RRP: £159.99 / $170
Sizes: S-XXL
Colours: Black, Green
With the term ‘gravel cycling’ encompassing a wide range of disciplines, surface types and bicycle styles, making ‘gravel specific’ clothing and equipment can be tricky. Scottish brand Endura approaches this issue by making durable off-road clothing that can easily span a number of styles.
And so it is with the Endura GV500 Reiver cargo bibshorts. Pitched as ‘gravel and adventure’ clothing, they should ostensibly be suitable for any number of off-road activities in the UK. Testing these in a freezing, wet, foggy and windy late winter/pre-spring ought to prove a suitable test, though perhaps these conditions are a little more chilly than the shorts were designed to deal with - such is the way with testing sometimes.
How do they stack up against the best cargo bib shorts on the market, or even against the best cycling shorts more generally? They perform well, but aren't necessarily a surefire winner.
Design and aesthetics
These bibshorts come in a choice of black, or tasteful olive green like the pair I tested. Sizes range from a S to XXL in men’s and women’s sizes, which might seem biased towards the larger end of the range; however, Endura advises you to size up due to the thicker fabric on these compared to its road-oriented bibs.
Sizing with bibs can be problematic, and I tried both the M (my usual size) and the L to confirm. As it turns out the M was too tight, but while the L fitted me well in terms of leg length and fit, the pad was significantly wider and longer and protrudes awkwardly. The upper fabric also ‘bunched’ and folded a tad. Endura offers an option of two leg lengths and used to offer different pad widths for its similarly-priced Pro SL road bibs, and I wonder if such a choice would have been useful here, too.
All that said, the bib straps are wide and comfortable on my torso, the silicone leg grippers substantial (but not tight and chafing like some can be) and the construction around the thighs well-padded, allowing for a very secure and comfortable fit. Endura claims the padding is meant to protect against ‘gravel rash’ if you crash; thankfully, I couldn’t test these claims, though they do seem a tad contentious. Unusually for Endura’s usual design, these have a particularly high waist, extending well above my navel. This made getting the shorts on a little challenging, but they are pretty comfortable once on.
These cargo bibs come with a suitable array of mesh pockets - One on each thigh and two slimmer ones at the back, around the height of the rear pockets on a jersey and just above my hip. The latter two were completely concealed under my thick winter woolen jerseys; I can only imagine they’re designed to be accessible when wearing loose casual tops or T-shirts, or best suited for carrying smaller valuables you wouldn't otherwise need while riding.
There is also a silicone gripper along the lower back which is designed to mesh with the hem gripper on Endura's jerseys and jackets like the GV500 waterproof jacket. A neat touch.
Performance
The majority of my riding time with the Endura GV500 Reiver cargo bibs was on a bike with very typical ‘road’ geometry with a relatively high saddle-bar drop. These felt very comfortable in that position. Despite extended periods of seated pedalling I experienced no dreaded thigh-rub that is the sign of a poorly stitched or overfirm pad. When out of the saddle or moving around in technical terrain, the shorts stayed fairly still, and I had to make minimal adjustments on-the-move.
There’s an an additional silicon gripper around the rear, at hip height, which helps with keeping the shorts in position. I did find that this was a source of minor chafing as the rear of the shorts moved and stretched with my lower back.
To test Endura’s ‘adventure’ credentials, I also rode them extensively on my XC mountain bike. The comfort levels and security remained high despite the continuous changes in position, and periods of alternately seated and standing pedalling. However, I noticed that mud or water splashes left big, unsightly blots on this particular colour shorts. These remained visible until dry, after which the olive colour camouflages the mud well - handy for those multi-day trips where washing is a little more inconsistent!
Another useful benefit in ‘adventurous’ conditions - read: mud, rain, wind - was the extra padding, which quite aside from protecting against crashes, added a modicum of warmth for my femoral arteries and meant I could ride in low single-digit conditions with just added leg warmers.
A lot of my bike riding is also a commute, which means I had ample big, bulky and pointy objects to store in the mesh pockets - keys, ID card, a phone, multitool, a spare pen, a flapjack - Most of these were virtually unnoticeable and did not move once inside.
Be wary of storing electronics and poorly wrapped food, though. Despite the padding, after even an hour of riding sweat had seeped through and soaked everything. A minor quibble, as the thigh pockets were otherwise extremely useful and easily accessible.
On another minor note, I ended up making a small hole in one of the thigh pockets mesh, though my work keys are VERY bulky, and likely constituted exceptional wear and tear.
The rear pockets, however, I found even less practical in this context as there was simply no accessing them on-the-go, and even when paused I could barely get a gloved finger around the hem and inside. One larger single pocket would have been infinitely more useful and ideal for storing items like a packable rain jacket. As it was, on the rides when I wore a hip pack these pockets were hidden under the bag straps anyway.
Value
At £159 RRP, the Endura GV500 Reiver cargo bibs are at the high-mid price range within off-road bibshorts. Le Col’s Sport Cargo bibs are similarly priced at £155, whereas both Rapha with its Core Cargo bibs and Castelli’s Unlimited bibs retail for £140. All of these options differ from Endura’s as not being explicitly off-road shorts; rather, they’re pitched as road, adventure or commuting clothing with added practicality.
Endura’s MTB background is apparent in how they pitch the GV500s, though in terms of outright practicality and features there’s very little to choose between all of these, at least on face value.
In short, they're in the right ballpark for the performance on offer, but if you're after more value then the Castelli and Rapha options are probably a better bet.
Verdict
Endura’s advertising suggests a no-nonsense, rugged and purposeful approach to off-road cycling equipment, and these GV500 cargo bibshorts largely meet that brief. They feel robustly-made, and yet very light and comfortable. The British ‘gravel’ riding variations of alternately seated pedalling and shifting, standing and bouncing around did not cause them to move around or chafe, either.
The fit and sizing is a little strange, and I wish Endura had thought to accommodate more variations in height, pad width and leg length. As someone firmly in the middle of UK sizing charts, I wonder how larger and smaller people would find this.
As per their ‘cargo’ credentials, these shorts are a tad inconsistent. The thigh pockets are great, and I would comfortably load them up with bulky items without discomfort or fear of dislodging, but the small rear pockets I found largely superfluous. There was little context where the size and location of the latter would be useful, or indeed supplement jersey pockets.
In all, I found these to be a very able alternative to MTB baggy shorts in terms of functionality and durability. It’s a shame about some of the design quirks, which probably advertise additional functions without actually being very useful at all.
