At 260g per sq/m, and a 38% lycra content, the Chpt.3 1.11 cycling bib shorts represent true luxury in cycling apparel and this most important element of your cycling wardrobe. In addition to the material weight each pair of shorts are cut from one piece of material, meaning minimal seams and no unnecessary panels. Compare this with a normal World Tour race short which will weigh less, typically around 190g per sq/m, and has lower Lycra content, approximately 20%, the principal reason being to allow heat dissipation at maximal exertion, the lower lycra content in order to reduce weight, the down side to the performance benefit being less comfort and lower longevity.

The 1.11 short is different, it is designed for high performance, super comfort and higher longevity. The technical benefits of being cut from one panel of material have a downside in that there is an approximate 40% wastage on the cutting room floor versus 15% for an eight panel short as it requires smaller sections. Logic would dictate more panels means higher expense, in fact it’s the other way round. The 1.11 is an item of apparel that offers performance with luxury.

When racing Millar used Castelli's Body Paint short (so-called because they are one-piece of engineered seamless Lycra), he still own the first prototypes that he tested because he loved them so much. The CHPT3 1.11 Shorts differ from the race version by being more luxurious: no race minimalism has been applied here.

The lycra has increased multi-directional properties and a density that makes it heavier and smoother to touch, the ‘bibs’ feels more like braces than elastic bands. The same gauge of material is used for the braces as is used for the leg of the short, and they’re also hemmed to add to the feeling of quality and also in order to increase longevity. There is no hem on the actual short leg, the material is simply cut and a gripper is bonded internally, making for a cleaner and more comfortable finish. The polyamide - lycra blend makes for a close fitting and supportive short that is soft on the skin for remarkable comfort. Quality - though a given with Chpt.3 - is evident in the hand and even more so in the saddle.