Ever wondered whether upmarket cycle clothing is a rip off or actually worth spending the extra on? Ever wondered what’s the point of having those bib shorts, with the straps that go up and over your shoulders? Well here’s an opportunity to take a look at the dhb ASV Professional bib shorts and see what the fuss is about. To get a full picture of what they’re like, fellow cyclist Barry tries them out.
About
The ASV – Professional is dhb’s premium range and claims to be based on the clothing worn by professional cyclists, such as the Wiggle Honda Pro team. At a RRP of £64.99 they are not cheap, but noticeably cheaper than some of the offerings from Castelli, Sportful etc…. The design is smart without being too flashy.
dhb ASV Professional range
The dhb shorts Barry already has are from their Aeron range, which is the dhb mid price ‘Performance’ range and it’s interesting to see what you get for the extra money and the extent to which it makes a difference. Would it be extra money well spent? Would it be a waste of money?
Getting the size right
The dhb Professional range are sized a little differently to others in the range and it’s worth checking the size guidance on the website. I have blogged below about this range being best suited to the lean, athletic figures best of all. In brief the dhb guidance includes “dhb Professional garments come up smaller in comparison to dhb Performance. If you are of a larger/muscular build, we recommend ordering one or two sizes up to match your usual dhb performance size. For further sizing and fit advice, please see our size guide”.
Barry at 5’10” and 11st 7lb is a fairly average build and would normally go for a small size. Based on this guidance the medium is size is fine and says “when they came the fit proved to be bang on, not too tight but with a little bit of compression”.
What are they like?
These dhb shorts are really nicely made with different types of fabric used for the different panels to give a different stretch, and come with a really nice flush leg gripper, no more knicker lines on your thighs. First impressions at this stage are pretty impressive.
Left – Aeron, Right – ASV
The Chamois pad feels really nice with two independent pads sewn in, with a nice cut out to take pressure off the Perineum; this is something some cyclists will be aware of as a significant problem.
Comparing the pad with the cheaper dhb Aeron, there is a significant difference with the Aeron version feeling much thinner.
On the Road
Barry has given them a try and comments “So far I have only ridden for about two and a half hours in these shorts and I didn’t notice I was wearing them, which is a good thing” and continues “There was no chafing, cutting in or pressure points. This is really good. Still with the pads in mind, it also felt like the pad had done a better job than my usual Aeron shorts in terms of isolating the vibration you get from our notoriously rough roads”.
The temperature was only about 10C and Barry was worried about getting cold as the fabric is quite thin. He needn’t have worried as the weave appears to be fairly tight and does a good job of stopping wind chill.
You might also wonder about the slightly awkward question of stopping for a pee while out cycling and this could almost be included in the “questions you’ve been too embarrassed to ask about”. It is fair to say this is not a subject which is likely to be discussed by many cyclists! The answer is simple and it lies in the fact the fabric is very stretchy and the design allows for a relatively low cut at the front. Men, therefore, can pull the shorts down and outwards to answer the call of nature.
Barry will be riding the Chiltern 100 later this month (110 miles 9000’ climbing) and will be giving these shorts a serious workout then (7 hours plus in the saddle). If they come through that with flying colours then they really will be #Goodstuff.
Summary
So back to the original question, are they with the extra money? Well the answer has to be a definite yes. They are clearly a quality product and the Chamois is definitely superior to their cheaper ranges, which will be more noticeable on longer rides.
At £64.99 they are not cheap but providing you look after them well , they should provide many years of good service.
To see these shorts via Wiggle: click here
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