Santini Stella Bib Short Women's

For being a relatively obscure Italian town, Bergamo enjoys an presence in cycling's history. This manifests in two ways: it occasionally hosts the end of Lombardia, and it permanently hosts Santini's entire operation. Design, production, testing: everything the company does takes place under the same roof, and it's been that way since Santini was founded in 1965. That in house approach is evident in the finishing details and construction quality of the Women's Stella Bib Shorts. Though they're named for the stars, we find the Stella Bibs are best employed during long rides and century epics under the bright Lombardy sun even if you're only dreaming of Northern Italy's punchy climbs while logging miles in your own region. Santini has made a name by clothing the who's who of champions over the years, and that heritage is reflected in Santini's use of Thunderbike Power material, which is the same gently compressive, high stretch Lycra used in the brand's top men's racing bibs. Unlike those men's models, though, the Stella's bib straps converge to a mono strap in front. This adapts the admittedly androcentric design of traditional bib straps to women's anatomies. It also demonstrates that, while it's quite traditional in its production methods, Santini puts innovation first at the design stage. The shorts are finished with another women specific design element: the Gil2 chamois, which is rated for six hour rides. The standard body of high density foam padding is supplemented with Santini's Twist Gel Core, which positions gel inserts between your body and road noise ascending through the seatpost. The entire insert is covered in a soft microfiber, and its finished on either side with additional microfiber wings in order to further reduce the risk of chafing and irritation during rides approaching the 100 mile mark.