Pearl Izumi Elite Amfib bib tights review

When we drew our curtains on Boxing Day and saw the snow, a wry smile grew across our faces, for this would provide the perfect opportunity to test the Pearl Izumi Elite Amfib bib tights. These tights are designed for the deep winter and we were glad we had them over the festive period. feature is a flap on the waist which can be opened to allow for easier comfort breaks.

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Pearl Izumi claim that if you don't like the weather to dictate when you ride, the Amfib tights are for you. But how well do they perform? When we first put them on, we were not bowled over by the fit and this is one area we think they could be improved. There is noticeable sagging of the material around the outside of the knee. This is a common complaint for windproof winter tights – they tend to be less elastic. Despite this, they are one of the better fitting deep winter tights we have tested.

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However, we were massively impressed with the ankle covers. If you look at the photos below we have displayed it. These ankle 'gaskets' are designed to be folded over your over shoe. This helps stop water leaking into the top of the over shoes and helps keep you warm. We hope to see this on other tights in the future as it is a great feature. The ankles also feature stirrups that do a good job of keeping tights in place, whilst not interrupting foot comfort.

Despite our slight gripe with the fit these tights are very warm and breathe well too. Through extensive testing (over 1000km) we have found that they perform best in a temperature range of 8ºC to as low as –4ºC. Above 8ºC we would recommend a lighter weight bibtights. Another feature is a flap on the waist which can be opened to allow for easier comfort breaks.

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The tights are fitted with what Pearl Izumi call an 'Elite 3D Chamois.' Whilst we are not sure what the name means, we can confirm that this is a high quality pad that stood up well on rides as long as 150km, without rubbing or chaffing.

For more information head over to Pearl Izumi.