After Hours of Riding in Near-Freezing Rain, These Are the Best Cycling Bib Tights

Best overall winter bib tights

The landscape for winter riding is changing rapidly and for a lot of people winter riding is relatively mild. The Sportful SuperNova Bibtight lands in that just-right spot where it’s warm but handles a wide range of temperatures. Part of that is that there’s no membrane in these but there is DWR coating to handle a bit of light rain. For the most part though, these are a relatively low-tech solution.

The Sportful SuperNova Bibtight uses a tight knit exterior that stops wind and a fleece interior. The interior creates air volume for warmth but it also does a good job not trapping moisture when you sweat.

If you like Sportful summer bibs the design is similar. It’s got the same TC Pro chamois that’s somehow both thin and low bulk while also magic even on long rides. At the front of the bibs there’s a mesh bridge between the straps that keeps the race fit from looking terrible when you bend forward. These are a great option for almost any winter riding anyone ever does in the age of Zwift and smart trainers. The one downside is that, like the summer bibs, the narrow straps will stretch out before the end of the usable life for the rest of the bibs.

Best budget winter bib tights

Although as I write this the Sportful Supernova bibtight is the same price, that’s temporary. Gorewear is shutting down in the spring and that means this deal is likely to last until these are gone — and they are really good.

The main difference between the two is that these Gorewear bib tights are much heavier. Early season you would probably find yourself overheating but at the same time they aren’t enough for really bad weather. That puts them in a middle-ground that won’t be right for everyone but might be perfect for you at a great price.

Other details on these are good. The lower stomach design is nearly as good as the Sportful design and the chamois is also fantastic. I’ve done long days in these without issue and if it’s just a bit wet on the road the water resistant rear panel is clutch for keeping the chamois dry.

Considerations to remember, Gorewear bibs do also have the same straps issue as Sportful and these aren’t a great choice in actual rain as the ankle isn‘t as tight as it should be for keeping water out.

Best early season winter bib tights

Much of the design of these is similar to the Sportful SuperNova bib tight but the focus is completely different. The Castelli Espresso lineup, which covers a whole range of clothes, is all about being comfortable for the regular person. You can expect the fit to be among the best you can get: snug but not tight, no bunching behind the knees, and really nice tailoring at the ankles.

The one thing about these is that they are not your go-to for nasty weather. The Espresso bib tight is a light material with a fleece interior and no real rain resistance. The exterior weave is looser than the Sportful bibs and there’s no weather resistant paneling.

Among the highlights is the chamois. Everything here has a good chamois, or I wouldn’t include it, but the Progretto X2 Air from Castelli is, in my opinion, the best on the market. It shows up on plenty of other Castelli pieces and has been around for years. The real trick of it is that there’s a tiny spot of gel right under your sit bone. It will never fully compress and nothing else is as good as the miles drag on.

If you prefer not to wear all black in the winter Castelli is offering a range of colors. The “deep mocha” or “green pepper” are pretty bright but the blue and purple add a little color without being too noticeable. There are also reflective details on the back of the thighs.

My only complaint is that in the quest towards comfort for all the front panel is a bit looser than some brands. It is comfortable but it doesn’t look as good when you bend over. I’d say it’s worth it but I’d love a little more structure there.

Best cargo bib tights

These are very similar to the Castelli Espresso bib tights. They are just a little bit heavier material but, like the Castelli, they also lack any kind of water resistant panelling. There is a “C0 PFAS Free DWR (water-repellent finish without harmful fluorinated chemicals)” coating but don’t expect much in the rain. The main play here is warm in moderate temperatures with a fleece interior and wind resistant exterior.

The fit is also very similar to the Castelli bibs with Ornot also opting out of a WorldTour tight cut. There’s plenty of stretch and everything feels amazing to pull on. There’s still not much structure to the front but there’s a little more as there’s an edge applied vs the folded-over approach from Castelli.

In terms of the chamois. This one is totally different from Castelli. There’s no gel and instead it’s super dense foam with a unique shape that really narrows out through the front. I appreciate its ability to get out of the way when pedaling.

You can also tell that Ornot is a little pricier as the elastic on straps is high quality. There’s a density here I expect will last longer than Castelli, Sportful, or Gore.

The real differentiator with the Ornot thermal cargo bib tight though are the pockets. I’m not sure anyone is trying to say this is a gravel focused piece but if you want easy access to snacks or a phone, there’s a pair of pockets one on each thigh. If you prefer not to use a traditional cycling jersey there’s also a pair of pockets on the low back so you can use a shirt without those pockets.

Best bib tights for rain

Look, I get it. This is a $400 set of bib tights and I called out how good the elastic is on the straps. You better get high-end elastic on a pair of bibs like this and yet… it’s not a given. Even MAAP doesn’t do everything right but these are good bib tights because they fit a very specific need and they nail the details.

As far as details, the back is a very similar material to Castelli, Sportful, and Ornot. There’s a tight weave with a DWR coating and fleece lining. It stretches and it’s super comfortable. Unfortunately the one missing detail is that the lower back and over the chamois lacks the kind of water resistant panelling that the Gorewear bibs have. The advantage is a better fit but I’d rather a little more water protection because that’s what these MAAP bibs are really good at.

The whole front uses windproof and waterproof (claimed waterproof but it is better than most) panelling. Then on the inside of those panels is a high density waffle weave material that adds air volume without adding bulk. I am going to explain more below about how to actually use bib tights in cold rain but if you are looking for a single layer solution then this is as good as it gets for riding in terrible weather.

These are expensive but they are also really good at what they are. If the price doesn’t work for you then look at the Gorewear option. They are a bit bulkier and won’t handle the rain quite as well but you’ll save a ton of money. You can also take a layered approach which I’ll have info on below.

Best extreme weather bib winter bib tights

When I really came to understand what it takes to ride in winter weather, I was doing 100-ish mile rides every Sunday through the winter. Oh and that’s in Portland, Oregon where December and January rides will be just above freezing and constant rain. If you climb too high it turns to snow. During those rides it was this system that I turned to and depended on. The S11 Johdah is merely the latest version but the basic concept is the same.

As a bib tight what Assos has done solves a problem you can see reflected elsewhere in this list. The best rain protection means a less comfortable, less stretchy material. MAAP uses a low bulk solution to try and mitigate it, but it’s still there. Gorewear really struggles in this regard. The way that Assos solves it is by using two completely separate layers. The outer material is a two- (or three- depending on location) layer membrane material while the inner layer is a lightweight fleece backed fabric similar to something like the Castelli Espresso.

The part where this moves from just competition to the MAAP Apex Deep Winter tight to something more is at the base of the legs. There you’ll find a neoprene material that you can stretch over the top of your boots. It will not leak and if things are really bad, as in December in Portland, then you can also add the Assos MILLE GT Thermo Rain Shell Pants.

The rain shell pants are ¾ length hard-shell pants. They match to the lower section of the softshell bibs and when used as a pair you can handle weather that nothing else can handle. Of course this does also mean that I’m telling you about something that’s among the most expensive bib tights you can buy that is actually part of a system that adds even more to the overall cost.

This is the best there is but it’s not cheap. I do have some other tricks though. Jump below and I’ll talk about some other options slightly outside the scope of the best cycling bib tights that will get you to a similar spot with a smaller investment.