Right??!! So true! With pants, five pounds either way can be so bad! My way happens to usually be going up, so I am thrilled to not have my pant fastener digging in to me when I bend over to put boots on and off, or pick up a dropped pole. I also have received compliments on my Strafes, and no one could believe they were actually bibs. They have come a long way!This season I ordered a pair of Helly Hansen Odin bibs and I am. Never. Wearing. Pants. Again.
I also have the Trew Chariot bibs. I like them a lot, but I will say that you have to wash them after pretty much every use. Otherwise, the waterproofing kind of stops working. It comes back after a wash, but it's kind of annoying. Earlier this year I got totally soaked through on a particularly rainy day. I reached out to customer service, and they asked how often I was washing them. At the time, I was only washing them every few uses, and they told me that any kind of dust/dirt/debris will cause the waterproofing to fail. This is fine for my day trips to the mountain, but I wonder if this could become problematic if I was on a ski vacation and didn't have easy access to a laundromat. Also that would be a pain. Have you (or anyone else who has them) also experienced this?
My trewgear bibs have developed a hole in the crotch after just one year of use. Maybe they aren't meant for a skier who gets 30-60 days a season? Pretty disappointing. I'm going to reach out to their customer support and see if they can do anything for me. I may consider the flylow bibs instead. Having a drop seat is the best!I wanted to try the TREW Chariot bibs but in the end I went for the Flylow Moxie bibs. Mostly because I already had a pair of Flylow bibs for touring so I had a better idea of sizing to order. Rough reviews of each pair I have, my size for reference is 5'3", 135 lb 'athletic' thighs and butt, slimmer upper body:
Flylow Siren (size M): love the fit of these, love the 'under the tit' rise because i hate having fabric over my chest and dislike when i have too many layers up there. They are just baggy enough through hips and thighs but not super baggy down the legs. The material is thin and a little stretchy and super comfortable, I haven't toured in them but I think they will be great for that. Definitely aren't as waterproof or durable feeling as the Moxie's (which is why i got a different pair for downhill skiing). Have snaps on the drop waist side zip, which sometimes I forget to snap and then I realize my pants are unzipped.
Flylow Moxie (size M): the fit is not quite as nice as the Sirens for me, baggier through the leg and just a smidge tighter in the waist/hip area. Close enough though that they still work. I don't really like having the kangaroo pouch over my chest and not really sure what I will put in that pocket since its pretty small, maybe chapstick lol. They also feel kinda long in the torso, I had to cinch up the shoulder straps so I didn't feel like I had a pair of harem pants on. Material is much more durable and waterproof, kept me warm and dry all day on a powder day. Since the pants are slightly slimmer in the thighs on me than the Sirens, fitting a phone in my thigh pocket (which is where I prefer to keep them) is a little tighter but still works. Have strong velcro on the drop waist side zip which is much easier to redo with all the ski layers on than the Siren buttons I find.
Both pairs have the same side zip/drop seat feature on them and its pretty easy to go to the bathroom just difference in the closure details as I mentioned.
Overall my main gripe with womens bibs is the variability in fit. I wish the fit would be more consistent across a company so at least I knew what i was in for. I get that they are trying to accomodate different body shapes but I feel like its a kind of like throwing a dart in the dark to get a pair that fits right, even if you have experience with the brand. Also since women have a variety of breast sizes I just don't understand why more brands don't offer under the boob rise on their bibs. It just makes sense to cut that part out of the equation and having bib fabric over your chest doesn't seem like it makes much of a difference to me in terms of staying dry.
I only have a few days on the Moxies but if they are anything like my jacket that I've had for five years or so, they will hold up pretty well. My jacket looks pretty brand new still and I have a pair of leather mitts from them that have lasted even longer. In general in the past I have been very happy with flylow's price point and durability.My trewgear bibs have developed a hole in the crotch after just one year of use. Maybe they aren't meant for a skier who gets 30-60 days a season? Pretty disappointing. I'm going to reach out to their customer support and see if they can do anything for me. I may consider the flylow bibs instead. Having a drop seat is the best!
They had me fill out their warranty form, sounds like they're going to do something about it. I'm waiting for a follow up response.I only have a few days on the Moxies but if they are anything like my jacket that I've had for five years or so, they will hold up pretty well. My jacket looks pretty brand new still and I have a pair of leather mitts from them that have lasted even longer. In general in the past I have been very happy with flylow's price point and durability.
Bummer about the hole in the crotch on your bibs! Can you contact customer service and see about repair or replacement? I had a friend who skied in Trews and did a buttload of skiing bc she worked for a resort, and she seemed to like them. Maybe the quality has gone down since they got a bit more popular.
Ha Ha!! Stop gap!!Update: they will do the repair, but it's a 3 week lead time! Not really conducive during ski season. Since it's a small enough hole, I think I'll just deal with it until the end of the season and then get the repair done. No sense in buying a cheap pair as a stop gap.
Any update? I’m looking at the trew can’t decide between the chariot primo, Astoria or capow and outdoor research skytour accent. I don’t think flylow will fit me from what I have read. I have never owned bibs.Update: they will do the repair, but it's a 3 week lead time! Not really conducive during ski season. Since it's a small enough hole, I think I'll just deal with it until the end of the season and then get the repair done. No sense in buying a cheap pair as a stop gap.
I LOVE my kangaroo pocket in my bibs…I use it for my keys and wallet (small card holder with 1 credit card and license). Since it’s under my shell, it’s a secure pocket that only gets accessed when necessary.I don't really like having the kangaroo pouch over my chest and not really sure what I will put in that pocket since its pretty small, maybe chapstick lol.
I also have the Flylow Siren bids for touring. I like how they don't go over the boobs too. The chest pocket fits a beacon nicely and the thigh pockets are big and fit many snacks. They breathe really well on a skin track and love how they are not insulated.I wanted to try the TREW Chariot bibs but in the end I went for the Flylow Moxie bibs. Mostly because I already had a pair of Flylow bibs for touring so I had a better idea of sizing to order. Rough reviews of each pair I have, my size for reference is 5'3", 135 lb 'athletic' thighs and butt, slimmer upper body:
Flylow Siren (size M): love the fit of these, love the 'under the tit' rise because i hate having fabric over my chest and dislike when i have too many layers up there. They are just baggy enough through hips and thighs but not super baggy down the legs. The material is thin and a little stretchy and super comfortable, I haven't toured in them but I think they will be great for that. Definitely aren't as waterproof or durable feeling as the Moxie's (which is why i got a different pair for downhill skiing). Have snaps on the drop waist side zip, which sometimes I forget to snap and then I realize my pants are unzipped.
Flylow Moxie (size M): the fit is not quite as nice as the Sirens for me, baggier through the leg and just a smidge tighter in the waist/hip area. Close enough though that they still work. I don't really like having the kangaroo pouch over my chest and not really sure what I will put in that pocket since its pretty small, maybe chapstick lol. They also feel kinda long in the torso, I had to cinch up the shoulder straps so I didn't feel like I had a pair of harem pants on. Material is much more durable and waterproof, kept me warm and dry all day on a powder day. Since the pants are slightly slimmer in the thighs on me than the Sirens, fitting a phone in my thigh pocket (which is where I prefer to keep them) is a little tighter but still works. Have strong velcro on the drop waist side zip which is much easier to redo with all the ski layers on than the Siren buttons I find.
Both pairs have the same side zip/drop seat feature on them and its pretty easy to go to the bathroom just difference in the closure details as I mentioned.
Overall my main gripe with womens bibs is the variability in fit. I wish the fit would be more consistent across a company so at least I knew what i was in for. I get that they are trying to accomodate different body shapes but I feel like its a kind of like throwing a dart in the dark to get a pair that fits right, even if you have experience with the brand. Also since women have a variety of breast sizes I just don't understand why more brands don't offer under the boob rise on their bibs. It just makes sense to cut that part out of the equation and having bib fabric over your chest doesn't seem like it makes much of a difference to me in terms of staying dry.
I wore mine for some resort uphill today for the first time in a while after mostly wearing my Moxie bibs for alpine downhill. Man, the Sirens fit so nicely, I wish they'd do a similar cut/fit with a more hardshell material like the Moxies are made out of.I also have the Flylow Siren bids for touring. I like how they don't go over the boobs too. The chest pocket fits a beacon nicely and the thigh pockets are big and fit many snacks. They breathe really well on a skin track and love how they are not insulated.
Can you explain how they fit differently?I wore mine for some resort uphill today for the first time in a while after mostly wearing my Moxie bibs for alpine downhill. Man, the Sirens fit so nicely, I wish they'd do a similar cut/fit with a more hardshell material like the Moxies are made out of.
I have the Outdoor Research Skytour bibs and they're excellent! The fit works well for me and they're very comfortable.Any update? I’m looking at the trew can’t decide between the chariot primo, Astoria or capow and outdoor research skytour accent. I don’t think flylow will fit me from what I have read. I have never owned bibs.