Gorewear Distance Winter Bib Tights+

Review by Erin Trail

Initial Thoughts

The Gorewear Distance Winter Bib Tights+ are both warm AND comfortable – they’ve enabled me to ride outside on cold days.

Detailed Review

I have trauma from riding outside in the winter.  My first Ironman required a LOT of winter bike riding and I had no idea about cold weather gear.  I would usually wear a chamois and 1-2 pairs of running tights, which made for a lot of layers and it also didn’t breathe very well. It was miserable, and since then, any time temperatures dipped below 50 degrees F, I was in my basement on the trainer.

Enter the Gorewear Distance Winter Bib Tights+: my new key for unlocking cold weather road and gravel rides.

The bibs are pretty hefty, using a combination of different materials based on where it falls on the body.  The hip area has the thickest fabric, offering a water-resistant, DWR-threated layer to the fleecy next-to-the-skin layer.  The quads have a medium thick water resistant and windproof fleecy fabric, and below the knees is a different lighter and thinner water-resistant fleecy layer. The waist hits me below my belly button and the straps are wide and comfortable.

Fit and Feel

I found that the Gorewear Distance Winter Bib Tights+ fit true to size.  The feel of the bibs as you put them on it a bit like a stiff neoprene wetsuit.  They almost feel like I’m putting on very form fitting fishing waders. As you’re putting the bibs on, the fabric doesn’t stretch as much as say, running tights, and because of that, the crotch area takes a bit of pulling and tugging to get it pulled up and positioned correctly.  It’s a bit more work to put these on, but no where near as difficult as pulling on a wetsuit.

One you’re riding, the Gorewear Distance Winter Bib Tights+ move perfectly with your body.  The bib straps are the right combination of fitting without pulling on your shoulders (or get in the way of a larger chest).  The fabric is flexible but also supportive. And the chamois is surprisingly comfortable. I would categorize the Gorewear Distance Winter Bib Tights+ chamois as medium thickness with a large footprint, with the side of the chamois extending slightly down the inner thigh.  The stitching on the chamois is a flat zig-zag stitch, which eliminates any irritation from bulky seams.  I wore the Gorewear Distance Winter Bib Tights+ on two 2.5 hour rides and found the chamois to be super comfortable.

Warmth

I wore the Gorewear Distance Winter Bib Tights+ on a 45 degree day with low wind and on a very windy 32 degree day.  The bibs were a bit overkill on the 45 degree day; I was plenty warm and a bit sweaty.  But I found that the bibs breathed well and wicked away sweat.  I never felt like I was creating a puddle of sweat as I rode.  The 33 degree windy day was where these bibs really shined.  My legs were never even a little chilly – just a perfectly comfortable temperature.  And the wind-resistant nature of the fabric is impressive. I was getting blown around and never felt even a hint of breeze or windchill below the waist.

Reviewer’s note: I did not test the water repelling nature of the bibs, mostly because I hate cleaning my bike after riding in wet conditions. But based on pouring water onto the bibs and seeing how the water beaded right off, I would feel confident wearing these in wet conditions.

Closing Thoughts

The Gorewear Distance Winter Bib Tights+ are a fantastic option for any cyclist wanting to ride in winter conditions.  They’re especially good for gravel and road because of how they handle the elements when moving at a faster speed. These bibs are comfortable straight out of the package – I was able to ride some solid winter miles without any saddle discomfort.  I also really love how warm and windproof they are.  These bibs are going to keep me out of my basement on cold winter days, enabling me to get my miles outside without freezing.

Erin Trail

Erin Trail’s hobby is collecting hobbies. She’s a 5th Generation Coloradan and grew up exploring the outdoors on family camping trips and hikes.  Her first backpacking trip was at eight years old to Grizzly Reservoir – she proudly carried all of her own gear those 3 miles from the main parking lot to the Reservoir.

Erin is an adult-onset athlete who started as a Masters Swimmer and then developed into a triathlete.  She completed 5 Ironman races and nearly 20 x 70.3 distance Ironman races, including the World Championship in Lahti, Finland, in 2023.  Somewhere along her triathlon journey, she picked up a deep love of cycling.

Cycling encouraged her to see landscapes in a new way, learn new skills and to develop self reliance; now she often goes and does Type 2 rides just to see if she can do it.  She’s got all the bikes: gravel, mountain, fat bike, time trial and road.

She is even known to combine her love of camping and cycling and go off on solo 24 hour overnight bikepacking trips in the mountains of Colorado. In addition to bikes, she teaches yoga, lifts weights, skis, SUPs and has recently purchased a campervan.

Erin is a former Montana park ranger with a degree in environmental engineering.  She loves getting into technical details while putting her gear (and herself) through the paces. She shares her home in Colorado with her husband, Will, and her 3 cats (Zipper, Brewtus, and Simcoe).

2025 brings some exciting things.  Erin has qualified to be on Team USA for USA Triathlon and will be competing in a World Championship off-road triathlon in Pontevedra, Spain in June. To prepare for this event, she’s got several mountain bike races and training weekends planned in the months leading up to the big day.  Additionally, she’s racing Ironman Boise 70.3 in July.  Once her race schedule closes out in July, she’ll be moving to more adventure based activities (bikepacking, vanlife, and mountain bike festivals).

When not adventuring, she can be found on a sunny patio somewhere, drinking beers with her husband.