After hundreds - if not thousands - of miles of saddle time, and two comprehensive reviews (Part 1, Part 2) our discerning team of testers have selected their favorites. Top of the heap goes to the Rapha Team Sky Women's Bib Shorts, which narrowly beat out the Assos T.Lady_S5. Here's what our quartet of testers had to say about their favorites - and second favorites. Also be sure to check out Page 2 where we reveal the Best Women's Bibshorts for $200 or less, Page 3 to find out which bibs made nature calls the easiest, and of course you can Meet the Testers on Page 4.

Overall Best In Test

The Rapha Team Sky Women's Bib Shorts took a narrow win based on one first place vote and one-and-a-half seconds.

Kate: Rapha Team Sky Women's Bib Shorts -
It's so much easier to enjoy long rides when you are comfortable. Remember when you learned how to actually eat and drink on the bike? These bibs set a whole new standard of comfort for me. If you regularly enjoy long (3-plus hour) weekend rides, I think your money is well-spent ponying up for a premium short like this.

Lisa: Assos T.Lady_S5 - These bibs just fit me best. The straps are adjustable to the appropriate length, the chamois fit my body, the legs are a good mid-thigh length and the leg bands are an adequate tightness for my body. The material feels nice on my skin, it's breathable and durable. Although these bibs had a mechanism to use the restroom without taking my jersey off, I made my decision mostly on overall comfort because in the long run that's what matters most to me. These bibs are the most expensive of the ones tested, but when I find a piece of clothing that is comfortable and fits well, be it jeans or cycling bibs, I'm willing to pay a higher price because that means I can stop shopping. And I tend to wear items for their entire lifespan, so I know I'll get a good return on my investment.

Elizabeth: Capo Cipressa Bibshort 2.0 -
For me, the Capo bibs are the best all-around. They're mid-priced (within the test), flattering, comfortable and unique without being over-designed. I love these bibs.

Liz: Primal Elita Women's Helix Bib Shorts -
This short has turned into one of my go-to's because it's comfortable, easy to get on and off, and I like the blue color pop.

Runner Up



The Assos T.Lady_S5 did well, but lost ground due to its hefty $279 price tag.

Liz: Assos T.Lady_S5 -
I love the feel of this short and chamois, but it's a the runner up because it's expensive and I don't like the single bib strap that wraps around my neck.

Lisa: Rapha Team Sky Women's Bib Shorts - The material is luxurious and soft, the chamois fits well, does its job, and they are very comfortable and flattering when on. They finished as a close runner up because I didn't like the 'bodysuit' style bib as much as a bib with straps, and the leg bands are just slightly tighter than I prefer. These bibs are very expensive, but like the Assos, I look at them as an investment since I envision wearing them on many rides.

Kate: Castelli Palmares Due Bibshort -
You almost forget there are straps on these minimal, summer-weight bib shorts. If you are a bib short skeptic, try these!

Elizabeth: (Tie) Rapha Team Sky Women's Bib Shorts -
I loved these, too. They're elegant and look and feel great. But for me, the zipper in back makes these a road-only pair of bibs - no camelback, no commuting with a backpack - which makes them less versatile. They're also price-prohibitive. It would be dangerous to get hooked on these shorts.

Elizabeth: (Tie) Primal Elita Women's Helix Bib Shorts - While the fit is great (again, these have become my go-to mountain bike bibs) the design/color/fabric scheme makes them much less versatile - and much less flattering - than my other favorites. They're also pretty expensive for a basic bib.

Next: Best Women's Bibshorts for $200 or Less »



Best Bibs for $200 or Less


Not unanimous pick, but the GS Panache 13 Women's Bib Short eked out victory by receiving the nod from two of four testers.

Kate: GS Panache 13 Women's Bib Short -
Want a bib short where dependable performance trumps advanced female-specific design and flashy packaging? Panache offers a high-quality short without the super-premium price.

Lisa: Primal Elita Women's Helix Bib Shorts -
Even though these bibs were under $200 the material still felt and rode as if it could have been the most expensive. If Primal makes a few design tweaks to this bib, shorter, narrower straps and a slightly wider chamois, they would fit me perfectly and I think they could pose a real threat to win this test in future years.

Elizabeth: Capo Cipressa Bibshort 2.0 -
I love that my favorites are less than $200! These are a great bib at a great price.

Liz: GS Panache 13 Women's Bib Short -
With nice fabrics, a flattering design, a great fit, and a more affordable price, these shorts have become a staple of my cycling wardrobe.

Next: Best Bibshorts for Using the Bathroom »



Best Bibs For Potty Breaks

The take-away here: No one has crafted the Holy Grail when it comes to making women's bibshorts that are simple to get off when nature calls. But for now anyway, give the nod to the Pearl iZumi Women's Pro In-R-Cool, which drew praise from two of our four testers.

Kate: Pearl iZumi Women's Pro In-R-Cool -
These bibs were easier to drop trou in than traditional bib shorts. The difference isn't significant enough to don them for warm weather rides; however, with the multiple layers of a cold weather ride, the drop-tail feature instantly becomes much more valuable and even worth the sacrifice in comfort.

Liz: Pearl iZumi Women's Pro In-R-Cool">Pearl iZumi Women's Pro In-R-Cool</a> -
The clasp in the back is relatively easy to use and this short is more comfortable than others with similar designs.

Lisa: Assos T.Lady_S5 -
The deciding factor was that the hooking mechanism was on the front of the bib, making it easy to re-attach without any outside assistance. It wasn't perfect but made it possible to use the restroom while not taking off my jersey.

Elizabeth: Castelli Palmares Due Bibshort -
This design definitely won the potty test for me. They're the fastest on and off.

Next: Meet the Testers »



Meet the Testers


Kate Powlison

Kate Powlison lives for the lunch ride. Invite her on a midday ride, and the answer is almost always "yes." Bicycling is her essential outlet and personal passion. It's also her solution to society's most pressing problems in her work at PeopleForBikes, the national bike nonprofit. In fact, Kate loves bikes so much that she rode all 2,161 miles of the 2012 Tour de France course with a team of five women. Whether on a lunch ride, commute, or Grand Tour adventure, Kate believes that good design can make a great ride better.


Liz Barcheck

Liz Barcheck rides and resides in Boulder, Colorado. She received her first "real" bike in her early twenties from her now husband, owner/head builder of Mosaic Cycles. Since then she has developed a love and affinity for long road rides in the mountains of Colorado and bike commutes to her middle school classroom. Currently she helps to manage and race for local cyclocross team, Team Small Batch, and continues to work for Mosaic Cycles as a product tester and advocate of custom bicycles.


Elizabeth Train

Elizabeth Train believes that few things compare to great rides with great friends. While she loves to spin on gorgeous roads, it's singletrack that truly has her heart. She's also been in the bike industry for nearly a decade, working for organizations such as Bikes Belong and Boulder B-cycle, and logging loads of volunteer hours with the Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance.


Lisa Sumner

Lisa Sumner's cycling career began later in life when she landed a job as the advertising coordinator for VeloNews. Lisa worked there for five years and quickly discovered a love for cycling on asphalt and singletrack. Lisa has done a handful of racing over the years, but her real passion is going out for long rides in the mountains of Colorado with good friends.