Constructed from the appropriately named 'blizzard' fabric, these Italian bibtights are perfect for the depths of a UK winter - just as well really considering the conditions they have just protected us through! We literally waded through snow in these on one occasion, and were very glad to have them.
Stretchy lycra ankle cuffs seal the warmth in without riding up too much - a pleasant surprise as they don't have any sign of silicon gripper - while the wide mesh braces held everything up without a problem. That thick and fleecey Blizzard fabric also stretched nicely for comfort, hugging in close for maximum thermal advantage.
We largely used the Vega mountain biking under baggy shorts, or over extended gravel rides on their own. For both uses they really shone - not slipping, wrinkling or causing any chafing for the whole time, regardless of whether we were shouldering the bike or pedalling. The chammy was excellent over our 2-4 hour rides and we ended each trip as comfy as we started. An excellent pair of tights. One area where they didn't particularly fulfil the manufacturer's claim was the water resistance. Santini say their AcquaZero treatment will give 'guaranteed protection against rain,' but we found that while they would resist light drizzle or spray, anything more substantial like a puddle splash or heavy raindrops would force its way through the open weave. They certainly didn't stop spray from the back wheel penetrating the chammy pretty much as fast as normal tights.
We didn't expect anything else to be honest, having used 'water resistant' fabric like this in the past, but it was still a bonus worth having. If nothing else it was nice to see all the beading water drops on a misty morning ride...
