Cosmic Pro
Colder and older don’t go well together. I’ve reached a road biking age where I have less affinity for rain, wind and chill factors. I want to stay as dry and thermo-regulated as possible.
Enter the Mavic Cosmic Pro Thermo bib short ($169). This is Mavic’s bib for inclement conditions, le crappy weather.
What you get is a softer, plusher brushed lycra that’s treated with DuPont™ Teflon® fabric protector so it’s water and dirt resistant. That thicker brushed lycra gives you the added warmth and insulation while the fabric treatment does a good job of minimizing what raindrops can do.
Ergo pad
In our experience so far, the Cosmic Pro Thermo is a nice step up from your standard issue bib. You notice the extra measure of weather protection right when you pull them on. Say hello to cozy. While we haven’t had the opportunity to test them in heavy rain, Spring in Northern California often alternates between wind and rain showers. Under these conditions, we did notice how water would tend to bead up and roll off. It definitely knocks the chill back a notch or two.
The thigh construction of the bib gives you a sleek and fitted look with what Mavic calls Ergo Grip SL. The fact that it’s wider also gives you a tighter grip on the top of your leg warmers. Mavic also claims that a minimum of seams will also dial up water resistance.
The close-up
This brings us inside to the Ergo 3D Pro insert. Our first take was that while Mavic describes this pad as lighter in weight, it still feels pretty robust. It’s a multi-layer combination of Ortholite foam, Ortholite memory foam and AirCell foam that all work together to give you progressive cushioning where and when you need it. There’s also an antibacterial top layer that uses carbon yarn for comfort, moisture management and anti-bacterial protection.
That’s the technology but your posterior will make the deciding call. This isn’t an emaciated race pad that trades weight for comfort. We felt like it took a few minutes to settle into position but once that happened, we could turn on the cruise control — comfortable, and in place for the rest of the ride. The Mavic video below basically explains how the Ergo 3D Pro works.
Detailing
One of the main benefits of the Ergo 3D Pro pad is the reverse construction. It’s perhaps overall simplistic but it’s like Mavic turned the pad upside down so you sit on the flat, smooth part while the 3D multi-dimensional shape is on the other side. What this means is that the pad really molds and moves with your body as you pedal. That in turn gives you more stretch and freedom of motion. Unlike heavily sculpted pads that can get caught on your skin when you move around the saddle, the Ergo 3D Pro always plays nice.
Straps
We’d also give high marks for styling and color. We really like the angled cut of the thigh bands — which give it a more aggressive race look. Same story for the bold Mavic letters angled down the left thigh. Those are distinctive touches along with the subtle use of the yellow Mavic identity on the thigh. The straps are also flat — which makes your jersey fit sleekly over top. You’re fast, fitted and French.
Finally, we admit we love the color of these bibs. It walks that fine beautiful line of looking classic and yet sticking out. A teal variant with a big of gray? Our photos show it as more more on the blue side but it’s a great color and there’s a rain/wind jacket to match. What is not to love, mon ami?
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