On a 200 km sportive, a bad bib short is an annoyance. On a 1,000 km ultra, it can end your race.
Ultra-distance changes the way you look at cycling kit. Comfort is no longer a nice-to-have. Every seam, every pocket, every gram of fabric gets tested for days, in heat, rain and cold nights. So this guide isn't about looking good on the bike. It's about what still works on hour 40.
~6 min read · Jump to: Bib shorts first · FLOW · NOMAD · The jersey · The 3am layers · What fails · Checklist · FAQ · Shop
1. Start With the Contact Points: Your Bib Shorts
If you only invest in one piece for ultra-distance cycling, make it your bib shorts. Three things matter more than anything else:
- A chamois built for long hours. Thicker isn't always better. You want a pad that stays in place, breathes, and doesn't create pressure points after 10 hours.
- Fabric that holds its shape. Compression that fades after a day means the pad starts moving. Movement means friction. Friction means saddle sores.
- Practical details. Cargo pockets on the thighs keep food and your phone within reach without stopping.
Our men's and women's cargo bib shorts have a pocket on each thigh, a 12 mm Dolomiti chamois and are made from 69% recycled ECONYL® nylon.
FLOW: Detachable Straps, Made for Ultra
On an ultra, every stop counts. And for a woman, a toilet break in classic bib shorts means taking off the gilet, the jersey, sometimes the rain jacket. In the middle of the night, in the drizzle, on hour 30.
That's why we made FLOW: women's cargo bib shorts whose straps unclip in seconds, without removing a single layer. Three cargo pockets, a Dolomiti chamois made in Italy, 69% recycled nylon.
Nathalie Baillon, a gravel and ultra rider from the Rhône-Alpes, tested it from the prototype stage, then on the Ultr'Arverne: nearly 800 km in about 40 hours. Read her full test.
"What struck me most was its ability to keep the same level of comfort no matter how many kilometres I'd ridden."
Nathalie Baillon
NOMAD: The Same Logic, for the Cold
An autumn or early-spring ultra means nights at 5°C and drizzle at dawn. NOMAD takes the cargo idea into a long, thermal version: three pockets (one on each thigh, a large one at the back), THERMOROUBAIX ECO DWR fabric by Miti, warm and water-repellent, and a high-density Dolomiti chamois. The women's version has detachable straps too.
51% recycled nylon: less than our other bibs, and we say so. We chose this fabric for its warmth and how it holds over whole days. Pre-order until November 15, shipping early December. To choose between thermal tights and NOMAD, see our winter bib tights guide.
Cargo, FLOW, NOMAD: bibs made for long distances.
See the Bibs2. Your Jersey Is Your Storage Unit
On a long ride, your jersey works as hard as your bike bags. Look for:
- Back pockets that stay put when loaded, without sagging onto your lower back.
- A fit that's close but not tight. Race fits look fast, but after two days you'll want room to breathe.
- Fabric that dries fast and doesn't smell after the first day. Self-supported, you're not changing jerseys every evening.
- A pocket for empty wrappers. Over 1,000 km, that's dozens of bar wrappers that don't end up in nature.
Browse our men's jerseys and women's jerseys, all made from recycled materials and cut for long days in the saddle.
3. Layering: The 3am Problem
Ultra-distance means riding through the night. A 28°C afternoon can drop to 6°C on a mountain pass at 3am. You can't carry a winter wardrobe, so you need small layers that do a lot.
- Arm warmers and leg warmers: they roll into a pocket and change everything at dawn.
- A windproof gilet: it protects your chest on descents and packs smaller than a banana.
- A light rain shell if the forecast is uncertain. On a multi-day ride, it always is.
4. What Usually Fails First
Talk to riders after an ultra and the same issues come up again and again:
- Seams in the wrong place, which you don't notice on a two-hour ride and can't ignore after twenty.
- Elastic leg grippers that dig in once your legs start to swell.
- Zips and pockets that give up under constant loading.
- Chamois that compress and lose their structure after a few big days.
Our ambassador Guillaume Lemaître rode the Seven Serpents Ultra: 1,000 km and 19,000 m of climbing through Slovenia, Croatia and Italy, with a missed ferry thrown in. He finished with no saddle sores, in the cargo bib shorts. Read what held up, and what didn't.
Photo: Dominika Grunt (@doma.grunt)
5. Durability Is the Real Performance Metric
Here's something the industry rarely says: the most responsible cycling kit is the one you keep riding for years. A jersey that lasts five seasons does more good than a "green" jersey you replace every spring.
That's why we test our kit on ultra-distance first. If a bib short survives a 1,000 km race, it will survive your Sunday rides for a long time. And when a jersey truly reaches the end of its life, we want it back, to turn it into a new one with RELOV, our jersey made from old jerseys.
Your Ultra-Distance Kit Checklist
- Bib shorts with a long-distance chamois, ideally with cargo pockets (FLOW with detachable straps for women)
- NOMAD if you ride in the cold or at night
- Two jerseys maximum, quick-drying, with stable back pockets
- Arm warmers and leg warmers
- A windproof gilet
- A packable rain jacket
- Chamois cream, and a small bag to wash your shorts at night
Frequently Asked Questions
What bib shorts for an ultra?
Bib shorts whose chamois stays put and doesn't create pressure points after 10 hours, with fabric that keeps its compression. Cargo pockets are a real plus when self-supported.
Why detachable straps?
So a woman can take a toilet break without removing her gilet, jersey or jacket. On an ultra, at night and in the rain, it saves time and warmth. FLOW and the women's NOMAD both have them.
How many jerseys should I take on an ultra?
Two at most. A fabric that dries fast and doesn't hold odours lets you ride several days in the same one.
Bib shorts or bib tights for an autumn ultra?
Shorts with leg warmers if the days stay mild. Tights, like NOMAD, if nights drop towards 5°C or it rains often.
Go Further
Shop the Ultra Kit
The pieces tested over hundreds of kilometres.
