Jack Thompson | May 08, 2019
Santini as a brand promise to deliver four key outcomes in any one garment. Fit, Performance, Comfort & Durability. How do you test such a promise? You wear the kit, day in, day out and you monitor how it performs. In 2017 I cycled 50,000km and so I guess some might say that if anyone was going to ‘wear a garment to death’ I might be the one to do so…
I’ve been lucky enough to be rocking the Santini threads for five months now. Prior to Santini I was wearing the ASSOS garments. As far as Knicks go, ASSOS is considered as the gold standard. I am by no means going to compare one brand against another, it’s like comparing an apple and an orange. Both brands excel in different fields, however what I will do Is tell you about my experience with Santini to date, in particular, their range topping Redux Bib Shorts.
When I look at a pair of knick’s, the first thing I think of is comfort, followed by fit, durability and finally aesthetics. The Santini Redux bib shorts come equipped with their top of the line C3 chamois. It is UNREAL. I’ve ridden these knick’s upwards of 400km in one sitting on multiple occasions and can confidently say, the chamois does what it is supposed to do, it provides padding in all the right places and allows me to sit on the bike in comfort, for hours at a time.
I’ve got relatively long thighs and so I often struggle to find knick’s that are long enough in the leg and provide enough coverage (although I may have a reputation for short socks, I do enjoy the long knick’s.) The Redux bib shorts provide the coverage I need and would keep the likes of Froome and Wiggins happy. At 187cm tall and 80kg (on a good day) the large is my go-to. Constructed from a state of the art ‘Thunderbike Power Fabric’ with an internal silicone honeycomb grip that covers the entire lower thigh, the knick’s are at times a little difficult to get into, but once on, they adhere perfectly to the skin.
The beauty of the Redux construction is that the seams are minimised which reduces the risk of chafing when on the bike. This and the fact that there is no elastic at the bottom of the leg means that comfort levels remain high, even when hot and sweaty and under the beaming midday sun.
Some would argue, more important than comfort and fit is aesthetics. The Redux cycling bib shorts look sleek. As mentioned above, the number of seams is minimized and the resultant look is almost light a winter tight as opposed to the standard knick’s you see with various panels. Available in Black, Navy and Green (my favorite) there’s options to suit all jerseys and outfits. Play it safe with Black or Navy or risk it all and go loud with the Khaki Green.
Finally, durability…To date I’ve been circulating the same three pairs of knick’s for five months. On average I ride 600-1000km/week, so the knick’s are well used. Aside from some very minor pilling of the logo’s on the legs (I left them in the sun on the clothes line for too long…My fault, not Santini’s) the knick’s look like new. The chamois is still as comfortable as it was on day one and the seams are all 100% intact. When I first jumped into the Santini kit, the rep told me how long he’d been wearing his Redux bib’s for and I didn’t believe him. Fast forward five months and I’m starting to think he was telling the truth!
At $299AUD the Redux bib shorts certainly aren’t the cheapest on the market, but they last, they’re comfortable as anything and they look good. I’m a fan.
