FLYLOW BUTCHER BIB PANT REVIEW
STAY DRY IN THE WORST CONDITIONS
Words by Cole Gregg | Photos by Emma Wooldridge
Over the past few seasons Flylow has made a big splash into the MTB apparel segment with their dedicated men’s and women’s product lines that have landed them space in REI and other large retailers. Originally a brand focused on snow sports they have brought their waterproof fabrics to the bike world with the Butcher Bib Pant.
ABOUT THE FLYLOW BUTCHER BIB PANT
Flylow has been steadily growing their MTB product line and their newest addition is the Butcher Bib Pant. While you may dismiss the need for a bib on the bike I urge you to think again and continue reading, it’s a product that serves a purpose for the nastiest of conditions. Aside from the waterproof material there is a hefty amount of storage, adjustments and ventilation.
The Butcher Bib Pant is constructed with Flylow’s Intuitive Perm Fabric that is not only rated at a 20k waterproofing level but also has stretch allowing for movement on the bike. They also come with a DWR coating, which is expected with a waterproof pant like this. The Ultra-Breathable claim is bold, but I do have to say they do a solid job at allowing air intrusion with no water seepage. If you do find yourself overheating on a grueling climb the two side zippers, one measuring 24” and the other 12” allows for some serious airflow.
The Butcher Bib is offered in two colors, Black and Rye (tan’ish) with the option of sizes Small through XXL. Unlike normal pants the bibs offer you the ability to custom tune the ride height with the nylon straps. More on this later. Additionally there are snaps at the ankle cuffs allowing you to choose how tight fitting you want the pants to be around your ankles, as well as making them a bit easier to take on and off. There is an additional layer of Lycra at the cuff better sealing your legs off from the elements, this is sort of like an internal sleeve in the pants. There is also an abrasion resistant panel on the exterior of the inside portion of the ankle further protecting the gear from wear on your crank arms.
When it comes to storage Flylow made sure you had plenty of options. On the chest plate of the bib there is a zippered pocket that is large enough for your phone and or some snacks. The standard side hand pockets are fully waterproof and quite large. These are great for a goggle wipe and other items you do not want getting wet. On the back panel of the bib there are two open pockets similar to what you would find on a chamois. These are large enough for a water bottle or stuffing a thin extra layer such as the Flylow Davis Jacket. And the zippered fly for those trail side breaks is a nice touch.
Lastly the articulated knees feature more abrasion resistant material ensuring some extra protection for any off the bike events.
THE DIRT
Admittedly when first getting the bibs I was skeptical of the style as it’s a different vibe than your normal pants, however when put to use I understood why a bib for waterproof pants is the way to go. Having ZERO chances of getting water intrusion at the waste line was by far the biggest positive attribute to these. I rode down a literal river at our local ORV park. These trails are essentially moto hill climbs you can ride down, I.E a giant rain rut. Aside from the standing water on the trail that day was an absolute downpour. I got more wet changing at the car than I did on my ride. The 20K waterproofing worked extremely well. The DWR coating was decently quick to saturate, but again this particular ride was by far my limit of conditions I want to go out in. On more normal wet days that has a on and off again rain with moderate standing puddles the DWR coating shed water throughout the entire 3K foot day of riding.
I received the Butcher Bib Pants in late August just before a trip up to Kicking Horse resort. The temps were still in the 50’s but rain was on the forecast so I decided to bring these along as I was not sure when we would see any chance of wet weather in Spokane. While we did not see much more than a light sprinkle it was a great test of how breathable the Intuitive Perm Fabric was. On the trail I did not find myself getting overly warm, even on long sustained runs. While the temps were only around 55 degrees I feel this is generally the temperature in which I would choose to go with standard trail pants over something more heavy duty like these bibs. For the rides up in the gondola the side sipper vents were easy and useful making sure I could escape my body heat and not build up a sweat layer before the next run.
For my 6’1” height and 170lb weight I opted for the size medium. These bibs have a form fitting slim fit feel compared to ski bibs that are meant to have layers under them. With that said you can easily wear a base layer with these on colder days. While the sizes offered have a good span in body shape they lack the differentiation of inseam lengths. All sizes feature the same 32” inseam which is Flylows Regular fit. With my near 37” inseam the bibs rode up above my ankles when on the bike. I experimented with the adjustable straps to find a middle ground of ankle coverage and crotch/waist area fit. With the straps fully extended the bibs sagged allowing for more uncomfortable hinging movement. With the straps adjusted to what I would say is an appropriate height when hinging and in a normal riding position there was a fair amount of gap between my shoes and the cuff area of the bib.
Under normal damp conditions with the occasional puddle this was not a big deal, but when riding in the nasty conditions these bibs were designed for, anything below the cuff became waterlogged very quickly. When talking about water intrusion would a longer inseam help? I think so but I also do not think it would make a world of difference, especially riding with reckless abandon down literal rivers. The addition of a waterproof sock would help far more. But with all that said my legs from the cuffs up were completely dry. The waterproof zippers stayed true to their name and the extra material out back on the bib kept water spraying up from the rear tire out of my chamois, a very welcomed result.
The stretch offered by these bibs is great considering how waterproof they were. I did not find my position on the bike limited in any way other than when running the straps fully extended as mentioned above. I use quite a lot of outward knee movements which very quickly sheds light on how maneuverable a pair of pants are, the Buthcer Bibs get a thumbs up from me in this department.
As far as storage goes I was happy with the three zippered pocket options. While I originally thought the chest pocket was going to be great for my phone I ended up using the waterproof side pockets most. The chest pocket was great for my multi tool and car key. On one of the more recent colder rides I layered the Davis Jacket under my Fox Neoshell rain jacket, after the first climb I rolled up the Davis and stored it in the back open pocket on the bib. Being someone that hates leaving the house cold but quickly warms up thanks to a steep climb right from the start of the trailhead this was a pocket I was grateful for. Especially as I do not ride with a hip pack on my main loop.
The Wolf’s Last Word
While the Butcher Bib Pants were never on my radar for gear I needed, I now cannot imagine those epically wet days without them. My other waterproof pants will be distributed out to the friend group as I see no need for anything besides these. Truly impressed with how much I liked them, albeit even with the wet ankles. So, should you drop $250 on a pair of riding pants? If you live in the PNW, that is an easy answer in my book. They make those wet days just that much more enjoyable. 
Price: $245
Website: Flylowgear.com
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