By Brandon Bilyeu and Sheri Rosenbaum
Cost:
Skin Cooler Jersey Men/Women: $155/$148
400-MIle Bib Short: $255
How obtained: review sample from company
Available: online
Colors:
Skin Cooler Jersey Men: White/Black Stripe, Entropy of Color, Camouflage (Graphite, Red, Royal ,Yellow
Skin Cooler Jersey Women: Fern Frond, Retro Stripe, Black, Lava Rock Ying Yang, Newsprint, Retro Gingham, Maglia Rosa, Entropy of Color
400-Mile Bib Short: Black, Black/De Soto Leg Band, Chevron (Blue, Grey, Red), Entropy of Color, Camouflage (Royal, Yellow, Graphite)
Website: Skin Cooler Jersey Men, Skin Cooler Jersey Women, 400-Mile Bib Short
RBR Sponsor: no
Tested: 10+ hours
Sizing:
Skin Cooler Jersey Men/Women: S – 2XL / S-XL
400-Mile Bib Short: S-2XL
Reviewer Measurements and Fit Comments: 5’10” (178cm), 150 lbs (68 kgs), 34″ (86cm) waist, 38” (96.5cm) hips, 33″ (84cm) inseam, 38″ (95cm) chest. Based on the size chart I am a size Medium and the fit was good.
De Soto Sport – Made in the USA
De Soto Sport is based in San Diego and was founded in 1990 by former pro triathlete Emilio De Soto II. De Soto Sport’s range covers everything for triathlons from wetsuits, to cycling and running kit. They make gear for both men and women, and almost all of their products are made in the USA by De Soto employees.
Skin Cooler Jersey – Great for Hot Days
Hot!
- Skin Cooler fabric is soft and breathable, blocks 90% of UVB rays
- Aerodynamic fit
- Full zip in front
- Three pockets in the back
- Men and Women versions available
- Made in the USA
Not!
- Waist hem could be wider to better spread the compression load
The main feature of the De Soto Skin Cooler Jersey is their proprietary Skin Cooler fabric. The front panel of the jersey features Skin Cooler Octovent which is a lightweight mesh fabric. On the rear side exposed to the sun is the Skin Cooler 90 solid fabric. Skin Cooler technology was designed by De Soto and uses sweat to create a cooling effect. The technology is described by De Soto as follows:
“Skin Cooler works by a series of channels knitted into light fabric. As these channels get wet, they absorb moisture and swell, which dissipates the heat making the fabric against your skin actually cooler. How much cooler depends on the following factors – airflow, humidity, ambient temperature, and moisture temperature. When you sweat, the garment’s temperature drops and creates an actual, physical cooling sensation.”
I sweated in this jersey on several hot days, and while I can’t say I noticed any specific cooling related to the Skin Cooler fabric, I can confirm the lightweight fabric performs great when the temperature goes up. The Octovent front mesh fabric allows cooling airflow and the 90 rear solid fabric also stayed comfortable while providing 90% UVB coverage.
The jersey has a full zip front, three rear pockets (no zippered pocket), a snug cut, and mid-bicep length sleeves. I found the jersey very comfortable and soft on the skin with good stretch in the body. In the riding position the fabric follows the body well and the pockets are well supported by the waist band.
My only minor complaint is the waist band is not a wide band, but just a thin hem at the bottom edge of the jersey. The snug fit means the waist is tight and a wide band would spread the load better and be more comfortable here.
Sheri reviewed the women’s version of the Skin Cooler Jersey and her experience was similar to mine:
“I loved the next to skin soft, tropical print fabric. The highly breathable Skin Cooler Octovent™ fabric front panels are lightweight and moisture wicking. On the back panels, the Skin Cooler™ fabric is silky smooth and offers a cooling sensation. A full zip closure allows for additional ventilation.
The back hem is slightly longer for added coverage, while the three rear pockets provide convenient storage for essentials like your phone, keys, and nutrition. The streamlined neckline, commonly found in tri tops, offers a sleek look, although minimal sun protection.”
Bottom line – Cool and comfortable for the coming hot days of summer. Great opportunity to support a US company that manufactures its products in the USA.
400-Mile Bib Short – Good Chamois, Could Use Some Leg Grippers
Hot!
- Range of pattens and colors to choose from
- Comfortable chamois
- Good compression
- Two side pockets and one rear pocket
- Flatlock stitching throughout
- Men and Women versions available
- Made in the USA
Not!
- Lack of leg grippers, shorts slide up a little
The 400-Mile Bib Short gets its name from the 400-Mile Chamois it uses. The chamois was tested by De Soto on four 100 mile (160km) rides over four consecutive days. My spring legs did not allow me to repeat that testing procedure, but on long rides my butt was comfortable. The chamois design is intended for aggressive time trial or race bike positions with forward rotated hips and I found it worked well both in the drops and in a more upright position on the tops.
The main part of the chamois is 14mm (0.55 iches) thick foam listed as high density, but I would say it is more medium density and becomes high density when you compress the foam by sitting on it. Thick pads can press uncomfortably into soft tissues, but the 400-Mile chamois avoids this with a very wide and deep perineum cutout. The result is a very comfortable chamois.
The chamois is securely held in place by the 13-panel bib short that provides a solid compressive fit. All the seams use premium flatlock stitches for a very smooth fit with no irritation. The bib straps are made of a super thin and light mesh with hemmed edges. While the straps are wide, the mesh is not self-supporting so it tends to collapse and bunch up on top of the shoulders but remains comfortable.
I love that some shorts today have pockets and these have three. There is a pocket at the side of each leg and one at the lower back. The leg pockets are very snug which keeps the contents from falling out when pedaling madly and the rear pocket is generous in size and stretch.
The leg openings are hemmed with a 3 inch (75mm) leg band that does not use any grippers and the short length is about 2/3 down the thigh. I started testing in cooler weather and would wear leg warmers under the shorts which resulted in the shorts riding up badly. With warmer weather the leg bands did better on bare skin, though they still rode up slightly. This was not uncomfortable, but the bunching fabric did not look great. De Soto says this is a sign the shorts are too big, but I don’t think my big thighs will fit in a size smaller.
Bottom Line
Comfortable bib short with good chamois and premium construction. Be extra careful with sizing to get a good leg fit. Great opportunity to support a US company that manufactures its products in the USA.
Brandon Bilyeu is an avid recreational roadie who lives in Regensburg, Germany. He’s a year-round bike commuter and is a mechanical design engineer by trade. Click to read Brandon’s full bio.