Review: Galibier Pro 5 Auron bib shorts

ByANDY LULHAM

I know it’s tremendously bad form to start a review by waxing lyrical about a competitor’s offering, but bear with me.

I really, really love Endura FS260 Pro II bib tights. They are, without doubt, the best I’ve ridden in for fit, comfort and quality. I was utterly heartbroken that they wore out on my recent trip to France and they had been, up until then, my go-to leg wear choice for rides over 50km.

When they broke, though, they broke bad. The thigh grippers, and material around them, that had bravely contained the awesome beneath for 100s of kilometres gave out so spectacularly that it was like the final parade in the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes. Meanwhile, in the soft hinterland between my chamois pad and my tummy hair, an experiment in attritional warfare was developing that would have the same effect as popping scrunched up tinfoil in your armpit during a 24-hour Birdie Song-a-thon.

Thus disillusioned with my previously favourite bib shorts, I was on the search for something new to squash my lower half into. Having previously been impressed with the quality and value of kit from those Galibier chaps, my interest was piqued by their announcement that they were upgrading their endurance Pro 5 bib shorts to the Auron Pro 5. This warranted closer inspection.

The new Pro 5 Auron bib shorts from Galibier.

Coming in at half the price of my no longer (En)durable cast offs, they boasted a host of similar features, including a pleasingly orange and yellow sunburst pattern on the inside reminiscent of the finish on a Fender guitar. 

The chamois pad is made of ‘3D open cell memory foam’ that should last for several seasons, although I’m not sure what memories it will collect and be haunted by, being crammed into my gooch for hours at a time.

The shorts themselves are constructed from 200g, four-way stretch Italian lycra which makes them comfortable and non-restrictive. The legs are augmented by 10cm bands of graphic leg gripper that supports without noticeable compression. I have the legs of a pro-tour sprinter but the body of a Mercedes Sprinter and I had no problems with the fit, especially once cycling.

Hey Andy – is that a Fender Stratocaster in your pants or…etc

My first trip out in them was a four-hour sortie on the route of a sportive I did a few years ago, with lots of climbing, in and out of the saddle, and some opportunities to get down into a rouleur’s tuck and bang out some big ring efforts. The only numbness I detected was in the brain when I took a wrong turning off the route, but that offered up the chance of a snack stop at a garage.

It was only when I got home that I realised that I’d forgotten to (cough) lube up with anti-chafing cream, but I had no areas of concern during my post-ride ablutions.

The golden pastry may bear passing resemblance to Galibier’s new chamois. But don’t mix’n’match.

I still love the FS260s but these Auron Pro 5s are easily as good, and with the money I save I can go ape-crazy on Galibier’s website and pick up some socks and a jersey too – and still have change to buy another sausage roll at the Tesco Express.

Galibier Pro 5 Auron bib shorts – £59 from galibier.cc

Author

  • Andy Lulham

    Andy got into cycling, and writing about it, late in life and as a result has a wealth of pop culture references to tangentially weave into word soups, along with a host of dad jokes and non-sequiturs. Firing this seemingly endless lava stream of semi-consciousness is a passion for all things cycling that is far in excess of his ability to actually do it.

    After many years of dicking about amateurishly building his own bikes, he now builds professionally for amateurs.

    He used to do a running, but having completed a couple of half marathons he's decided he likes the way his knees bend and a casual jog is all they'll tolerate now.

    Famously failed to do the Etape even before the big climbs started, Andy nonetheless still takes on ludicrous challenges on two wheels and then instantly regrets them. Would like to build (and presumably, break) his own bamboo bike one day.

    Once described by his editor as the 'Marina Hyde of cycling clobber reviews', but this may've been the result of a concussion.

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