Velocio Women’s Foundation

£163

Velocio’s Foundation Range is intended to provide a high level of quality and performance without breaking the bank.

The Foundation winter bib certainly performs well and we couldn’t fault the quality. Whether £163 is ‘affordable’ might be debatable.

The 100% recycled, fleece-backed fabric feels luxurious against the skin, though don’t expect lots of compression. Instead, it flows with your movements on the bike. There was minimal gathering behind the knee; there are no seams here and the fabric’s softness means no pinching.

The straps form part of Velocio’s Flyfree system. They are wide, seamfree, micro-fibre bands that don’t dig in or irritate. As with so many ‘quick-pee’ systems, there’s a knack to doing it efficiently, and without causing stress to the fabrics. Velocio has done well to come up with a system that doesn’t use a zip, magnet or clasp, all of which add weight, cost and potential irritation.

The proprietary Foundation HD chamois is, in my opinion, the only ‘inferior’ element of the tights. While not exactly bad, it’s not particularly breathable. Otherwise, it’s very comfy: I found it perfectly supportive for two to three hours in the saddle. We’d say that the tights are perfect for riding in temperatures ranging from five to 12°C. The main fabric is breathable enough for tempo efforts. While the fabric isn’t water resistant, it isn’t too weighty when wet, and dries out very quickly too. Caveats aside, any rider who appreciates comfort, quality and style will most definitely be happy with these tights. www.velocio.cc