Gore Power Bib Shorts
I spent 34 hours in Gore Power Bib shorts in 3 days of bikepacking. How are they? Well, I’ve chosen them for a 5,500 km ride across Australia. That’s how much I like them.
Words - James Raison Images - Lana Adams
American wonder-material-makers Gore have been applying their expertise to bike gear for some years now. Winter cycling is considerably less depressing since Gore brought us Windstopper and GoreTex fabrics. So when Cycle Closet asked if I wanted some Gore stuff for the Indian Pacific Wheel Race. I said yes. Hell yes!
The Power Bib shorts are all about sensible minimalism. There’s not a whole lot to look at. At the top there’s some ultra soft and stretchy mesh bib straps. Around your legs is a hem, rather than a gripper. It’s all held together with low profile seams and stitches. Chamois is courtesy of Elastic Interface.
THE FIT
There’s something of an art to getting into these bibs. They are very tight on your thigh and warrant some undignified wriggling into. Just make sure you pull them up from the seams on the shorts to protect the stitching. Once you’ve adjusted them into place, the straps easily stretch over your shoulders. I am constantly battling with bib straps not being long enough for my slim 180 cm frame. No issues here, and no pressure on my shoulders. Good start.
THE RIDE
I liked these bibs from the first time I parked my arse on the bike. The fit and feel just lets you get on with pedalling.
Pressure is applied evenly around your entire thigh, owing to the very firm grip it has around your leg. This extends all the way up through your hips to the top of the shorts. That firmness leads to excellent comfort and everything stays in its right place. That gives you all the freedom of movement you need. With that nice even tension, you just get on with turning the pedals. I didn’t notice them moving or creeping up my legs at all.
Where these knicks go from very good to absolutely great is the chamois. It’s a mid-range Elastic Interface chamois but it’s exceptionally comfortable. There’s a triple-layer all stacked up, giving you plenty of thickness where you need it. It’s an even thickness as well, with less tapering down through the perineum than you’ll find on many chamois. I ride with a snub-nosed Specialized Power saddle so that extra thickness at the front means I can perch on the front comfortably for hours. This is where the Gore Power Bibs out-perform my high-end benchmark knicks from Rapha and Capo.
WRAPPING UP
These Gore Power Bibshorts are exceptionally good knicks. They are outstanding in their $240 price-point and out-perform much more expensive knicks. Riding in them for 34 hours in 3 days with only minor saddle soreness, more saddle fatigue than anything, is a massive confidence boost as I stare down wearing them for thousands of kilometers across Australia.
Purchase: Gore Power Bib Shorts are available to purchase on our kit partner Cycle Closet's website.
Disclosure statement: These bibshorts were provided from Gore, through our kit partner Cycle Closet. This is not a paid review and we do not receive any proceeds from the sale of Gore bikewear through Cycle Closet or any other outlet.
