Revolution Glide 3/4 tights - TESTED

Go back a decade and 'women's clothing' consisted of a couple of small pairs of shorts hanging in the back of a local bike shop. However, any former myths that women don't ride as hard/fast/tough as men have been dispelled in recent years and the clothing market is most definitely responding well to the increasing feminine presence in the sport. Whatever your shape or size you need comfort, performance and fit and that is exactly what the Revolution range pride themselves on factoring into their designs.

The latest offering from the range is the ladies three quarter tights and we've put them to the test.

At the time of writing, here in the UK, It's the perfect season for three quarter length tights. The mornings are a little chilly with the afternoons allowing you to shed off the layers. Three quarters keep your knees covered without resorting to the full winter option of complete longs, giving you great versatility. It's important to protect your knees when the weather doesn't permit shorts as allowing your joints to get cold over the miles can be damaging long-term and lead to stiffness in the short-term. Keep them warm and toasty and you'll have a much more pleasurable ride.

When you're going for a non-bib option a comfortable waistband is a must as the last thing you need when you're spending time out in the saddle is a design that digs in. When it comes to ultimate comfort in the mid-riff area we are a fan of bibs but they're not always the most practical if you're out all day, creating longer loo stops! And they can raise the price tag. These tights came up with full marks in the comfort department with a deep waistband that stayed in place nicely without imprinting on the skin as some designs can do. Similarly, the rest of the tights stayed exactly where they should be for the endurance of the ride, meaning no riding up, cutting in, or discomfort.

The striking aspect of the Revolution range is that the prices are very fair offering great value for money. Every penny is well spent on practical and performance cycling garments. The design of the three quarters is aesthetically simple featuring a pleasing subtle blue colour scheme; not too girly, but with a hint of femininity.

The technical benefits of the women's-specific Revolution CoolMax XTW mean that you'll minimise chaffing and prolong your comfort in the saddle and the eight panel design offered great freedom of movement. The Ergomax material, a synthetic mix of nylon and polyester, kept our legs warm enough and reasonably dry as we headed into the sweaty reams of physical exertion. The material washed up perfectly time and time again at 40 degrees.

The cut was snug without being over tight. As a size 12 tester the medium came up well but we wouldn't have wanted to go any smaller.