Review: The Black Bibs – Quality Gear at Bargain Prices

April 30, 2019

LAST UPDATED April 30, 2019

Not too far back (November 2018) I was in full swing, developing a full-blown Zwift addiction. I had put in nearly 2000 miles over the past 5 months and the weekly mileage was increasing. But while the mileage increased, my weight was also starting to decrease. And pretty soon I found myself no longer fitting well into my cycling bibs. The legs became too loose and would ride up 3-6 inches on my thighs. It was time for a new pair of bibs.

Fortunately, I happened to recall a post from a friend of mine in the Texas Bikepacking Facebook group praising the quality and value of a small brand of apparel called The Black Bibs. Being a cycling addicted dad on a budget it piqued my interest. Could I get a solid set of bibs for a reasonable price?

The answer was YES! I ordered my first set of Black Bibs and got the Black Bibs Plus version. Not their base model, but one step up. The chamois for all of their bibs are the same, but the Plus version upgrades the leg gripper to a nice Italian power band that keeps the bib securely in place.

I got these bibs and I liked them. They were clean and simple. No designs, no colors that contrast with all the different team jerseys I’ve accumulated over the years. Just stylish quality at an affordable price. I rode these bibs, and I rode them often. Between December and today, a span of 5 months, I’ve ridden nearly 2,500 miles and a large portion of that has been in these bibs. To my great surprise, these things are incredibly comfortable and the chamois cushion has held up extremely well. Still comfortable today!

In February I had started a conversation with The Black Bibs about our group, Team DIRT, Dads Inside Riding Trainers. I thought that the message that The Black Bibs lived by was excellent. Quality products that are affordable. This is the kind of gear that I love to wear and support and I wanted to help get the word out to the DIRT cycling team. We have seen the cost of cycling gear skyrocket over the past 5 years and it’s refreshing to have a company that puts out such great quality at an affordable price.

Today I own not only my original set of Black Bibs Plus, but also a pair of Adventure Bibs and a Pro Summer Jersey. The Adventure bib is the same quality bib as the Plus version, but it adds pockets directly to the back of the bib. This makes it great for us mountain bikers who may be wearing a loose t-shirt or jersey, because it gives us a secure place to keep our keys or phone while riding. Also for us indoor specialists: during the hot summers I ride with no jersey or base layer about 80% of the time. Texas is hot and that extra layer makes it extremely brutal in a hot garage. The adventure bibs allow a place for me to stash my phone running Discord during rides.

And the prices… that’s the best part of all. They are affordable. Just check out this lineup.

Black Bibs – $40
Black Bibs Plus – $65 and upgrades to Italian power band
Adventure Bibs – $75 and upgrades to bib pockets

And while you may be able to find cheaper gear, you probably will find one of two things.

The quality of those items is poor with rough stitching, cheap chamois pads or low-quality leg grippers.
Otherwise, it’s probably something that you found on a bargain bin website, we have all tried them. They only have 2xl or size small left in stock, never a size that would fit you. And you can never find the same product there for the same price again.

With The Black Bibs you know the quality you are going to get and it’s coming direct from the manufacturer, so being out of stock in your size is rarely an issue. It’s the same simple selection over and over.

All in all, I’m extremely impressed with the quality of the bibs and jersey from The Black Bibs. If you are in the market for a new set of bibs, a jersey, or even base layers, arm warmers and leg warmers then check out The Black Bibs.com. What you’ll find is a quality piece of gear at a fair and reasonable price. You won’t be disappointed in what you get.