adidas adiStar Artic Bib Tight, March 2, 2006

Leg warmers

The adiStar Artic bib tights

The adidas adiStar Artic Bib Tight is the lower body complement to the adiStar Artic jacket. James Huang puts it through its paces in his continuing quest for absolute zero.

Just as with your upper body, wind protection in cold weather is critical and the adiStar Artic Bib Tight uses the same general philosophy as the adiStar Artic Jacket to keep you warm in the cold winter months. An insulating and windproof ClimaWarm Wind front half provides wind protection along with ample insulation while a more breathable ClimaWarm rear is used in back. In addition, knee joints are particularly prone to injury in cold weather so adidas wisely outfits the front half of this critical area with an extra thick layer of ClimaWarm 3D to provide some extra warmth as well as additional flexibility.

The bib portion of the Artic tights is made of a lightweight mesh material for moisture transfer and a bind-free fit without adding unnecessary bulk under your jersey. Flat-lock seams are used throughout to combat chafing, and both the top and bottom ends of the tights incorporate a short zipper to ease ingress and egress. A few spots of silicone rubber around the ankles add a bit of insurance to keep your tights down and your socks up without digging in. Finally, adidas adds a set of reflective 'three stripes' logos on each hip which, as it turns out, line up perfectly with the reflective stripes on the adiStar Artic Jacket when riding.

Our test pair was of the non-padded variety so a separate liner or additional pair of shorts was necessary, but a padded adiStar Artic Bib version is also available depending on your taste.

Brrr… it's still cold out here!

The first thing I noticed after putting on the tights was the somewhat sloppy fit, particularly around the knee and lower abdomen (and let's just say that I never earned the nickname, 'Slim'). To adidas' credit, tailoring windproof panels to lay well in these complex areas is a tricky job given the less elastic nature of the material, but it seems to me that a better job could be done here. Otherwise, the fit was pretty reasonable with a not-too-snug fit all around.

A short zipper

adidas needs to do a bit more work

Bunching of material

Much to my chagrin, it was still quite cold outside despite my self-made deals with Mother Nature. Regardless, these tights did not disappoint in the warmth department as the adiStar Artic bib tights certainly kept my lower half comfortable in below freezing temperatures without feeling too bulky. The slipshod fit continued to disappoint, however, as the bunching of material in the front of the hips and around the knees only proved to be more annoying as the miles wore on. Admittedly, I was never out for long enough to determine if the imperfect fit would result in any chafing (did I mention how cold it can be in Michigan?), but it was a nuisance nonetheless.

Swing… and a hit! Oh… but just a bit foul.

The ClimaWarm Wind and ClimaWarm materials continued to impress me over time with their wind protection and insulating abilities, and adidas clearly has a good thing going as far as fabrics are concerned. However, my overall impression of the adiStar Artic bib tights is that the cut needs a bit of refinement before the adiStar Artic bibs are really ready for the big leagues.

Pro: Plenty of warmth and wind protection in very cold weather
Con: Floppy fit unbefitting a garment of this caliber, red contrast stitching is a bit goofy looking
MSRP: US$149.95
Fabrics: ClimaWarm Wind, ClimaWarm 3D, ClimaWarm
Color: Black
Sizes: S-XL
More information: www.adidas.com
Cyclingnews rating:

See also: adidas adiStar Artic jacket, adidas adiStar LS Wind Jersey