Review: Santini RTR women’s tights

> Buy now: Santini RTR Women’s Tights for £110 from Santini

Santini can’t be knocked for offering choice; while many manufacturers don’t offer women’s waist tights, Santini offers two. The RTR – Ready To Ride – tights are the most recent addition, made using a garment-dyeing technique to give a ‘fresh and stylish look’. They come in five different colours – these black ones, navy blue, dark green and burgundy, as well as cream, which is an interesting choice…

While the tights offer outstanding protection against the cold, for me they fall short in other areas.

Pulling on the size medium tights was an effort – a decent warm-up for the -5°C to 5°C temperatures that the tights are designed for, perhaps. The ‘warm thermal fleece fabric’ doesn’t have a huge amount of stretch, and I found getting the tights off equally challenging, despite the ankle cuff material being stretchier than the main fabric. While I’m not a big fan of zips at the ankle, they would make things easier here.

Once on, the fabric starts working – it’s exactly what Santini claims: warm and thermal. However, with their high level of compression I’d recommend getting outside quickly – the overall feel can be overbearing in anything other than the cold outdoors.

The coldest temperatures I used the tights in was 2 to 3°C (think frost on the ground), and they handled it well. At the time of writing, we haven’t had any colder temperatures yet this autumn, but I don’t doubt they would cope. Anything above 6 or 7°C was too much.

Pulling my leg

The leg length is generous without being too long – ankles get fully covered, but I didn’t experience any bunching – though I would say they are tailored for longer-legged riders.

The fit around the hips was good, but my leg muscles felt squeezed, and this strong compression didn’t ease when pedalling, with very little give in the fabric. Consequently, there was always a pulling sensation at the back of the knee. Arguably, a size up might alleviate this, but then excessive leg length could lead to bunching, which in turn could be uncomfortable.

Extreme compression is a theme with waist tights in my experience; I had the same issue with Altura’s Nightvision DWR Waist Tights. Is it to hold the things in place? That said, Lara experienced the opposite with Madison’s Stellar Women’s Tights. 

Construction at the waist is always tough to get right with waist tights that have no bib section. In my opinion, Santini has done a good job. The company has used a very stretchy, accommodating section of fabric and made it deep.

This gives the impression and coverage of bibs – there’s no exposure of the top edge, even with shorter-bodied jerseys and jackets. And there was no digging in either – a common issue with waistbands.

Too-smooth pad?

I’ve previously tested a Santini C3W pad, which was great, but the RTR tights use a different one – the sustainably-designed Foam Bio chamois. “Made from a special bio-foam derived from vegetable polyols, it is constructed using EvoLogic carving technology, which reduces foam waste by 80% compared to traditional carving techniques,” says Santini.

I’m all for sustainability and recycled fabrics, but this pad just didn’t work for me. I tolerate minimal pads well, even on longer rides; indeed, I don’t believe the lower profile (in comparison to the C3W) is what marred this one for me. I think the problem was the anti-bacterial microfibre top layer (made of 88% recycled polyester); the fabric is so smooth, it’s verging on slippery.

Breathability isn’t great either – it felt like the top layer was reluctant to absorb moisture, so the bio-foam’s ‘excellent air-permeability’ underneath was redundant. Increase the intensity of your ride to generate a little perspiration and things can quickly become uncomfortable.

Pad comfort is subjective, though; if you don’t sweat much, perhaps you’ll simply experience a silky-smooth, low-profile chamois with clean edging and a barely-there feel.

Also barely there is any reflective detailing – a slim strip on each calf; if you like more reflectives, Santini’s similar Omnia tights have a much longer and wider strip, for the same money.

Value

Santini’s RTR tights cost £110. That’s a tenner less than Castelli’s Velocissima Thermal Tights, and £20 more than Gorewear’s Progress Thermo Tights; I haven’t tested either of these, so can’t really say how they compare, but the Castellis have zips and a top-tier pad.

You can certainly pay less – there is a good range on Madison’s website, ranging from £44.99 to £79.99 – though they seem quite cheap compared with some: Rapha’s Classic Winter Tights are £250.

If you prefer bib straps on your tights, check out our favourites in our buyer’s guide.

Conclusion

For me, the hunt for a great pair of waist tights continues; Santini’s Foam Bio chamois and overly compressive fabric haven’t impressed me, even if the design at the waist is spot on. But if you like a very snug fit and tend not to work up a sweat, they could be worth a punt; they are certainly among the most sustainable waist tights out there.

> Buy now: Santini RTR Women’s Tights for £110 from Santini

Verdict

Outstanding insulation, but there are compromises when it comes to the chamois, fabric and ankle cuffs