Van Rysel have been impressing us at Cycling Weekly for quite a while. Whether it is with their bikes, helmets or clothing, they can usually be relied on to offer performance and value.
The rather clumsily titled ‘Van Rysel Men's Water-repellent Winter Road Cycling Bib Tights, RCR Extreme’ look to continue in this vein with an impressive-looking spec sheet and a low price that sees them undercutting many of the best winter bib tights.
Now that temperatures are well down into single digits, and there seems to be an ever-present cold, pernicious wind blasting across the Peak District, it is time to break out the big guns in terms of winter Lycra, and so the Van Rysel bibs have taken the brunt of some fairly grim weather so far.
Colour choice is limited to Smoked Black, in sizes S to 2XL, which Van Rysel says equates to 30” to 41”.
Construction
The bibs (as they will be called henceforth) combine warm fleece Roubaix fabric with strategically placed windproof panels to ward off bad weather without impeding movement.
There is a large panel across the front and sides of the thigh and one that wraps around the calf and shin. There is also a windproof section over the lower back to protect from spray, although there is a small non-windproof gap between it and the pad. At the ankle, there is a thinner, less absorbent material where spray from the front wheel might go, although this isn’t windproof.
The crotch also lacks any form of windproofing, although the area directly above the pad benefits from a double layer of the brushed Roubaix fabric. The thigh branding is reflective, but the ‘Van Rysel’ across the bum is embroidered, so it won’t do much to aid visibility, although there is a slim reflective tab beneath the writing.
The pad has been sourced from Elastic Interface, which supplies pads for lots of brands, and usually produces very comfortable products, although there is no information about the exact spec or version of the pad that Van Rysel has used. There doesn’t appear to be anything particularly fancy about the seat pad; no gel or multi-density materials as far as I could tell, just a thickish, softish foam encased in a skin-friendly fabric with a pressure-relieving channel.
Moving up, the bib straps and upper materials are lighter than the leg fabrics, with nothing unusual or noteworthy in terms of construction, except their striking royal blue colour.
The ride
The Van Rysel bibs arrived just in the nick of time, with the Sheffield and the Peak District very definitely in winter mode and every ride a dilemma in terms of clothing.
I never enjoy the trussed-up feeling of winter cycling clothing, where it feels like most of your watts are wasted moving the clothing rather than the bike, and anything that involves windproof fabrics always feels a little like trying to pedal in a wetsuit. However, the Van Rysel bibs did an excellent job of treading the line between warmth and flexibility.
First off, the fit was very good. My usual size large (for longs and shorts) was spot on, with plenty of leg length and a snug-but-not-restrictive fit around the legs and waist. As the windproof sections are connected by very stretchy Roubaix areas, the tights can be close-fitting without impeding leg movement.
This is particularly noticeable over the knee, where there is no windproofing at all, allowing a great range of movement. Of course, in keen winds or when the mercury was in the lower reaches of the thermometer, I could feel the lack of protection here (as I could in the unprotected upper thigh area), but it was more of an ‘Oh, that’s interesting’ rather than ‘Bloody hell, that's a bit fresh’.
The leg length also played a part in keeping the tights feeling warm; I’ve worn a few pairs of tights recently where the lack of a couple of centimetres around the ankles was very apparent - if the tights don’t even reach my winter boots, then it’s the socks that take the brunt of any road spray or cold wind, a task for which they are ill-equipped. Thankfully, the Van Rysel bibs tucked nicely into my boots.
Windproof clothing can also suffer from breathability issues, but with decent-sized areas of non-windproof materials, there were no such problems for me with these bibs. Even on full gas chaingangs, my legs remained free from sweat.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of my upper body. If there is one area where Van Rysel seems to have saved a bit of money, it is the blue material used for the bibs. After every ride, the straps and rear fabric held much more moisture than I would have expected, frequently leaving damp imprints on my base layer.
Despite the paucity of information and apparent lack of flashy tech, the seat pad, however, proved itself the equal of all the rides that I used the bibs for; no issues, no drama.
Value and conclusion
It’s always nice when products exceed expectations, and the Van Rysel winter bibs impressed me a lot. Sometimes, especially during the winter months, I do feel that I am taking one for the team and wearing a product that I know isn’t going to be as comfortable or warm as my own gear. However, I was always more than happy to head out the door wearing these bibs.
Indeed, I think in many circumstances, these would be my preferred option - the balance between warmth, flexibility and comfort is almost perfect. If it weren’t for the slightly below-par straps, then these would be a 5-star product for me at almost any price.
The fact that they cost just £80 is remarkable and makes them extraordinary value. At a price that many brands struggle to make decent shorts, Van Rysel has made not only some excellent longs, but some excellent windproof, deep winter longs.
