Okay, I promised I was going to do a full review of the bibs after I had a chance to use them… so here it is.
Disclosure: I am not by any means compensated by 7Mesh other than the discount given earlier on this post. This post is MY opinion on the bibs and can only reflect that… my opinion.
Overall, I am impressed. I have experience with ASSOS, Rapha, Castelli and Pearl iZumi bibs. The 7Mesh bibs are different than every other bib I have ever tried. I think the main difference is the “floating” Chamois which is a pretty cool feature but definitely takes some time to get used to it. As others have mentioned, when you stand, the chamois will ride up and give you kind of a wedgie. That said, once you are on the bike, you can see the difference, since there are no seams and it just falls right into place under your sit bones.
PRODUCT: 7Mesh MK3 Bib Short Medium
SIZING:
The sizing according to 7Mesh is a bit different to the usual sizing for bibs. They do run a bit large. I am 5’11" and about 180lbs (trying to get it down). I am usually a Medium in other brands (Assos, Rapha) and probably large on Castelli.
My tights are 23.5" so according to the 7MESH sizing guide I was right between Small and Medium. I chose to go with Medium and I was happy with my selection.
FIT:
The legs are race tight about 1.5/2 inches above the knee. The straps are somewhat loose which is very comfortable but gave me hesitation that the chamois would move around. The waist is tight which prevents any movement of the chamois. The groin area is significantly tighter than other bibs. In fact, this is the number one reason I was glad I got the medium instead of the small. This is specially true when I ride on the drops and my body is more aero… lots of pressure in the package.
FABRIC:
I am very impressed with the choice of materials. The fabric is NOT transparent and very smooth. My girlfriend noticed that it was a new bib which should say something. She said, it made me look “slimmer but full legs”… not sure what to make from that, except she liked them.
The elastic straps are very flexible and like I said, they do not provide lots of pressure on the shoulders. That might have to do with my sizing choice.
The logo is printed on the right leg and seems very good quality. Hard to tell if it will wear out after a couple of seasons of use. Seems a bit reflective, but will not provide any safety feature by any means. This is the only marking on the exterior of the bib, so if you are into the Black black bibs… this is one of those.
The leg grippers are also printed directly on to the Fabric. They are blue and really good looking. The fit is tight so the grippers worked as expected.
CHAMOIS:
Probably one of the most critical parts of any bib, this is at par with the best of the best. The padding is medium, with more padding where it needs it (under your sit bones). There are no stitches anywhere near the chamois which means for no friction rubs where you are used to or expect. This does means that there are stitches on other locations of the bib which might mean you have to get use to those areas. That said, these areas are not nearly at the same pressure (not your sitting area).
EXPERIENCE:
I have used these bibs on three rides. One ride was indoor and the other two were outside.
Indoor: Workout on TR: Dade. 1hr. This was my first experience with the bibs and I was impressed. The fact that there is less compliance indoor and the floating bib worked out really well. I liked that I felt “fresh” after a tough workout.
Outdoor 1: Workout from TR: Baird +6. 1.5hrs. Going outside for a longer ride is where my experience with the bibs change a bit. Doing hard workouts outside meant I spent more time on the drops and I started feeling a bit uncomfortable with the pressure on my groin. I found myself trying to reposition the package to relieve some of the pressure (specially on the second endurance half of the workout). This was by no means a showstopper but it did point out that these are not the bibs I would pick for a Century ride. These are more for my crits and races (due to the tight fit).
Outdoor 2: A recovery ride in Z2. 1.5hrs. I found these bibs way more comfortable than my previous ride. Maybe I got used to them, maybe the workout wasn’t as hard and therefore I felt more at ease.
PRICE:
These are great bibs from a smaller shop that is batting with the big boys. The price is in part with the deluxe bibs out there and it meets the expectations. Hopefully as they get more establish in the market, their price can come down a bit and compete better. I would probably but another pair once this one has more miles and only if I find a discount.
SUMMARY:
Overall this is a great bib, in par with my Assos and Rapha bibs. The fit is a bit too tight for me (specially groin) so these are not going to be my choice for endurance rides (Century and Grand Fondos). I will definitely use these for indoor training and 1hr rides.
The floating chamois is their big differentiator which is the main reason it can compete with Assos (who also has no stitches on the sitting area). Fabric is good quality. Fit is a bit tricky but they do offer a good chat feature to discuss your measurements with their experts. Price is a bit steep and hopefully can come down as they start shipping more units.
I would recommend this bib for people looking for a high quality bib and would like to splurge on looks and new features. I would also recommend this to anybody having saddle sores due to stitching on their current bibs.
