Dhb Aeron Bib Shorts 2.0 review

Dhb’s Aeron 2.0 is the second generation of the brand’s most popular bib shorts, designed as an all-round “high-performing, durable short that will last season after season”.

There’s a lot going for the shorts – an Elastic Interface pad and material with a high proportion of recycled content are the standouts.

However, in testing, the shorts offered middling performance and don't compete with the best cycling shorts.

Dhb Aeron Bib Shorts 2.0 construction

The Aeron represents Dhb’s range of performance products, sitting below the Aeron Lab, which is targeted at elite athletes.

Dhb says the development of the Aeron 2.0 shorts took two years, which involved testing by 100 members of its community. The brand says it designed the shorts to blend “minimal distractions” with “maximum comfort”.

The main shorts section is made of 65 per cent recycled nylon and 35 per cent elastane. The mesh is predominantly polyester, infused with elastane and five per cent carbon fibre.

The Econyl fabric is said to be compressive and resistant to curling and piling, as well as being durable.

The shorts retain the original version’s Paris HP Men seat pad, which is manufactured by Elastic Interface.

The pad is claimed to keep you comfortable for rides of seven hours and longer. It features three densities of foam. There’s ultra-high-density foam in the perineal and ischiatic area, which Elastic Interface says “makes it perfect for both road and off-road activities”.

There are also perforations at the front, which Elastic Interface says help in ventilation and reduce moisture.

The shorts use a wide silicone printed gripper and are claimed to be resistant to sun cream.

The branding of the shorts has also been updated, with a minimal, reflective Dhb logo on the outside face of the right leg.

Dhb offers the shorts in seven sizes – from XS up to XXXL, as well as seven colours.

Dhb Aeron Bib Shorts 2.0 performance

The Aeron 2.0 shorts have been tested over a mixture of short and long distances, on both road and gravel.

The shorts were used with various saddles, including a Fabric Scoop, Fizik Aliante, Bjōrn Setka and a Specialized Power Pro Elaston.

I found the size-large shorts I tested true to size for my 73kg, 180cm build, although slightly baggy between the pad and straps at the front.

Although the Elastic Interface Paris HP Men seat pad is tech-laden, unlike contributor Ian Osborne who rated it on the original Aeron bib shorts, I didn’t find it particularly comfortable for rides of any distance.

It’s one of the thinnest I’ve tested in the £100 price bracket, with a foamy rather than cosseting feel. It didn’t particularly match my anatomy – I’d have preferred the pad to extend further at the rear and the fact there’s next-to-no padding at the very front of the chamois is, in my opinion, a misstep.

I was constantly aware I was wearing the shorts and felt a disconnection between the pad, skin and saddle.

I found the properties of the pad changed after the first wash, with some parts feeling noticeably firmer than others. Subsequent rides proved uncomfortable.

I also noticed after the third ride some loose stitching to the left bib strap where it meets the main garment, as well as some abrasion on the front panel just above the pad stitching.

After contacting Dhb with my findings, the brand said this was unusual and sent a second pair to test.

Luckily, the pad on the second pair fared much better and didn’t degrade after washing, nor was there any premature wear after a rigorous couple of months of testing.

I still didn’t find the pad particularly comfortable for the same reasons as the first pair. Comfort is, to a large degree, subjective and someone else may fare better, but extra pad thickness would likely make an improvement here.

On the plus side, I found the bib straps very comfortable on both samples and didn’t notice them when riding.

The leg grippers are also a highlight, keeping the shorts in place without leaving any imprints. One of my rides was quite cool to start with, so I opted to use knee warmers and the shorts didn’t ride up.

I also really appreciated the very gentle compression the legs of the shorts offered, with an almost second-skin like feeling.

The downside is I didn’t find the shorts to be the best match for hot temperatures – I started to feel warm in temperatures over 22°C.

Dhb Aeron Bib Shorts 2.0 bottom line

Although the Dhb Aeron Bib Shorts 2.0 are well-priced for the technology they incorporate, they are let down by the Elastic Interface pad.

I didn’t find it comfortable on rides of any distance, it isn’t distributed optimally for my anatomy and it's too thin.

For an identical price, the Sportful Neo bib shorts are a better buy, provided your rides are under three hours.

Otherwise, I’d recommend stepping up to the £100 price bracket, because you get what you pay for.