The Domestique Critique: dhb Blok

Over the past few years, dhb‘s collections have been rivaling those that cost three times as much. The designs have been on point and the quality is shockingly good. Good enough to win 2015 Brand of the Year at the Total Women’s Cycling Awards (not to mention parent company Wiggle.com winning two years in a row for Best Online Retailer). The dhb Blok jersey and bibs epitomizes this quality – both in performance as well as looks.

This is the second Blok kit I have purchased and I can definitely say they get better every season. This year’s jersey features mesh panels on the sides that made the jersey feel lighter in hand and on the body. The sleeves are longer, reflecting dhb’s ability to respond to trends, and they are more comfortable than previous jersey sleeves. It stayed in place perfectly without annoying grips on the bottom of the sleeve, either. I purchased the Haze jersey in size UK 10. It was perfect for me, and I normally wear a S/M with ample room for a bust.

The cut is higher in front and longer in back, maybe even slightly too high in front. When I was standing, I would have to be careful to check if the jersey rose above the bibshort line to expose my midsection. When in the riding position, however, it was perfect. The light grip on the bottom of the jersey didn’t really help much to keep it in place while riding.

The colors are what really make this kit special. The richness of the blues and reds make it pop and it lasts through several washings without fade. Overall, for the price point, dhb jerseys still win me over every time.

This is also my second pair of dhb bibs and I was thrilled to see that the Blok collection has now been upgraded to the halter strap (previously was only available in the Aeron collection). At the recommendation of an instagram follower, I tried this bib short for the review. For reference, I purchased a size UK 12.

The halter strap itself is very flexible, made from very soft material and mostly mesh up the neckline. I was aware of it while riding, and while I wouldn’t say it stopped me from sitting up straight it was certainly tugging on my neck when I did so. My big complaint is the way it crept up my neck, visible when I unzipped my jersey (photo above). god forbid I forget to wear sunscreen and I get something similar to a bad bathing suit burn.

The halter-as-a-pee-break-solution is AWESOME, though, and it was the quickest, easiest break I’ve ever had on a ride. You can do it jersey unzipped or zipped, doesn’t matter because it’s that easy. The halter bib short also features a bit of compression so they stay up without relying solely on the halter strap.

The leg bands are several inches wide and have a thin silicone gripper that doesn’t irritate the skin. I had trouble choosing the correct colors to match the Haze jersey and I think I nailed it but it’s hard to know without buying them all. The blue isn’t quite right and the logo is a bit orange, but while riding the photos don’t show an obvious mismatch (or does it?). I wish they had an easy matching tool on wiggle.com. I only noticed there were socks that also matched after I purchased. Bummer.

The chamois is a Cytech ‘Giro Air’ pad and it did really well on a 20-25 mile ride range, but didn’t quite feel as comfortable in the bibs on rides over that. I did wear chamois cream and at the end of a ride that I was thankful for it. The stitching around the pad, and even along the backside, irritated my skin and itched as though it was a tag against my skin, but it was only the stitching.

Overall, this bib short is comfortable, very flattering, and it’s great to see the halterneck strap available at this price point.

This kit will probably be in the summer rotation for it’s fun design, bold colors and great fit. I always get compliments on this kit and I’m quick to recommend dhb as a go-to brand for quality kit at an excellent price.

Full disclosure: I purchased the kit reviewed in this post with my own hard-earned money. The decision to write this review and all opinions expressed are 100% my own. This is not a sponsored post. Thanks as always for reading!