Kit Review – Alunzio bib shorts by Bianchi Milano

Alunzio bib shorts by Bianchi Milano – £87.99.

I’ve been testing the Alunzio bib shorts recently along with a Zezere jersey from Bianchi Milano.

Coming in at £87.99 they fall somewhere in mid-price range for a pair of good bib shorts. But, let’s be clear, while you can easily pay £150 and more at the real premium end of the market, you should still be expect to be buying a decent pair of shorts at this price.

First thing to say is that, like the accompanying jersey I tested, these bib shorts are a fairly lightweight warm-weather option.

When first pulling them on I noticed a nice silky feel and a slick shininess to them, which is very pleasant. The legs are made of a highly stretchy Lycra which is designed to have compression properties – in theory, to help your muscles cope with a tough day in the saddle. The marketing information suggests the material also has a fine perforation, presumably to aid air flow, and the upper is panelled with a breathable mesh, which also helps with temperature control.

In hot conditions it’s pretty difficult to tell whether your shorts are aiding your temperature regulation. Having said that, if your shorts are too heavy and warm for the conditions then you tend to know about it, and the Alunzio certainly feel light and airy. They also provide a nice snug fit with no danger of any excess material anywhere.

The padding – the key to a decent pair of bib shorts, of course – is fairly thick and substantial. It’s always difficult to make outright recommendations on padding in shorts, as few things are as personal as the contact point between saddle and rear end, but over two or three hours in the saddle I had no complaints.

It’s perhaps not ergonomic in the way that the very best (and significantly pricier) padding is, but there were no points of discomfort, or any bunching up anywhere, and for long periods on the bike I gave the comfort little thought.

This is always a good sign; if you find yourself wriggling around for the right position you know there’s something wrong.

In terms of the other details I did like the grippers which hold the legs in place, which have that sharp line to them that looks so good and clings nicely to the skin. In fact the shorts in general look pretty eye-catching (for a pair of shorts) in that slick and racy Italian way, with quality seam lines and understated Bianchi Milano logos.

My only issue with these shorts is that, size wise, the Large was a little bit short in the thigh for me – I consider myself a fairly standard size Large in bib shorts, and most other cycling kit.

To some extent that is personal taste, and others with the same dimensions as me may well find the length perfectly OK, but I tend to err on the slightly longer side for preference. In general, they were probably snug enough that I could have sized up to an X-large to solve that problem.

But all in all, the Alunzio are a decent pair of shorts with a lovely silky feel and racy appearance. Against competitors in that mid-range price bracket, where you’re often weighing up a compromise somewhere, they perform well – It just might be worth checking the size charts or having a chat with them before purchase, to get that leg length right.

With that Bianchi logo-ing on the legs they probably benefit from being paired together with a Bianchi Milano jersey. Worn with the Zezere jersey, as i did – and judge for yourself from the images – they look great.

For UK distribution of Bianchi Milano: Chicken Cycle Kit

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