This Is Cambridge Thermal Bibshort Review

Simon Tuck

This Is Cambridge (TIC) Thermal Bibshorts are a knee length bibshort made from a fleece-backed,  material which has been treated with Durable Water Repellent.

The most important part of your shorts is the pad. TIC designed their shorts around the pad.

At the end of Summer last year, This Is Cambridge (TIC) released their first bibshorts which we previewed here. We were expecting to test them once the weather warmed up, but now TIC have released another set of bibshorts, the Thermal Bibshort. So they’ve sent them to try out instead.

The brushed inner keeps you warm.

Even now we’re well into ‘Summer’ the Thermal Bibshorts are proving their worth. On the chillier days, wet days, or windy days, I’ve been far more likely to brave shorts (with leg warmers in my pocket) than I would if I was limited to regular bibshorts. The material used stops the wind from breezing through, but still provides plenty of sweat extraction if the club ride gets a bit frisky. In the rain, you’re far less likely to get a butt full of grit (assuming you don’t have mudguards) thanks to the thicker material and the water repellent.

This Is Cambridge add some nice style touches to their kit. Despite being black bibshorts, these are not exactly ‘plain’.

It wouldn’t be a TIC product if there wasn’t some colour, so one of the straps and the radio/ valuables pocket have a lovely splash of pink. This will be covered up by a jersey, but it’s a nice touch. The branding is quite discrete with a black logo on the back and a white one on the side. The company motto “Higher, Further, Faster” is printed in black around the leg cuffs. These logos have a grippy, rubbery texture.

The logos have a grippy, rubber-like texture

The leg cuffs have a silicone gripper compression band to keep them in place. TIC describe these shorts as having a longer leg length, but this is deceptive because of the lack of stretch in the Thermoroubaix fabric. If you’ve worn Winter-weight bibtights, or anything containing fleece-backed lycra you’ll know that it’s a lot less stretchy than Summer kit. It’s quite noticeable in these Thermal Bibshorts, so make sure you follow the size chart on TIC’s website and you won’t go too wrong.

TIC branded pad is quite thick, but doesn’t bunch up as much as expected.

The fleece panel of the bib gives good coverage up to the stomach, so any drafts are kept out with this windproof material. To avoid placing seams on the inside of the thigh, they’ve been moved round to sit slightly toward the front. This worked for me and, combined with the plush 8+ hours endurance pad, the bibs give a comfy ride. I wasn’t sure about the pad as it feels quite thick and I worried about bunching. The way it’s chamfered and layered manages to keep bunching to a minimum though.

Higher, Further, Faster is TIC’s motto.

If you’re after a versatile pair of bibshorts. The TIC Thermal Bibshorts, teamed up with some thermal leg warmers, will take you from milder Winter days all the way to the hottest Summer days. They’ll be back in use as it starts to cool down and be fine right up to the coldest Winter days again. The seams and fabric are good quality and look like they’ll last a reasonable amount of time, which they need to do to justify the cost. Although, these Thermal Bibshorts are only about £10 more than the non-thermal version, and that seems like quite a bargain.

This Is Cambridge Website

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