Winter cycling in Scotland demands a good quality range of kit. This includes winter tights, long-sleeved jerseys, arm and leg warmers, buffs and cycle shoes.

While some summer cycling kit can be layered up to keep me warm in the cold and wet of winter, it helps if I wear a few winter-specific products. When you get cold like me, you need to be able to rely on winter cycling products.

This winter I have been testing a few brands of cycling kit. The first for review is dhb.

dhb Women’s Vaeon Roubaix Pro Padded Bib Tights

Some winter tights come with a pad and some are non-padded and meant to fit over your normal cycling shorts. The dhb Women’s Vaeon Roubaix Pro Padded Bib Tights have a comfortable seatpad.

The seatpad is what I would call medium. It’s not too thin, nor too bulky but just about right.

I am a confirmed bib shorts and tights wearer because I prefer not to have a waistband when bent over on the bike and, especially in winter, I like the added wind and weather protection of fabric high up around my back and tummy.

I also find bibbed tights much more comfortable than waist-height tights.

Winter tights need a bit of insulation. The dhb “premium” cycling tights are made from a lightly fleeced, elastic fabric. The cut offers a comfortable fit and I found that the size small was about right for my UK10 frame.

I am quite tall so the length of the legs is a little short but I usually wear long-ish socks and booted over-shoes in winter so the small gap between my foot and the hem of the tights doesn’t matter.

One thing I would like to see on more winter tights is a stirrup to go under the foot. I have found this works really well in other winter cycling tights. Not everyone likes stirrups but I prefer them because they stop the tights from riding up the leg or bunching around the back of the knee.

The dhb fabric and design claims to offer a “contouring fit for aerodynamic performance, moisture transfer and a light compression effect”. Suffice to say the tights are comfortable, well-fitting and very easy to wear on chilly winter days.

Additional features that I like include:

• Reflective details for improved visibility in low-light conditions
• Zipped centre panel for easy entry and exit
• Extended abdominal coverage for core thermal protection
• Mesh back panel for increased ventilation where it always gets sweaty
• Lock-down ankle zips for secure, rattle free closure
• Durable flatlock stitching (this is vital because tights have lots of seams and the last thing you want is annoying seams sticking into your skin).

The tights are meant for winter rides of up to three hours. I don’t know why dhb specify the distance but I presume this is to offer maximum comfort for riders on a winter’s day.

I am very choosy about my cycling kit and will only wear what is completely comfortable. I found the dhb Women’s Vaeon Roubaix Pro Padded Bib Tights to be a good fit and great for staying warm on chilly cycling days.

They are not waterproof and also they would be a bit warm for early winter days. If I was commuting daily through winter I would choose these and likewise, they will be great for winter outings of a few hours on both my road bike and my mountain bike.

The bib length is perfect and while the tights are a little short this isn’t a major problem. The tights did ride up a little when cycling and crease a bit at the back of my knee but not in a hugely annoying way. I think I was just looking for problem areas.

I like the ankle zips and the easy-on front zip. These tights could be improved by adding toilet stop access zips at the back like many other brand snow include for women’s bib tights and shorts but at a price of £75.99 I am happy to cope without the zip.

The tights come in black and red, black and white or plain black. The plain black version is the most flattering.

The dhb brand

If you don’t known, dhb is a technical sports brand founded in Hampshire, UK, a decade ago. Their cycling and running collections are designed for all levels of participant, from novice to professional.  They believe there’s no such thing as bad weather, just great kit to combat bad weather.

Buy dhb Women’s Vaeon Roubaix Pro Padded Bib Tights from Wiggle.