Giordana FormaRed Carbon Bib Short

Picked these guys up on sale for $162 (Realcyclist rocks!). I always told myself I would never spend more than $100 on a pair of bib shorts, so this was an impulse buy...but one I definitely don't regret. At 5'10.5"/190lb the sizing chart put me in between a large and an XL. Through a shipping mishap on Realcyclist's part (which they handled excellently), I was able to try both sizes. I fit very well into both but wound up going with the Large because I liked the slightly shorter legs.

I found it interesting that I really had a hard time telling the difference between the two sizes in terms of snugness. With other brands, I feel a noticeable difference between sizes in terms of snugness and compression. With these bibs it seems the fabric adjusts to the body with just the right amount of compression to feel comfortably snug without feeling too tight. I'm not sure I would have been able to identify the difference between the two sizes without the longer legs/straps.

Overall, I would say these bibs are the best bibs I have worn. They have quickly become my A-1 pair in my rotation and I find myself reluctantly forcing myself to rotate my other bibs now. I can't say that these bibs have revolutionized my cycling experience (or made me any faster, unfortunately) but I can say that they are very well constructed, solid and comfortable. Combine that with the fact that Giordana warranties these for 2 years and I can feel a little better about the high price tag, though I'm still embarrassed to tell people how much I spent on these guys.

I have both the formared and formared carbon. Both are great shorts but the fit is different between them.

The formared carbon have much stiffer straps and more compression on the legs. I'm 5'3" male 125lbs and I wear a Medium in the carbon version and they fit great. The straps with the carbon are a bit scratchy though compared to the super smooth regular formared but when they get real sweaty they don't stretch out like the non-carbon does. Once I'm riding I don't notice the scrachy much.

Chamios is great for long days (4 hour rides) in the saddle, best I have tried and I ride an SLR saddle that has minimal padding.

Construction is top notch and when compared to say Castelli sewing of the chamios in I bet these will far outlast my Castelli.

The extra carbon fabric in the legs prevent the shorts from riding up + the carbon fabric is a bit scratchy and holds on better.

That said I have the regular formared which are great but I wear a small in those The medium w/o the carbon straps were baggy, go figure. The small normal formared was a bit tight in in the straps so I cut the straps down in width so they would stretch more and now they are great.

Love both...probably look for a third pair.

After trying Castelli and Craft's top offerings, the Giordana Forma Reds are my favorite bibs to date. I picked up a pair of the top-end Carbon version on sale here on RC, and to be honest, I prefer the standard version.

Both bibs are equivalent in sizing and comfort (same chamois, same fit, etc. Just a different material), but my long torso causes the less elastic FRC straps to dig into my shoulders a bit more than I'd like. Otherwise, both shorts feel like a custom fit using a size larger than I normally wear.

Overall, these shorts sport a great length, nice compression, and superb comfort. Still, I'd suggest going with the cheaper Forma Reds to save some scrill.

The Giordana FormaRed Carbon bib shorts are great. I am 6' but long torso and I have both a medium and large pair. I would say the large is more comfortable standing, but not a lot of difference on the bike. Compression is good on the thighs, pad is great, and they don't ride up on my thighs. One pair is the white side panel color version and they really do look okay, although I was scared a little before I saw them.
I have not used Assos shorts, so I cannot compare them; however, these shorts are better than my second favorite 2XU and third favorite Pearl Izumi P.R.O.

I've only tried couple other pairs of bib shorts. I own the Assos F1 Mille (long distance comfort short) and I prefer the FormaReds. The fit of the Giordanas is perfect, the material feels great and the chamois is more comfortable than the Assos (also no comparison my Pearl Izumi Ultrasensor shorts, and high-end pair of Louis Garneau shorts). They held up well all summer, many washes, many rides, baking sun and spillage of energy gels, various electrolyte drinks etc. They still look and wear like new.

I went from a specialized Pro Bib Large and Bought these FR-C in white and black size 2xl. They run small so two size up did the trick for me. They fit great and feel very thin on the body. The padding is great no problems if your butt still hurts with these bib shorts then you need more seat time or take up golf.

The FormaRed Carbon bib shorts provide excellent leg compression. These are all day shorts, whether all day is a 1 to 2 hour ramble about town or a real 18 hour day. The straps on the carbon are not as comliant as the straps on the FormaRed, but the compression and overall fell are better. The tags are a bit annoying.

Honestly, I have never seen a more technically advanced bib short. These are simply amazing. The $250 is totally worth it. Ask around, you will understand. Words simply can't describe how great these are. If you don't buy anything but these shorts this year, you will thank yourself for the upgrade.

Great video link about giordana cycling apparel
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http://www.giordana.com/apg/catalogo/CapiPers_Test.nsf/webqu/ENG_chisiamo?opendocument
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Also good info on the Italian site: http://www.giordana.com/apg/catalogo/CapiPers_Test.nsf/home?openForm〈=ENG