We buy all the products we test — no freebies from companies. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission, which helps support our testing.
A great pair of bike shorts can make all the difference between a painful and a pleasurable long ride. With the right padding and material, you can avoid chafing and soreness.
Our bike experts have tested nearly 60 pairs of cycling shorts and bibs over the last nine years. We've developed a robust system of testing, researching, and analyzing cycling shorts, and our review team is comprised of lifelong riders who know what to look for and where to find the catches.
The best bike shorts we tested, the Rapha Core Bib, offer a great blend of comfort and performance at a mid-range price point.
For bikers on an extremely tight budget but still seeking a comfortable, well-rounded pair of shorts, the Bikewa 3D Padded Short is great for the casual bike rider and has a palatable price tag.
If you want to stay in shape during the offseason or can't venture outside due to weather conditions, one of these top-rated exercise bikes will be your best friend.
Editor's Note: We updated this review on December 9, 2025, after retesting some of our favorites and adding new and updated options to our lineup.
The Rapha Core Bibs was the clear winner in our test, dominating the comfort metric and scoring highly all around. A comfortable, all-day bike short, it punches far above its price tag. The Core bib is great for someone who spends a lot of time on the bike and values comfort and gentle compression, rather than the tight fit of a more performance-focused bib. Performing equally well on chilly mornings and hot, dry afternoon rides, the Core Bib could be your go-to, and, since it's relatively affordable, you could even buy a second pair to keep in your rotation.
SPECIFICATIONS
Main Fabric
79% recycled nylon, 21% spandex
Inseam Measurement
10"
Number of panels
9
Fit Type
Bib
Chamois
Italian Rapha chamois
The Core Bib comes in around the midpoint in price across the test, offering a great performance-to-cost ratio. It performed well on short and long rides, and it stayed relatively cool even on hot days. If you want something a bit more affordable, the Louis Garneau Carbon 3 Bib was our runner-up and performed the best in terms of breathability. The Core Bib was more versatile and comfortable on colder rides, so we see it as an everyday bike short for the entire riding season.
Part of our goal is to find the limits of the gear we test. We found the Endura Pro SL Bib Short limit about six hours into an eight-hour, high-alpine mountain bike ride. Think about that—if you plan to ride less than six hours or on terrain more forgiving than ridgeline shale fields, the SL Pro has your back. Or, your butt, in this case. Weekend warriors will appreciate how the dense chamois supports sitz bones that aren't used to the saddle, while racers will gravitate to the low-profile pad that keeps you planted in the seat. Their price tag would give your grandparents who grew up in the Depression a coronary, but you get a lot for the money, and they seem more durable than other high-priced shorts. And you can tell yourself that other pro-level bike shorts cost even more.
Though all our highly rated bike shorts are great for short-to-medium rides (anything under three hours), the Endura Pros take the cake in that department. The thinner, denser chamois, undergirded by the 800 Series gel pad, is streamlined and supportive, wrapping the saddle without much play. If we had to nitpick, the chamois was spent after six hours in the saddle, but that's digging deep to find flaws. “The biggest drawback was that the straps were a bit too short for me, so they dug into my shoulders a bit,” said tester Tom Hallberg. “Just another inch on the straps would have been perfect.” Another option worth considering at a similar price point is the Louis Garneau Carbon 3 Bib. These bibs excel in the comfort department with excellent flexibility and a non-constraining design around the legs.
Baggy in the chamois region when not planted on the bike
We'll start with the disclaimer that these shorts are not for everyone. If you fancy yourself a serious cyclist, you probably don't want the Bikewa 3D Padded Short. However, for the casual or infrequent rider, this short will be totally adequate. It is surprisingly comfortable and avoids the pitfall of many inexpensive bike shorts, which is having a giant chamois that just feels like a diaper. The Bikewa's chamois is actually quite well-designed, given its budget price tag.
SPECIFICATIONS
Main Fabric
No info
Inseam Measurement
9"
Number of panels
11
Fit Type
Short
Chamois
3D Pad
They aren't breathable, and the chamois will eventually soak up enough sweat to fill a water bottle on a hot ride, but in the right circumstances, they are quite comfy. Like your college couch, they're plush at first, you just don't want to spend too much time in them. Quick rides and commuting are where these shine, especially in rainy or colder conditions. And the pockets are nice for keeping your phone close or for a quick breakfast snack on the way to work.
Dang, did we want to give the Louis Garneau Carbon 3 Bib the Editor's Choice award. We almost did, but it came in a few points overall lower than the Rapha Core Bib. The love for the Carbon 3 Bib might have been because most of our testing was done in summer, and they are outstanding for hot riding. Every design choice, from the perforated chamois to the thin, waffle fabric in the straps, helps with airflow and temperature regulation.
SPECIFICATIONS
Main Fabric
Carbon+LYCRA
Inseam Measurement
10"
Number of panels
6
Fit Type
Bib
Chamois
4.1 Motion chamois
Where they lost points was in the durability department. With so many thin, airy fabrics, they feel like an origami crane--beautiful and intricate and well-crafted, but also flimsy. They haven't shown many signs of wear over our summer of testing, but they don't feel built for the long haul, especially once rain and mud start caking bike seats, or you take that inevitable tumble on a gravel ride. Plus —and we recognize this is purely subjective—they look pretty different than other bike shorts, and that's a lot to get used to.
The Carbon 3 Bibs don't just keep you cool. They also make you look cool because they allow lots of active and aggressive movements. Credit: Tom Hallberg
Compare Products
Chamois pads come in all shapes and sizes. Credit: Tom Hallberg
How We Tested
After ample research into the current bike shorts market, we purchased the top 8 pairs for testing. We put these cycling shorts through the wringer, doing our best to make them tear, wear down, and show us what they could handle. Each pair of shorts gets no less than 10 hours of saddle time between spin class, training rides, commuting, and specific testing rides. We also do a good deal of research on design, materials, complaints, as well as other pertinent aspects of the shorts to be as thorough as possible and compare products across measures.
Our bike shorts testing is divided into five rating metrics:
Over a long, post-college dirtbag stint, Tom Hallberg worked for years as a snowboard instructor and environmental educator in the rainy temperate forests of western Oregon, then as a wilderness therapy guide, all the while finding the absolute limits of many types of gear. He left the woods to become a journalist after receiving his MFA in Creative Writing from Oregon State University, and his stories have won regional and national awards for a variety of subjects, from arts and culture reporting and investigative work on avalanche mitigation to in-depth coverage of forest fires. Before leaving full-time journalism for the lucrative shores of nonprofit work, he was the managing editor of Backcountry Magazine. Now he mostly freelances and places in the middle of the pack in running and mountain bike endurance races.
Ryan Baham also contributed to this review. He is a committed roadie through and through. He was first smitten with long-distance cycling after discovering the freedom it could give to a rural pre-teen. He has done his share of riding, training, listening, reading, learning, and racing. He puts in thousands of miles a year, with the two-wheeled love affair only growing.
We tested bike shorts in all sorts of conditions, including hot, dry, and dusty.
Analysis and Test Results
There are two main types of cycling shorts — tight spandex-style and baggy mountain bike style with a padded liner underneath. Tight cycling shorts are mainly used for road biking. Still, they are also commonly worn by cross-country mountain bikers looking for the best fit and performance in their padded shorts, and those who aren't worried about needing extra protection from an exterior layer.
Types of Cycling Shorts
Now that you know the difference between road and mountain biking needs and in tight and baggy shorts, you can figure out if you're in the right place. If you're still here, we assume you've settled on form-fitting cycling shorts. Now it's time to ask: bibs or shorts? Our testing combined shorts and bibs into one category to find what works best for you on the bike. Most roadies prefer bibs, especially for longer rides. Newer folks and triathletes tend to go for the shorts. We get it; the suspenders look a bit dorky and prevent you from going shirtless if you're that guy, but they're worth it when you start doing regular rides for over an hour. In the end, the decision is yours. If you like shorts more than bibs and want to wear them on 100-mile rides, that's your prerogative - there are more important qualities to consider than bib straps.
Worse Value
Better Value
What's the Best Value?
Value is always a chart-topper here at GearLab. We purchased and tested the top-performing bike shorts, analyzing their performance compared to their price point. Which products offered the best value for the cost? The Bikewa 3D Padded shorts provide great performance for their rock-bottom price. The sponeed Padded are another budget pair, but they came in dead last in our testing, and weren't quite as comfortable as the Bikewa pair. The Pearl Izumi Attack Shorts carry a mid-range price tag, but we also found them to only offer middle-of-the-road comfort. If you can spend a bit more, the Rapha Core Bibs were our favorite pair and offer outstanding performance and fit.
Even dogs appreciate the reflective logos on the Rapha Core Bibs. Credit: Tom Hallberg
Comfort
We rated comfort as a short's ability to provide the padding and protection needed for a day in the saddle. These features differentiate bike shorts from any other athletic shorts out there. They can make the difference between cruising along happily for most of the day or walking your bike home due to saddle fatigue. For bibs, we also considered how the straps and waistline impacted comfort both in the saddle and while pedaling aggressively.
The chamois is the padding that provides added protection between the saddle and you. Chamois technology has come a long way in both ergonomics and materials. The chamois is designed to protect the ischial (sit bones) and the perineal region (soft tissue area between your unmentionables). These are fairly gender-specific, so you want to wear the version that suits your anatomical configuration.
When testing for this category, we looked for padding suited to different riding styles. Unlike many mountain bike shorts, the chamois is typically fixed in place for road shorts, positioned for a more aggressive riding position.
Pearl iZUMi's Elite chamois is far larger than the Bikewa 3D Padded chamois, and whether you like one or the other mostly comes down to personal preference. Credit: Tom Hallberg
All the shorts we tested had chamois pads, but certain shorts or bibs, like the Endura Pro SL Bib Shorts, have smaller chamois pads, requiring more precise positioning in the saddle. This isn't a fault; consider it against your riding style. If you tend to be in the sit-up-and-beg position, these front-forward chamois pads will wear you quickly. You'll need more padding in the rear, designed for touring or more relaxed riding.
Most chamois are made from pieces of foam, including the Endura SL Pro Bib Short, but the Endura uses a gel foam for added comfort without added bulk. Credit: Tom Hallberg
We generally looked for shorts that balanced padding between the ischial and perineal regions. Staying fresh on a ride often means slightly adjusting your position in the saddle throughout the ride. You want a short or bib whose chamois protects the high-pressure areas and can handle these adjustments, but doesn't get in the way of your pedaling or give the wet diaper effect to your shorts.
Despite a tight fit, the Carbon 3 Bibs moved well and didn't inhibit movement. Credit: Tom Hallberg
Aside from the chamois's overall thickness, we also noted the density or firmness. The density is the compactness of the padding and is a major determining factor in how well it functions.
The Rapha Core Bibs did well in the padding and protection category for their thick, targeted padding. Rapha's Classic chamois isn't as dense or targeted as the company's Pro line, but the Classic is uniformly comfortable with foam that compresses but still maintains support over a long ride. The Pearl Izumi Attack Shorts represent the plush end of the spectrum, featuring the company's Elite chamois, a no-frills option that trends thick and compressive. On the other end, the Endura SL Pro Bib Short has a thin, gel chamois that allows precise positioning on the saddle.
Rapha's Classic chamois isn't particularly innovative, but it's a simple, effective pad that holds up to all-day use. Credit: Tom Hallberg
Fit and Pedal Friendliness
Fit is an integral part of any good shorts for road biking. The main functionality of the shorts or bibs is to make your time cycling more comfortable. A bib upper that moves with your body without the straps pulling so taut they push into your shoulders and back goes a long way to feeling comfortable at hour five. The same goes for the shorts, which can inhibit aggressive maneuvers if they're too tight or get floppy if too loose. The chamois, as well, can give you better positioning on the saddle, and hence better pedaling, or it can get in the way or, worse, push you into the wrong position at an inopportune time.
In addition to the chamois, we looked for bike shorts or bibs with a good cut and used a good combination of strong nylon and some other fiber-like spandex or polyester to help the material stretch and form fit. If anything is the slightest bit off with how the shorts fit your body, it can affect comfort in a big way. We tested the placement of the leg cuffs and how well they fit. There are varying methods for keeping the shorts in the right place, and most rely on the material on the inside of the shorts closest to your knee that grips the skin. The shorts and bibs in our test lineup used double-folded fabric, silicone bands, or strips along the cuff to grip your skin as leg grippers.
Silicone grippers inside the leg hems on the Core Bib kept them in place during aggressive riding. Credit: Tom Hallberg
The Castelli Competizione 2 Bibs have a compression fit, which makes for a much different feel than traditional road bike shorts or bibs. These are designed to support your leg muscles and increase blood flow, reducing fatigue while in the saddle. Compression is supposed to be tight, but it must be in the right areas. These shorts supported the quads, hamstrings, and hip abductors, staying tight but comfortable.
Even the most comfortable shorts can irritate over longer rides. We highly recommend DZ Nutz Pro Chamois Cream, Chamois Butt'r, or other creams for longer rides. It can mean the difference between pleasure and agony. Oh, and go for the thrill by going with a menthol selection.
Considering all this, the sturdier fabric needed for compression and support can become more of a hindrance than a help. We looked for the right chamois comfort, flex, form-fit, and compression mix. Our top-ranking shorts and bibs in this category were the Endura Pro SL, Rapha Core Bibs, and Louis Garneau CB Carbon 3 Bib.
The laser-cut, hemless design of the Endura SL Pro helped in stand out in a field of high-end bike shorts that all use a large hem. Credit: Tom Hallberg
Breathability
Breathability is an important factor in cycling shorts or bibs. The more breathable your shorts are, the more comfortable you will be on your ride. Sweat must have an exit route to the fabric's exterior to evaporate. Cycling is amazingly efficient due to the airflow generated at speeds of 15 to 40 mph; however, you must be wearing breathable clothing for this process to work. With the right shorts or bibs, you will feel like you aren't sweating that much, especially for the effort you're exerting. On the flip side, if you are unfortunate enough to have the wrong gear, you will wonder why your shorts feel soggy and you're slipping on your saddle for the duration of the ride.
Breathability also regulates temperature, which can be a major factor in endurance. A few degrees difference in temperature changes the efficiency of your aerobic system — running too warm decreases the efficiency. For long durations in the saddle, you want a short that will allow airflow to keep you cool.
Vents in the front of the Carbon 3 Bib chamois, along with perforations in the foam, allow a tempest of airflow through the short. Credit: Tom Hallberg
All of the shorts and bibs we tested were made from synthetic materials that are known for their breathability and wicking properties. The industry has benefited from leaps in material technology in the past, which gives consumers a good starting point. Since bibs provide more coverage of the upper body, it is more important for extra considerations to be taken to keep breathability to a maximum.
Louis Garneau, Castelli, Endura, and Rapha all scored highly. Garneau, Castelli, and Endura took special care to include vented mesh fabric to maximize breathability.
The Endura Pro SL Bib Short has back vents and jersey material in the straps to keep riders cool. Credit: Tom Hallberg
Quality of Construction
Quality of construction proved to be a little difficult to measure, as we were not able to really test these through the entirety of their lifespans to see exactly how many seasons we could get out of each pair. In the end, we used a combination of testing every pair as hard as we could, examining the design to make sure seams and other structures were constructed and planned to last a long time, looking at fabric strength and resistance to abrasion, and scouring the internet for possible faults, weaknesses, and patterns of failure.
The highest-scoring items in this category were products that used strong fabric with high nylon content and seam designs that minimized exposure to external rubbing or repetitive grinding. Lower-scoring products utilized Lycra and thinner material.
It can be difficult to determine the durability of some products without conducting serious longitudinal studies with large sample sizes and regular quality auditing. We'll leave that to the producers and market, but do our best to tear up the products we have in our possession and look at claims made by consumers. A great example is the Endura Pro SL Bib Short, which our testers last time noted seemed designed to hold up due to tough nylon fabric and bombproof construction. We came to the same conclusion during this test cycle and couldn't find many examples of unhappy customers or reviews online.
Style
The style of road cyclists is a complicated, much-debated topic. What constitutes style? Are cyclists even capable of being stylish? While participants in the sport get excited over the latest 10-panel, four-way stretch, antimicrobial 4D chamois, nylon shorts on the market—the ones that give them that sleek, aero look and show off those quad muscles they've been working on all season—non-adherents might balk at even using the term style in describing road cycling bibs or shorts (think: skin-tight clothing with a giant Elizabethan-era codpiece prominently on display).
Style means something different to everyone, but the shorts and bibs we tested did vary in their aesthetic appeal, and you can tell some companies prioritize style more than others. Brands do this in a host of ways, including details in stitching, logo placement, color, cut, material, and shapes.
The Rapha Core and Castelli Competizione (first and second images, respectively) were some of our favorite styles. We also liked the Pearl Izumi Expedition (third photo).
In our assessment, we were looking for options that had a more classic feel. The Rapha Core Bibs utilize great color accents and panel designs and have tasteful branding. We also thought the Castelli Competizione 2 Bibs had a great look, with an all-blue design but several fabric types to break up the monotony. Most of the items in our lineup were fairly functional pieces, leaving the style to the side in favor of utilitarian black and going for quality instead of wild color schemes and style, though the cheaper options like the Bikewa 3D Padded shorts come in a variety of colors.
The Bikewa 3D Padded short didn't do so great on this blazing hot day, but we did like it for chill mornings and tight budgets. Credit: Tom Hallberg
Conclusion
This page is substantially dedicated to the best bike shorts. If it's not a top performer or doesn't top one of our ratings, it might not have been mentioned. That doesn't mean it's not an excellent pair of shorts that are just what you're looking for, so make sure to peruse the reviews to drill down on shorts that caught your eye or some that you need clarification on. We do our best to be as exhaustive as possible without being exhausting, so hopefully, you've learned what you wanted and can use some of our findings to get out there and grab a good pair of shorts that will work for you. Safe riding!
