Je suis Chloe – Café du Cycliste Chloe 2023 in review

The Chloe cargo bibs from Café du Cycliste rock that Lolita look. The women’s cargo bibs aim to score in our group test with a beautiful design and two pockets. Priced at € 220, they promise the necessary support on even the longest days in the saddle. We’ll tell you if the French bibs are the right choice for you.

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: Which are the best cargo bibs of 2023 – 13 cargo bib shorts in review.

Specs & quality of the Café du Cycliste Chloe

The Café du Cycliste Chloe bibs are made of a soft, pleasantly stretchy upper. They rely on ordinary seams throughout, though these are impeccably finished. The Chloe bibs are available in two colours, each with a white stripe down the leg: black, or blue like our test model. It’s not just the white stripe that makes the Chloe bibs stand out in our test field, but the blue shorts also stand in stark contrast to the rather darkly coloured competition. At about 3 cm wide, the straps are quite narrow, featuring a unique looking design for cycling bibs. Since the back is not covered by fabric, the straps start low down and cross at about the level of the shoulder blades. The abdominal area is covered, completing the typical dungaree look at the front. You’ll find functionless buttons where the straps attach to the bib, there purely for the looks. Here, again, the bibs’ design stands out from the test field. There is a pocket front and centre on the bib with a snap button closure, measuring about 9.5 x 12.5 cm. Tucked away behind the mesh is a picture of a flying fish; the emblem of the French brand’s gravel collection. The cargo carrying options are completed by a wide back pocket, which measures 32 x 9 cm in size and has a restricted opening at the top, sewn closed by about 4 cm on each side. Since the Chloe bibs do not have distinct cuffs, Café du Cycliste incorporated silicone into the inside of the legs over a width of about 6 cm. The legs aren’t hemmed either, which can look cheap, especially by the white strip. We would have liked adjustable straps on the Café du Cycliste Chloe bibs, as that would have allowed us to optimise the fit. Unfortunately, the size guide on the manufacturer’s website doesn’t help either because the upper body length isn’t specified. We liked the dual-layer fabric around the private areas, keeping everything opaque.

Cargo functionality of the Café du Cycliste Chloe

When it comes to cargo functionality, the Chloe bibs can’t hold a light to the competition. At just 9 cm deep, the wide pocket on the lower back isn’t secure enough to be trusted with a smartphone on a rough surface. The mesh of the pocket feels robust and durable, but it isn’t tight enough to keep the 24 cm opening securely closed, despite being restricted. However, the pocket is perfectly suitable for snacks on the go, seeing as it’s easily accessible due to the relatively low position on the back. Unfortunately, the chest pocket is only suitable for light objects. Otherwise, you’ll find it dangling down in front of your chest, especially when you’re in the drops, which is quite annoying. This problem could be solved to some extent if the straps could be tightened. Since the Chloe bibs have no leg pockets, they can easily pass as standard road bibs when worn with a jersey.

Safety/visibility of the Café du Cycliste Chloe

Café du Cycliste don’t make any promises with regard to the abrasion resistance of the fabric, and we wouldn’t trust the soft outer material to offer much protection. Despite the high price, Café du Cycliste didn’t bother with any reflectors on the Chloe bibs – what a pity.

Comfort of the Café du Cycliste Chloe

The soft outer is supple and feels comfortable on the skin. Café du Cycliste aim the Chloe bibs at warm weather riding. That’s spot on, because the temperature regulation works, and we experienced no heat build-up on long, midsummer rides. The chamois is made by Italian company CyTech and it’s comfortable without sitting through on long rides. Due to the lack of adjustability of the straps and the unsuitable cut for us, the shorts didn’t sit that well. This was annoying on long rides, but it doesn’t necessarily apply to you.

Café du Cycliste only partially managed to balance practicality with style with the Chloe cargo bib shorts. With a good chamois and pleasant outer fabric, they tick many of the right boxes. But because of their impractical pockets and the non-adjustable straps, they’ve got a lot of room left for improvement. For fashion-conscious cyclists who only want the option of one pocket, they could be the right choice – but don’t forget to try them on first!

Tops

unique style
pleasant outer fabric

Flops

chest pocket can only be used to a limited extent due to lack of strap adjustability
no reflectors

For more info visit cafeducycliste.com.

The test field