The Wild Rye Baddie Bib is the brand’s first bib shorts and combines their expertise in technical fabrics and female-specific designs. They’ve taken the same high-end fabric used on their Alice and Alyssa chamois shorts but incorporated the extra security and comfort of mesh shoulder straps. The Baddie Bib shorts retail for $149 and are currently offered in female-specific size range of 0-18 in either a black or mahogany color. As with other Wild Rye products, the paneled design provides a flattering fit along the contours of a woman’s body and provides comfort on the bike while the strategic use of mesh fabric provides breathability. The bib shorts feature a compressive design with elastic leg bands and ventilated mesh straps for all-day comfort.
A raised waist panel and the back strap works well with the shoulder straps to keep everything nice and tight.
| Rating | Design: A Size: A Comfort: A |
| Retail Price | $149 |
| Likes | + Comfortable chamois for all-day riding + Lightweight and high tech fabric + Wide mesh straps are comfortable and don’t bunch up |
| Dislikes | – Pockets would have been nice to have |
| Where to Buy (US) | Wild Rye |
FIT & FINISH
The Wild Rye Baddie Bib shorts combine the female-specific fit that Wild Rye is so well known for into a bib short design. Bib shorts are one of our favorite pieces of cycling kit as they eliminate restrictive waists of standard shorts with comfortable mesh straps. Wild Rye currently offers the Baddie Bib shorts in two solid color options: black and mahogany. The mahogany color variation is not only brighter but also features sunflower prints along the leg band for some added flair. In this review, we have the black variation which is a solid black with dark navy along the leg bands. Branding is limited to subtle Wild Rye logo on the leg.
The bib shorts are constructed of lightweight Nylon/Spandex blend compression fabric and have a paneled design with mesh shoulder straps. Wild Rye has utilized an athletic fit with compressive design with flatlock seams and optimizes the performance. A front waist panel and the back strap works well with the shoulder straps to keep everything nice and tight. A lightweight elastic hem helps keep the shorts in place and supports aggressive aero positions or more upright riding positions. Wild Rye doesn’t offer much information about the chamois inside the shorts aside from the fact that it is an Italian bacteriostatic pad. The chamois feels like a standard dual density foam construction. The edges around the chamois are finished with flatlock stitching and are hence not exposed unlike those on many cycling shorts on the market that have raw edges.
ON THE ROAD
Although Wild Rye markets the Baddie Bibs for mountain biking, we wore it for road cycling. Our tester with a 27” waist and 39” hip chose the size 6 based on the size chart recommendation on the Wild Rye product page. We found the fit to be perfect even with and without a baselayer. The chamois was not bulky and fit well without any discomfort while riding. The lightweight fabric was great on hot days when worn by itself and worked well when paired with baselayer tights on cool days. The mesh bib straps, unlike elastic straps on the Velocio utility bibs, sit on the side so they don’t dig into the shoulders or chest. However, we did miss the pockets on the Velocio Utility bibs which are convenient for small items.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Wild Rye Baddie Bibs to be lightweight and comfortable cycling bib shorts. The high quality fabrics and fit of the bib shorts make it easy to forget that the Baddie Bibs are Wild Rye’s first bib shorts. They’ve successfully combined the technical fabrics, women’s specific fit and comfortable chamois from their Alice and Alyssa shorts into a successful bib short. On our rides the Baddie Bibs were comfortable when worn by itself or paired with a baselayer. Aside from the lack of pockets, the Baddie Bib shorts are comfortable and supportive for short or long rides. If you’re looking for a pair of well-fitting women’s bib shorts, the Wild Rye Baddie Bibs are a great option.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Wild Rye. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.