Babici

Lumiere Bib Shorts

We're so used to describing Babici's designs in grandiose, romantic terms, that we were caught off guard by its new Lumiere Bib Shorts. Instead of requiring a history book for a lengthy revisiting of a namesake, the Lumiere characterizes everyday comfort and subtlety. Yes, the design is beautiful. And sure, the craftsmanship and engineering innovations are pronounced. However, the thoughtful Lumiere design should be viewed as a triumph for the passionate rider, not the casual observer.

Australia is no stranger to the boyhood fanaticism of Italian cycling. And while Italian fabrics and style were in demand at Babici's inception, Babici noticed an undercurrent of desire to retain the Australian identity. So, designs in tow, Babici went to the premiere Italian fabric manufacturer, MITI -- the source of the ever popular and plagiarized SuperRoubaix, ThermoDream, and Ibisco fabrics. As their relationship blossomed, MITI's Aenergia material presented itself as the obvious fabric choice for the Lumiere bib shorts. With a warp-knit construction, the material is given a natural stretch. Within the knit, the threads follow a zigzag pattern along the length of the bib shorts. This allows more surface area coverage while using less material, equating directly to an airy, lightweight construction. Aenergia's open weave also accelerates moisture transfer from the skin to the quick-drying surface of the bib shorts. And while this fabric costs Babici an arm and a leg to produce, the comfort is worth it.

Now, you might be wondering about the Lumiere bib shorts' functionality. We believe that the true test of a bib short is how it holds up over a century, and your comfort level during that ride is mainly derivative of quality of the chamois. Babici agrees, and accordingly, the Lumiere features a chamois that's the result of 12 months of development between Babici and the Italian Dolomiti. Why the lengthy customization process? Well, after a period of exhaustive research, it found that contemporary chamois designs underserve the most utilized areas of the body, the perineum. And along these lines, Babici soon realized that excess material outside of the region only translates to excess abrasion and numbing. So, the two parties coordinated in order to create the medium density construction of the Babici-exclusive Imerio. As a result, the Imerio features a sleek shape that provides targeted support the perineum and pudendal nerve. Additionally, the chamois' surface form construction is completely seamless and features four different MITI fabrics to eliminate abrasion. Furthermore, Babici designed the chamois to work in harmony with the saddle. Accordingly, the Imerio is secured to the shorts at the perimeter, not on top of an existing portion of fabric. And with the addition of Cordura Lycra along the exterior of the chamois, the Imerio provides a zero movement on the saddle.

The Babici Lumiere Bib Shorts are available in four sizes from Small to X-Large and in the colors Nero (Black) and Bianco (White).