Velocio Signature Fly Women’s Bibs Review

By Sheri Rosenbaum

Hot

Comfortable and soft to skin chamois
High compression fabric reduces muscle fatigue
Rear fly provides shorter riders easier bathroom break option
Mesh modesty panel for added coverage
1% of sales supports environmental causes

Not

At 6ft, I was unable to use fly as intended for bathroom break. Shorter rider @ 5’5” had no issue
Reflective logos falling off after a few washes

Velocio.cc

Price: $229
Availability: Online or Retail
How obtained: Company sample
RBR sponsor: No
Sizes: XXS – XXL
Colors: Black, Navy, Charcoal, Petrol
Tested: 15+ hours

Quality And Functional Women’s Bib

What I like about reviewing products for RBR, is that I get to test products from a variety of manufacturers. Velocio is one of those manufacturers that I was not familiar with until about 9 months ago. They are a US-based company that manufactures their apparel in Italy. But beyond that, they have a conscience. Velocio uses minimal packaging for shipping and it’s recyclable. Plus, they are involved in philanthropy. They partner with The Conservation Alliance whose mission is to engage businesses to fund and partner with organizations to protect wild places for their habitat and recreation values. And now as members of 1% for the Planet, they pledge annually 1% of their sales to causes that support the environment.

I had a chance to test their Signature Fly women’s bib. This is another unique attempt by cycling manufacturers to remove a major obstacle for women wearing bibs…nature breaks. Velocio has designed a rear zipper into the shorts that allow the rider to unzip and go without removing their jersey or bib straps.

This Fly Is Fly

The rear zipper is about 6” long with an internal zipper flap and garage. Any concerns I had with skin irritation were soon gone. You never knew the zipper was there.

At 6’ tall I was unable to pull the shorts down far enough for the design to work as intended. But my friend who is 5’5” had no issues. In fact, she wore these bibs on Ride Across Wisconsin, a 177-mile one day ride. She specifically bought these bibs to enable her to have quick bathroom breaks so the boys wouldn’t leave her behind. It worked!

The way Velocio can fix this issue is by lengthening the bib straps. I measured the length of my friend’s pair and mine. Even though they were different sizes the straps were exactly the same length. The strap material is very rigid with almost no give/stretch to them. It’s logical to conclude that a person my height will need more play in the strap to pull down the shorts then a woman who is much shorter. If Velocio makes this change then the rear zipper should work for any height rider.

The rear zipper Velocio uses is a high quality YKK Autolock zipper that locks securely in place. No worries regarding a wardrobe malfunction 50 miles from home. I experienced no problems with the zipper either unzipping or zipping.

Velocio created a video that illustrates how the rear fly works.

Signature Chamois Soft And Comfortable

These bibs use Velocio’s Signature Chamois which was designed specifically for women. The 120kg/m3 HD foam provides the support, a refined anatomic shape for comfort, and the Super Air base and Cytech fabric deliver breathability and comfort. Most of my time testing these bibs was on the trainer, since winter continues to have its hold on Chicagoland. But I did manage a couple rides outdoors with tights over the bibs. Even though the rear zipper didn’t function as designed, I really like the quality, fit and comfort of these bibs.

Keeping It All In Place

The Signature Fly bib upper is designed with a front mesh panel. This serves two purposes. First, to stabilize the straps, where some manufactures use a center bib clip. Second, to provide added coverage without adding additional weight or sacrificing breathability.

The bib straps themselves are made of Italian Microfiber and are 1 ¾” (45mm) in width. I personally found them too rigid and not as comfortable as I’d prefer. I think this comes back to height. Like with the fly issue, my 5’5” friend had no issues with the straps but on my 6’ frame they dug into my shoulders a bit. If they were just a little longer, I think the fly and the comfort would be spot on.

I did like that the all black bib upper. The straps do not show dirt or discolor over time and you see only black fabric when in the drops.

The shorts themselves are made of high compression fabric to provide muscular support and reduce fatigue. Due to the high compressive fit, if you prefer a more relaxed fit short, Velocio recommends going up one size. I had no complaints about the inseam on the Signature Fly bibs, they had good coverage. The leg hem has ultralight printed silicone finish so the shorts stay in place and don’t ride up.

Bottom Line

Velocio Signature Fly bib shorts provide a creative answer to solving nature break issues by using a rear zipper fly. Unfortunately, the fly seems to work best on shorter women since at 6’ the bib straps aren’t long enough for me to pull down when nature calls. But they were long enough for a 5’5” rider. However, these high-quality bibs do offer a comfortable and soft chamois, high compression shorts and modesty mesh upper panel. My first experience with Velocio apparel and I’m impressed with the quality and attention to detail. I’d definitely be interested in trying out more of their line.