The LOOK Excellence Long Bib Short offers excellent fit, mild compression, and a brushed lining that is soft against the skin.
We took a ‘first look’ at this full-length bib-tight alongside the matching Excellence soft shell jacket, and WinterFall glove. For full details on fit and fabrics, click here. In this review, we’ll focus on how the tight performed.
The freedom of movement in the leg was excellent, the broad braces spread pressure effectively across the shoulders, and the high stomach panel provided welcome insulation for the midriff in the recent Arctic temperatures.
Our advice is to dress for 10 minutes in to the ride rather than for the moment you step through the door, and whether by accident or design, these bib-tights (or long bib-shorts, as LOOK have them) fitted the concept well.
While the brushed lining provided adequate insulation, the external fabric allowed some ventilation at the thighs and groin. This was notable at the beginning of the ride, before we’d reached ‘riding’ temperature, and at that early stage in proceedings, we feared the worst. Within 10 minutes of riding, however, we were suitably warm, and despite an early mission of nearly three hours made in temperatures that never got above eight degrees, we remained cosy. The Windtex knee panels did their job throughout.
The legs of our size small test sample were a little long, so we simply folded them above the zip. Concealed beneath our overshoes, our improvised ‘turn-up’ didn’t present any real problems or have any effect on fit or performance. We mention it to illustrate the value of dropping a size if you’re uncertain which to choose. Elsewhere the fit was excellent: close at the top of the leg, and outstanding in the braces, whose stretch and breadth placed them among the best we’ve tried.
The LOOK Excellence Long Bib Short does much to live up to its name, combining excellent insulation, some ventilation, and a first class ‘feel’, with a supportive, compressive quality
Modern inserts are so good that it’s unusual to find a bad one in our experience, only those that preference distinguishes over another. We weren’t bowled over by the performance of the pad supplied here, but neither were we uncomfortable.
By far the most distinguishing feature of the LOOK Excellence long bib-short, however, was the freedom of movement it offered. This isn’t to suggest a loose fit; quite the reverse, in fact. The excellent tailoring and fabric combined to deliver a mildly compressive feel that was springy and supportive; a quality notable on standing climbs.
Appearance is another matter of personal preference, but we’re suckers for LOOK’s Mondrian-inspired styling, which was used here with restraint in a line along the outside of the right thigh. On the opposite leg, the large-ish LOOK logo in reflective material may have done a job in drawing our presence to the attention of motorists at junctions and roundabouts, but we can’t say with certainty.
Conclusion
The LOOK Excellence Long Bib Short does much to live up to its name. Offering excellent insulation, some ventilation, and a first class ‘feel’, with a supportive, compressive quality in the leg, and stability at the shoulders courtesy of 70mm braces, the premium quality of this winter staple matches a price at the upper-end of the scale for bib-tights.
Price: £169
Size: XS to XXL
Colour: Black with Mondrian ‘accents’
Website: LOOK
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