois doesn’t have seams that dig into my skin or leave tracing marks. It did well for a 20+ ride.

And The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter bib short was extremely comfortable to wear during the entire ride. 10/10

Overall Review of The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter Bib Shorts

This is my overall personal review of The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter bib shorts.

PROS of these Bib Shorts

This is what I loved about these bibs:

• The sizing is perfect as long as you go by what your size it
• The look and feel of the bib is great
• The chamois (padding) was perfect and didn’t require me to cream it up
• The leg grippers did their job
• The bib kept wind (and I think water) from hitting my bare skin
• Shipping was extremely fast
• The price was perfect for such premium bib shorts, and it was made in the USA.

There are probably more PROS to list here that I didn’t add. If you have more questions, reply to this blog post, and I’ll be happy to answer them.

CONS of these Bib Shorts

This is what I didn’t like that much about The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter bib shorts:

• There are no side pockets! I just wish they had some deep side pockets on this particular bib short.
• There are no color options. I’d love to have these in a dark green or copper color.
• The shoulder straps aren’t my favorite, but once I got them adjusted right, they were fine the rest of the ride.

And that’s it! I don’t have that much bad to say about these bib shorts at all. They’re my first pair of thermal bib shorts, and so far, they’ve been an amazing first pair.

Overall Rating and Recommendation

With 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I’ll rate The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter bib shorts as a 9/10. I think better shoulder straps, pockets, and more color options would have made it a 10, but a 9 is pretty decent, too.

I’d DEFINITELY recommend these to anyone looking for a winter cycling bib short option without having to take out a loan for them. They’re among my favorite (top 5) bib shorts of all. The Black Bibs continues to impress me as a company and with their product line.

And that wraps up my review of The Black Bibs Ultimate Winter bib shorts. If you’ve enjoyed this review, please share it with other cyclists who might enjoy it, too. If you’re not following me on X, please follow me today as I give daily cycling tips and resources.