Every time I kit up with a pair of Louis Garneau bibs, it’s like I’m being perfectly cradled in body-hugging comfort. The journeyman Providence Chamois Bib Tights come in at a reasonable price point but leave little on the table as they deliver excellent overall performance.
Louis Garneau Providence Bib Tights Features:
- Combination of Heatmaxx, Light WindDry 2 and Light Wind Pro panels
- Flatlock seams
- 11 panel design
- Articulated knees
- Reflective accents
- Airzone chamois
- Highlander mesh uppers
- Price: $149.99
Garneau Providence is Hard to Beat
This winter has been uncharacteristically mild and dry — as it has for much of the West. As such, my cold weather gear testing has been done primarily in the morning hours. It is during those cold mornings that I’ve come to appreciate the good nature of the Providence Bib Tights.
Keep in mind that there are better bib tights for extremely cold weather, but between the upper-30’s and low 50’s, these bibs are right on the money. The medley of fabrics works together to provide excellent comfort and compression. Speaking of compression, Garneau just knows how to assemble a body-hugging pair of bib tights and the Providence stays true to form.
With wide straps and a full back panel, the uppers wear comfortably under all conditions and efforts. No chaffing anywhere and they breathe pretty well, but do get a little roasty on the upper end of their usable temperature range.
Once again, Garneau knows how to make a comfortable chamois and the Airzone is great. It’s not their top-of-the-line, but you’ll never know the wiser.
I will add that on the cold end of the spectrum, the fabric medley does allow a bit more cold air penetration than other bibs. The only design miss that I can knock is the leg zipper placement. I’d like to see the zipper on the side since some shoe covers also feature rearward zippers and the double zipper action gets a little awkward.
The Good
- Wallet-friendly
- Excellent construction with FlatLock seams, etc.
- Wide variety of temperature range
- Body-hugging compression
The Bad
- Zipper placement gets in the way of shoe covers
- Not so good below 40 degrees
The Bottom Line: Louis Garneau Providence
Louis Garneau makes some of the most comfortable bib tights and the Providence bib tights offer a fantastic performance-to-price ratio. Don’t buy these for deep freeze conditions, but for cold weather riding, you can’t go wrong.
Buy Now: Available at CompetitiveCyclist.com
