Alé says its Strada bib shorts have been designed for both comfort and performance and in testing, and I’ve found these shorts to be strong performers for their modest price.
The fit is superb, the bib straps and leg grippers comfortably secure the shorts and the chamois pad is very comfortable, too.
The chamois softened slightly after a few washes, but the shorts continue to deliver good all-round performance and comfort.
Alé Strada bib shorts construction
The predominantly polyamide-based Strada bib shorts are designed to balance breathability while being windproof, light and offering UV protection.
Alé says naturally antibacterial carbon fibres are woven into the front panel to enhance breathability and wicking.
The shorts are rated for use between 18 to 30°C.
Alé specs its 4 HF pad, which is an elastic microfibre with memory padding on the contact points. The pad is rated suitably for rides up to four hours in duration.
The bib straps are made of a breathable elastic, which Alé says is quick-drying and supports the shorts without digging into your shoulders.
There are some silicone threads inside the hem to keep the shorts in place, which Alé says allows for “perfect levels of compression without constriction”.
Alé offers the shorts in a whopping ten sizes: XXS all the way up to 5XL.
You can also pick from five colours: Black / Anthracite, Black / Fluoro Orange, Black / Red, Black / Cyan and Black / Fluoro Yellow, which I had on test.
Alé Strada bib shorts performance
I’ve been testing a pair of size large Strada’s on both short and long road and gravel escapades over the last couple of months.
The bib shorts were tested on four different saddles: a Forza Stratos, a Fabric Scoop, a Specialized Power Pro with Elaston and a Bjōrn Setka.
I found the fit of the Strada to be perfectly balanced between close and relaxed, and there was no excess bagginess anywhere. They also fit true to size.
The pad is excellent – although something of a cliche, I forgot about it on my first ride. It sits in exactly the right place, doesn’t shift around and is an optimum thickness.
One ride with the shorts saw me climb up Coombe Gibbet in West Berkshire, a UK top 100 climb. The climb steepens as it peaks, so you’re best sitting in the saddle to preserve energy.
The chamois felt planted to the saddle on the hard effort and the Lycra offered very good compression.
I was so impressed with the shorts that I decided to use them for a 100-mile gravel ride. Considering the brand rates the pad for rides up to four hours, it’s laudable it was only in the last two hours of the eight-hour ride that I started to feel any discomfort.
The Strada bib shorts proved a reliable companion on shorter rides too on both road and gravel, dampening vibrations proficiently.
The bib straps are lightweight but unremarkable in performance. They’re comfortable when riding but tight-feeling off the bike. The silicone grippers at the legs performed as prescribed and didn’t degrade over the test period.
The shorts appear to be durable too, coming away unscathed from a minor off-road tumble.
I was also impressed by the ventilation, feeling cool throughout my rides. The warmest temperature I rode the shorts in was 21°C.
My only gripe with the shorts is that the pad softened slightly after the first wash.
Alé says the pad shouldn’t undergo any changes if you stick to the correct washing instructions, which I did.
Importantly, though, it didn’t degrade any further on subsequent washes and didn’t seem to have an impact on performance or overall comfort. Nevertheless, it’s always a plus if a chamois holds its original structure from the first wash.
Alé Strada bib shorts bottom line
The Strada bib shorts are an excellent option and punch well above their weight for their competitive price point.
The chamois is comfortable for most ride lengths and I appreciate the small details Alé has clearly sweated over, such as with the leg grippers and the carbon fibres woven into the front panels.
The pad softened slightly after the first wash, but the shorts remain comfortable following subsequent washes.
But aside from this niggle, there’s little to criticise.
