Review: Twin Six Thermal Cargo Bib Knickers

 Note: The Twin Six Thermal Cargo Bib Knickers were purchased by Guitar Ted for reviewing on Guitar Ted Productions. Twin Six does not have any input on this review. All opinions are Guitar Ted's. 

Twin Six Thermal Cargo Bib Knickers (Image courtesy of Twin Six)

Like it or not, this warm Fall weather will soon turn to cooler, windier days and Winter won't be far behind. This means it is time to reach for layers, jackets, vests, and maybe some tights to cover the legs. One item I've always been envious of when I saw cyclists wearing them was the thermal bib knicker. A warmer, slightly less obtrusive choice versus bibs and tights, or the full-on bib tights which typically are really for very cold weather. 

Some call it "shoulder season" and I find this is the time of year when choosing what to wear can be tricky as days can start out cool and end up being fine and even hot by noon. Something that matches the 'inbetweeness' of the weather this time of the year in terms of apparel is always something I'm looking at to add to my arsenal of cycling gear. So, I finally bit on a pair of bib knickers from Twin Six. 

What It Is: The knicker part of this bit of apparel is easy to understand. Basically these are bib shorts that cover the knees and come down to the tops of your calf. You have the option of wearing longer socks for a fully covered from wind and cold take to allowing some skin to show with shorter socks for warmer weather and some cooling. The "thermal" bit is heavier weight, 230 gram thermal nylon/spandex material that is back-brushed to give it loft inside the garment. This traps air which helps you stay warmer. Here is the full-feature list off Twin Six's page for this product: 

• Mid-calf length
• Back brushed 230g thermal nylon / spandex body
• Ultra-thin stretchable flat-laying bib straps
• Laser perforated upper back
• Completely seamless form fitting men's chamois
• Reflective strips on each leg to increase low-light visibility
• Silicone grippers around your calves to keep everything in place

Now these knickers are also cargo carrying knickers. What does that mean? Pockets, that's what. You get two, one on each side of the thigh area, and these are good for a pair of gloves, a cell phone, gel packets, or maybe a credit card or a key. I've never had any bottoms with pockets in terms of bibs, so this will be my first go-round with anything like that. Thank "gravel" for this feature, by the way. 

The Thermal Cargo Bib Knickers come in seven sizes and retail for $160.00. 

First Impressions: Out of the box the Thermal Cargo Bib Knickers felt the part. I have had 'thermal' cycling wear before and these have that beefier feel to the material. The form-fitting chamois looked very nice and the ultra-flat bib straps feel stout and have a quality feel unlike some delicate bib straps I have on other bib tights from a well known company with a four letter name. 

Trying these on, I was happy with the fit I chose based upon Twin Six's guidelines on their site. By the way, they put a size chart in the item's gallery you are considering instead of making you go to another page. A nice touch that the Twin Six site has employed for years. 

The mid-calf length is great for longer socks and you can get 100% leg coverage with socks plus these knickers. I could have worn shorter socks had I wanted some bare skin as well. This opens up a lot of ways I can use these knickers in warm to pretty cold temperatures. 

The knickers are average as far as your "nature break" access goes. The straps are comfortable and do not pinch or bind in any way. They stayed put as well so I did not even notice them while riding. The chamois felt fine, but I'm reserving judgement on that until I can get a multi-hour ride in these knickers.

So Far.. Twin Six has continued to up their apparel game throughout the years and lately I feel their stuff has reached new highs of comfort and quality. These knickers seem to follow this trend. 

Again, I will have to come back with a final word after more time in the saddle. I also did not test the cargo feature with these knickers which I will have to get around to as well. I can say the pockets will easily swallow my iPhone 15, so they are big and capable of stuffing a pair of gloves in, for instance. 

I'll probably wait for several weeks before coming back with my final post on these knickers. But I expect that they will continue to impress and be much like the Twin Six Standard Super Thermal Jersey I reviewed HERE. In fact, I can't wait for it to cool off enough to pair these two garments together. 

Stay tuned.....