Capo Pursuit Bib Shorts
One of the things I’ve learnt at my expense with cycling is that once you start trying the really good stuff, whether it’s bikes, wheels, shoes or bib shorts, it’s almost impossible to go back.
With that in mind, perhaps I should start by saying if you’ve never owned a really good pair of bib shorts and are happy with that – do yourself a favour and stop reading right here. It could save you some money 😉
To qualify my initial comment above further, I found this to be even more the case with good cycle clothing than virtually any other part of cycling (maybe apart from aero wheels). I’m sure you’ve heard the saying – there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad kit. To be honest, I do still struggle to MTFU when the weather is rotten, but more than ever I value good kit.
Thanks to the good people at Capo Cycling, I’ve had the opportunity over the last couple of months to step up a price point and try some kit from a higher level than I’d previously experienced.
Enter the Capo Pursuit bib shorts. These retail in the UK for £110 or $180 in the USA. Frankly they were a bit of revelation when I started riding them as they represented a tangible step up in comfort than shorts I’ve ridden in the past and had been extremely happy with.
In the Capo world, these are far from the top of the range and represent at a simplistic level, bib shorts with high quality, high grade lycra and a slightly larger than normal (for Capo) EIT seatpad. These are a bib short for someone looking for a not too technical (in terms of numbers of panels, mixtures of materials or high compression fit) but luxurious and supremely comfortable bib shorts. These are fantastic for long riding and they are often the shorts I reach for, when I’m planning long rides. When I first met Darren from Capo, he said these were his personal favourites from the range – so I started with them too and they’re excellent.
In fact, I think since I’ve had them I’ve ridden in them more than any other bib short – they’ve almost always been a first choice. They’re extremely comfortable, they feel luxurious on but they’re not too complex either. For some of the long rides I hope to do this winter – the Pursuit will be my first choice and I am sure I’m going to end up spending money ordering more pairs in the future!
Capo describe the pursuit with four key feature sets, with first one being a comfort and performance pattern – which they say is slim and flattering while providing good freedom of movement. I think this is fair and I think these shorts are an excellent choice for MAMIL’s like myself who want both quality and comfort. Capo also talk about a circular knit construction (Cube TX) for enhanced breathability and something called HydroStretch which enhances freedom of movement. I rate these shorts highly on both of these fronts too.
Capo talk about the High-Gauge Power Lycra from Meryl and this is a key part of what makes these shorts such a pleasure to own and ride in – the lycra feels really high quality. I’ve been riding medium in these shorts where small would probably be optimal, so I can’t say I noticed the compression effect of the high-gauge lycra particularly but they didn’t move about when riding and I’ve always been completely comfortable – hence why they’re often my first choice shorts now. Something else to note as a result of the specific lycra used is that it both gives strong UV protection and the Pursuit bib short is rated by Capo as a 4 season product – I’ll certainly be using it all year round.
The final feature which is also fundamental to the success of these shorts is the Elastic Interface Technology (EIT) Anatomic-L HD Carbon (quite a mouthful) – or the pad. It’s an anatomic, triple density two piece construction and it’s a terrific pad. It’s also red.
Capo Pursuit Bib Short featuring a triple density two piece EIT pad
From my perspective, in summary, what makes the Capo Pursuit bib short an excellent all rounder for the recreational/sportive rider who wants to be comfortable whenever they’re riding is a great combination of a good design, not too complicated, high gauge, high quality lycra combined with an excellent pad.
These are great shorts. Are they worth the money – to me, most definitely. Will I go back to cheaper shorts – very unlikely.
You find out more here: http://www.capocycling.com/
Thanks for reading.
P.S. Sorry about the lack of pictures with me wearing them – I’ll fix that the next time both my wife and I are at home in daylight at the same time – should be this weekend!
