Compression garments are fast becoming what appears to be an essential item for most athletes. There are plenty of great brands on the market, but one that seems to be very popular at the moment is Skins. Skins, which is an Australian company, have recently brought out a new range of cycling gear called Skins Cycle. The range includes four men's and women's garments, featuring shorts, bib shorts and longs and bib longs. We asked two of our in-house testers to put this high quality product to the test and found that they certainly weren't disappointed.

In today's review, GB age-group duathlete and triathlete, Josephine Perry, takes a look at the ladies bib shorts. Tomorrow Ironman athlete, John Franklin, will look at the men's.

Male bike shorts need two things – to fit well and have good padding. Female kit has one extra requirement – to slim your thighs! OK – maybe that is just me but training for triathlon means spending a lot of time in Lycra so you want some kit that looks good and hides how many cake stops you’ve had out while riding.

Until now I’ve lived in Assos bike shorts. They used to feel like a secret only a few triathletes (and lots of real cyclists) knew about. Now everyone has them on their Christmas list but they are still fantastic, thigh sliming and brilliantly padded.

Then Tri247 asked me to try Skins. I had heard of Skins but thought they were mainly for footballers, or as compression kit. I had no idea whether they were at the cheap or mortgage end of the market and there was so much science on the box I didn’t know if they are to help you recover, make you train better or to send you into space.

After three weeks of trialing them I’m still not sure what they are supposed to do (I have tried to dissect the box for you further down), but I have worn them for every ride in that three weeks and dramatically sulk if I’ve not managed to wash them in time for my next session.

The design

There are strong grips on the legs to stop them riding up and the padding is brilliant - easily good enough for an Ironman ride. The sizing is based on Body Mass Index rather than regular sizes and for me this certainly worked well. These are the first shorts I’ve ever worn that feel like they were actually designed for females and by females. And, essentially – they look good! They do not have a traditional bib short look. They are a cross between bib shorts and a tri suit. There is a fine mesh in the body part so you don’t get too hot. This design means they stay up better and you don’t find yourself riding along with one of the brace sections sliding down your arm. You definitely still need a cycle jersey on top though – you would look odd without. The only issue I can see is that because of this design you may find them too hot for brick sessions. You can roll down the bib section but when you do you find you have a lot of material round your middle. Despite that, they are comfy enough to run in if you want to. And for safety they also have reflective strips and logos to help car drivers spot you.

The science

Skins claim these shorts incorporate BioAcceleration technology to provide increased performance on the bike. They also say they have “anatomically positioned the seams to work as anchor points along muscle groups to focus power and dramatically reduce vibration.” The material used is designed to be moisture wicking, to incorporate antibacterial and antimicrobial features and provide sunblock equalling factor 50. Outside of a lab I don’t have any way of testing any of this; if the shorts speed up my cycling, or if my power was focussed (!), but they do fit so well and the padding is so good that you focus on your riding rather than your kit – which can’t be a bad thing.

The extras

On top of the fit and look there are little touches that add to the appeal of these shorts. Someone has obviously thought about what annoys you when you wear bike kit and, as a result, cleverly eliminated the itchy washing labels and just printed the instructions on the inside of the kit.

The cost

As soon as you take them out of the box you can tell these are not going to be cheap. Everything about them shouts quality; the material, the design and the extra touches. A quick internet search shows you can buy the shorts for about £125. If you are doing long distance training though and want to avoid saddle sores and comedy walking these are well worth the money. There are long bib tights too in a similar design for £145.

The love

On top of the look, the fit, the science and the comfort, sometimes you just love a piece of kit. There is not always a rational reason, more that it just makes you feel good and ride well. These bib shorts are one of those pieces of kit. Just make sure you buy plenty of washing powder at the same time so you can wear them as much as you’ll want to.

For more information on all Skins products or to find a stockist click here.