1. Leather With Lycra side panels
2. Coolmax Sanatized Chamois
3. INVISTA Fabric
4. Stylish as heck

Reviewed by SPDrecrd

Overall rating out of 10: 9.5

As athletes, especially endurance athletes we can be very weary of trying new products. Sometimes a product idea can sound "cool" or "interesting" but we don't want to be the first ones to try it. Because who wants to spend their hard earned money on something that needs to be reworked or is better in concept than it is in production.

Well, one can try out the new Domino Crash Series Bibs with a great degree of confidence. The Domino clothing line is fresh to the market and in its first year in business. But don't think that they are inexperienced. Formed of a collusion of race bred cyclists and the concepts of a fashion designer the Domino line is sleek, comfortable and performs with the best. The revolutionary idea of the Crash Series short and bibs is that they make use of a Leather with Lycra layer in key panels of the shorts. Ok, what is leather with Lyca? Are you scared?

No need to be... LWL is a layer of extremely soft, ultra thin suede type leather that is bonded to high-end lyrca to form the panels of the shorts that are the most likely to come in contact with the ground or other abrasive surfaces in the event of a crash. Intrigued? You should be....

Materials: Feel and fit
There are many notable elements involved with this new product line. First, the lycra panels are soft, pliable and excessively comfortable. To give a frame of reference, the material feel is on par with Pearl Izumi's Microsensor but possibly a bit softer. Or if you compare them to the Santini CX Bib Tights, the lycra material is slightly thinner and much softer. Secondly, the LWL panels have a very comfy soothing feel as they grip your body and hug your muscles in the same way you've come to expect from regular lycra. Thirdly, any and all seams fade from perception. This is a line of products where a great deal of concern was taken to ensure comfort and performance.

Does it help?
Well, on a recent trail ride led by CLIMB's own "Snake", the sidewinder himself led us through some fast frozen turns. I came through one turn at about 20mph and bit it hard into a tight right curve. I went down on my right side and skidded into the brush. My side was dirty but undamaged. It is my opinion that the Leather with Lycra panels do add a layer of protection.

Crash, skid, pile up, taco, smear, wipe out:
So, who needs crash/skid protection? Any cyclist could use a little protection, I mean any one of us who hasn't crashed, can stop reading now... Now the rest of you (and that's probably most of us still reading) should seriously check into them. We've all had road rash and it flat out sucks! The LWL panels in these shorts is tough, durable, comfortable and weightless so, there's no downside to having this small bit of insurance along for your ride. Now, if you race, this product is a no-brainer. All you have to do is lock handlebars once to know that crashing is part of racing. Leave a little skin on the pavement once and you'll be wanting to try to something new in the way of skid protection.

Style:
In the immortal words of Paris Hilton, the Domino's clothing line is "Hot!" The LWL panel have a unique look, that you'll see once and be seduced by. The lines of the Domino shorts are very sharp and are bound to get you noticed (if that's what you are going for).

pros/cons:
Great product with an innovative idea that really works. Simple, stylish and downright neat. Now, to be as nit picky as one can possibly be, I will pick on two cons. First, the sizing on the line is a bit confusing. Normally, I where a large in American shorts and an X-large in Italian. In the Domino shorts, I was swimming in the large and the medium was a tad too snug. My last comment has to do with the Chamois. The chamois is a coolmax synthetic materal, reminescient of the old Pearl Izumi Ultrasensor shorts. I was never a fan of those. The chamois in the Dominos is a good density, anitbacterial and provides basic good comfort. But for such a terrific pair of shorts, its like putting a bench seat in a Ferrari. Get my drift?