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I'm looking for some winter bib tights with well insulated knees (double layering) & a firm long distance pad for road rides.
What would you recommend?
Rapha deep winter tights(no pad) wear your favourite shorts underneath. Expensive but worth every penny 🙂
Castelli Sorpasso. Warm and a fantastic pad.
Second vote for the Castelli.
Pearl Izumi amfib. Wind and water resistant wnich I imagine is pretty good for UK weather. You’ll boil in anything above 5 degrees though.
I've had Sorpassos since they were launched, they're great for a few degrees above zero, but Sportful Total Comfort are better for when it gets colder - fleecier fabric / double knees and better pad. Despite repeated tries over the years, I really don't get on with Windstopper Tights -finding them restrictive and I get a clammy under the fabric which chills after a while.
Castelli Nanoflex Plus or the other ones up there, awesome
Morvelo Stormshield are good. Waterproof too
Lusso Max Repel without pads over my Rapha shorts does the trick for me.
Decathlon 900 series. Too warm for most circumstances, mine don’t get worn much at all as I run hot, but they’re comfy for long rides and fit me well.
I’m a big fan of winter bib shorts and either knee or leg warmers for most of the winter.
Amfibs are for full on winter storms. Too warm otherwise. Like cycling in a wetsuit.
Morvelo stormshield are a bit more flexible, or if you can find any Bioracer Spitfire Temp Control are superb.
Castelli Nanoflex is too thin and when it wets out it is cold.
Got a pair of Craft winter bib tights here that are now too loose on me if you're interested?
Castelli Sorpassos or Pactimo.
I’m a fan of Morvelo, but have only their storm shield 3/4 bibs at the moment. Excellent. Really love the material.
I also have some Howies tights without a pad for over my favourite bib shorts. The material on these is a bit Marmite.
I then pair the thermal 3/4 under the pad-less tights when it’s reyt cold.
Another vote for Lusso Max Repel; I had my first pair for well over ten years and they were superb; what's even better is that they are made in Radcliffe, Manchester. And not just imported and the label added locally, they are completely made here employing local workers.
Another for Sorpasso's
But also have a pair of DHB and they're great in very cold weather - but I'd size down one as found them a bit big
Pearl Izumi Pursuit Thermal with PI Dry fabric.
https://www.pearlizumi.co.uk/men-s-pursuit-thermal-cycling-bib-tight
Galibier Mistral
+1
And another vote for the Lusso Max Repel, again not just for the quality and value but for the fact they are actually made in the UK. I use unpadded ones over bib shorts myself. Some people might find that too warm but I really feel the cold so not a problem for me. One other advantage is that they are cheaper without the pad so when you come off in the winter and put a hole in them they are cheaper to replace.
Ive tried a few (morvelo, sportful, bioracer, rapha etc) with varying degrees of success. Sorpasso have been my go-to for a few years but I really don't get on with the pad if I increase the mileage so I finally bit the bullet and bought the Assos Habu tights and wore them for a 5hr commute this am (-2 degrees). Blown away by the performance and with discount very similar price to the Sorpasso. I cannot see me using them below -6 or -7 (they have the thicker Bonka tights for that) but at that ambient temp I'm likely to be on the trainer anyways. For me I've found the holy winter tights grail