Anna’s Legs are the latest offering from racer turned designer Anna Glowinski. The leggings are designed as an intermediary between lower cut lycra leggings and full on bib-tights.
Rosie Holdsworth has been testing these over the winter months and was suitably impressed from the off.
- £105.00 RRP.
- Women’s specific CyTech chamois.
- Lycra and Carvico construction.
- Breathable and wicking.
- Raised back.
- Rear zip pocket.
- Velo Vixen.
I was impressed from the start: I’ve long searched for a comfortable alternative to bib-tights, especially for racing longer events when the faff of going for a mid-lap wee is time consuming and fraught with danger.
The ultra-high waistline on these leggings means they stay put and you don’t have any uncomfortable exposed bits, or a digging-in waist band to contend with. These might be minor niggles, but on long training rides or endurance races, minor niggles can become major grumps!
Knickers off.
The lack of bib has many advantages: There are no straps to chafe or rub your shoulders or chest, a welcome change from some of the bibs I own which attempt all sorts of odd configurations to combat the alien concept of a female chest. It also means you have fewer layers to think about when considering how sweaty you’re likely to get. Not an issue at this time of year, but something I’m sure I’ll be glad of in the warmer weather.
The chamois itself is everything you’d expect from a well designed, high end women’s product. Does all the right things in all the right places, and there’s nothing to rub where it REALLY shouldn’t. The instructions on the box said “take your knickers off” which appealed to my sense of humour (that of a 13 year old boy), but which also is a fairly fundamental concept that a surprising number of the people I ride with fail to grasp. A chamois is not designed to work in conjunction with your frilly cotton pants – bad things will happen! A shout out to the packaging designer for making this clear to customers from the get go.
Warm and comfy.
I’ve mostly worn these leggings for lung busting training gallops on my road bike, and they have performed perfectly. Kept my knees toasty on icy descents but without being too hot for some pretty savage road climbs in the early spring sun.
I’ve also ventured out in them a couple of times on the mountain bike when wind or snow have called for more leg coverage than my usual attire. They’ve been great at keeping me warm and comfy on long moorland slogs.
The finish is really high quality, they certainly feel as though they’re built to last and I have every confidence that they’ll continue to serve me well. They’ve withstood the stresses and strains of some horrid winter conditions and many thorough wash cycles without any ill effect.
The pair I have are “Mountain Sunset” (swooshy swirly pink clouds). My only criticism of this particular design is that the black panel is on the outside of the calf rather than the inside, so I’ve ended up with an oily chain-ring print on the lovely swirly design and made a bit of a mess of an otherwise great looking pair of leggings.
What we think.
There are cheaper alternatives available but when it comes to long days in the saddle, the comfort of one’s undercarriage is worth investing in! I’ve also found that cheaper chamois don’t stand the test of time and the rigours of regular washing.
If you’re after a super comfortable alternative to full-length bib-tights these are an excellent choice. They’re really great quality and clearly built to last, definitely worth the investment.
Anna’s Legs are available exclusively through VeloVixen.
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