Shimano Women’s Sumire bib shorts review

The Shimano Sumire shorts are designed for long rides, with features focused on promoting rider comfort.

The bibs are built from soft, recycled materials, tailored to a women’s specific fit. There is a wide supportive waistband, a wide gripper band and prominent reflective details.

I found them to be comfortable bib shorts, which do the job they set out to do without fuss.

Shimano Women’s Sumire bib shorts specifications and details

Shimano says the shorts are designed for all-day riding, with features focused on rider comfort.

They are lightweight at 137g, and feature a construction with flatlock seams.

A wide gripper band sits at the base of each leg, with subtle rubber stippling to hold the shorts in place.

The upper is a lightweight mesh with elasticated banding around the peripheries.

Reflective details have been included on the rear of each leg – providing additional visibility for approaching riders or vehicles.

The chamois is Shimano’s Performance 5 seat pad, which (broadly speaking) sits in the middle of Shimano’s chamois range.

Shimano Women’s Sumire bib shorts performance

These shorts are super-comfortable to ride in, and I certainly felt the benefits of their lightweight construction in hot weather.

They were breathable and kept me sufficiently cool, drying out quickly when they became sweaty or soggy.

The seam-based construction is flattering and well-fitting, and the seams themselves stayed flush to my skin – they’re easily forgotten on the bike.

I liked the chamois pad too, and appreciated the soft covering material it sits in. The well-fiitting shorts give stability to the pad, and I had no issues with tenderness or chafing post-ride.

I found the chamois to be a little less breathable than some others I’ve tested alongside it – such as the Gore Distance or Santini Unico shorts.

The pad seems to be less porous, with less ventilation. It became quite sweaty after an indoor turbo session and on hotter days out on the road.

The leg length is towards the shorter end of the spectrum, with Shimano opting against the longer-cut style, which has seemed in vogue for the past couple of years.

In practice, it’s a comfortable cut and certainly not excessively short.

The shorts also benefit from their well-designed gripper – the band is wide, which distributes pressure on the leg and subtle rubber stipples enable it to grip in place.

The reflective details are excellent – with a reflective print on the rear of each leg.

There is also a Shimano logo on the front of the leg, but this is not reflective.

The shorts are let down a little by the upper. While functional, and certainly breathable, the white mesh fabric upper feels cheap.

Because the lightweight upper material is housed inside an elasticated outer, the straps have a habit of bunching up and sitting awkwardly. I think the overall feel of these shorts would be improved if the upper was better designed.

The size range offered is narrower than many, ranging from a size S (which was the size I tested) up to a size XL.

As such, these shorts probably won’t cater well for smaller female riders – they were a good fit for me, but I’m a UK10, 165cm tall and around 58kg, so riders certainly come smaller.

Equally, offering a total of four sizes is unlikely to cater for larger riders either.

Shimano Women’s Sumire bib shorts bottom line

The performance of these shorts rivals more expensive options, with a lower cost than many.

They don’t quite ooze quality in the same way as some of the best women’s bib shorts, but they look smart and offer comparable comfort.

The main let down was the bib upper design, but because that’s rarely on show I wouldn’t be put off using these shorts (as long as you can get a well-fitting size).