Specialized SWAT Bib knicks.

Specialized SWAT Bib knicks.

For most recreational mountain bikers lycra is a bit of dirty word, and also a mine field. Without unloading a 50,000 word thesis about the pro’s and cons on you it’s quite difficult to write about in any meaningful way. However the SWAT Bib is definitely a product that aims to bring you the pro’s from both sides together. For me there are two types of baggy wearers. Those that wear padded lycra knicks under their shorts and those that don’t ride enough yet to wear knicks under their shorts.

Most MTB specific baggy shorts these days come with a removable padded liner often isn’t up to the task. The chamois are cheap and the fit is horrible, and for me have always gone in the bin with the tags. Once you have had the pleasure of using a higher end bib knick it’s hard to go back and now when Specialized have this new offering why would you use anything else?

Specialized have seriously knocked their new SWAT Bib knicks out of the park. Possibly the first ever company to design a bib knick specifically to go under baggies. I’m truly impressed. Yet the design is so simplistic it leaves you wondering why it wasn’t thought of before.

I absolutely despise riding with a pack, I do it far too much with a heavy camera bag and a little hydration pack is no different, unless the ride is an all day epic there is now no need. The new Specialized SWAT Bib knicks come with 5 extra pockets keeping anything you need to carry close to your body with no ability for it to get annoying swinging around in your leg pocket as you pedal. With 3 pockets on the back, enough to fit a tube, water bottle, mini pump or CO2 canister and 2 leg pockets to fit gels, cash and a muesli bar.

So whether your bike doesn’t have a bottle cage mounts or you don’t like wearing a tight fitting XC jersey, you still don’t need to run a pack. There are not many down sides that I have encountered, it can be a little hard to get stuff out of the pockets on the move, but that’s much more preferable to having them fall out on the technical stuff. The SWAT bibs are also made out of a super breathable mesh fabric, making it pretty easy to convince your self-conscious self you’re not actually wearing lycra under your shorts.

Next step is chamois cream.