RedWhite is an anomaly in the cycling clothing industry – they only focus on bibshorts. Specifically, endurance bibshorts. The bibshorts are designed with long rides of 4 to 5 hours or more in mind. RedWhite was started in 2014 by two men based in Singapore so it took them awhile to develop a women’s short, but they made it a priority to test and re-test until they released the women’s bibshort, The BIB.
First, let me say that their customer service is above and beyond. The responses are rapid despite being based abroad and I really felt like I was having a conversation with someone. (Looking at you, Yuva) Before spending the money, I like to make sure I order the right size the first time so I emailed with a question about my measurements. I trusted their advice and ordered a Large the next day.
It took weeks to get to me from Singapore but it arrived just in time for a few metric century rides I had planned. Out of the package the bibs looked like a standard pair with open cell mesh arm straps in white with none of the newer features for women like halter top or zipper.
They are stretchy and not restrictive in any way, though there is a long nylon tag that you can feel. The leg band is 3 inches wide and very flattering, with no elastic in the grip to irritate your skin. The design is basic, and the branding is only on the leg band and the arm strap. RedWhite doesn’t offer a color range so you have black, white and red to work with them matching these bibs, if you care to do so. I wore mostly dark colored jerseys so I can’t say if the white straps show through.
RedWhite breaks down the fabric in detail on their website but it’s simply an Italian fabric that is 80% nylon (polyamide) and 20% lycra (elastine). The main body fabric of the bibs is very stretchy, and after several rides I wished it had more compression. The legs crept up a little, the material caught on my saddle a few times, my chamois didn’t quite stay put, and the bibs never felt like they were doing much for me over a long ride. RedWhite prides themselves on being the go-to bib for endurance riding. More compression in the fabric would have helped tired legs and stopped the chamois from moving when I moved on my saddle.
Speaking of the chamois, RedWhite is very proud of the research and development that has gone into their chamois pads. They’ve used feedback from testers to keep it plush, shorten the pad, widen the sit bones area, and smooth out the pad. Overall, I appreciated the smoothness of the pad. The lack of contours avoided some pinching and rubbing that is a no-go on a long ride. But I really didn’t find it to be thick enough for a long ride, nor did I find the seat to be wide enough for my sit bones. For comparison, I ride a 165mm saddle. I’m disappointed that I felt pain after mile 40.
OVERALL
The RedWhite women’s bib short is a flattering fit but didn’t work for me as a go-to bib for a long ride. This is a first offering in the women’s collection and they do respond well to feedback so I hope to see more options for more women available in time. Its too early to speak of durability but I do hope they last me many more washings.
WomensKit 