RedWhite - The Race bib shorts review
Red White are back with their second bib short - The Race. A close cousin to their 'The Bibs', the guys have gone for a less bulky chamois while keeping the comfort level high.
We've been wearing The Race for a couple of months and loving the quality and scientific approach to comfort the guys at Red White are taking.
Words - Mike Boudrie
ABOUT
We reviewed Red White's 'The Bibs' last year and were very impressed with what was a super comfortable product from the Singapore based business. 12 months on The Bibs are still serving me well and are one of my go to knicks for when the number of k's being covered is taking me into double digit hours on the bike.
Now Red White are back with 'The Race'. Billed on Red White's website as for racing only, Red White tell us that The Race takes the best elements from the chamois in The Bibs and incorporates changes to get to a racing chamois. What is a racing chamois I hear you say.... Well apparently they are 'lightweight, dissipate heat extremely well and remain plush enough to help you get through hot and hard rides'.
The Bibs (left) versus The Race (right)
As far as I can tell, The Race knicks are exactly the same as the excellent The Bibs but for the chamois. Taking a closer look a The Race chamois it definitely does not have the bulk of The Bibs chamois, its outer is also constructed using a dimpled material reducing heat build up. The guys have gone with a three layer construction, there's the same base layer as The Bibs, a thinner and lighter mid layer and again the same top layer as The Bibs.
RIDE
With only minor differences I was not sure what to expect from The Race, would it actually feel any different to The Bibs? We'll the answer is yes. The main difference for me is that the bulk is now much more where I like it. While The Bibs are excellent from a comfort perspective, they are overkill on shorter rides with the cushioned feel almost making me feel slightly disconnected from the bike. The Race by contrast gave back that connection while retaining a large proportion of the comfort that the Bibs offer.
Construction wise, things are good. Fantastic wide leg grippers with silicone microdots were never uncomfortable, very nicely finished bibs are wide and don't push too much pressure through the shoulders... something I battle with with my narrow 188cm frame.
The inside of the leg gripper including silicone microdots.
The cut in the front is low and would allow for riders that have got a bit carried away with eating pies and cakes while not keeping up the ks.
Quality is very high. They feel like the real deal and on closer inspection the seams are all nicely finished.
I would have liked to see Red White go a little harder with 'The Race, pushing up compression levels in particular and moving to a slightly racier cut.... but it's impossible to please everyone, and I'm sure most non pro shaped riders out there will be brilliantly comfortable in The Race.
STYLE
On the Style side there's not a long list of things to talk about. My one comment would be about Red White's branding. Being red on black, I've found it a bit tricky to be nicely matchy matchy when choosing kit to wear them with. An important factor if you love having 'the look'.
OVERALL
Another great offering from Red White, very well executed and absolutely inline with their design philosophy. If you're one of those poor unfortunate people that battles with pain in your delicate zone we'd recommend you head to Red White's site....
Is it worth buying The Race if you already own The Bibs? I'd say yes. Even if you are not a racer, The Race are perfect for those early morning blasts and perform brilliantly on long 100km plus rides. They just don's have quite the protection for massive rides that The Bibs offer.
WHERE TO BUY
Head to Red White's online store at www.redwhite.cc. The Race will set you back US$160.
