Is assos really worth getting? Or is it just hype

I have nearly a dozen pairs of various Assos bibs. They are the best and they are durable too, but if given the choice between a couple pairs of Assos and four or five pairs of something else you would probably be better off with something else (assuming that you ride a lot).

Bro Deal said:

I have nearly a dozen pairs of various Assos bibs. They are the best and they are durable too, but if given the choice between a couple pairs of Assos and four or five pairs of something else you would probably be better off with something else (assuming that you ride a lot).

Hi bro! I just wanted someone that would last me for a long time. I like the feeling of having something that I could not live without that would last me for a looooong time rather than keep changing and buying and upgrading over time. I"m looking for my "holy grail" of bibknicks hehe. I'll only buy one pair so I"d like to get it perfect even if it does cost a fair penny. If its damn good quality and will last a long time I"ll buy it as long as the comfort is perfect so I can rely on it.

Also have you tried the Rapha bib knicks Bro? I"m curious which is better overall..

assos gear is awesome. it aint cheap but you do get what you pay for. ive got a pair of tights which have nearly finished their 6th winter. granted i dont use them alot (maybe twice a week) but the stitching is still perfect and the chamois is as supple as ever. if you follow their washing and care instructions then their gear should last for at least a couple of years.

ive been using castelli bib and brace for the last 4 years and they have been excellent, although they are kinda on the way out now 🙁 i picked up a pair of santini gel bib and brace recently and man they rock!! very comfy cut and not too expensive ($200au)

when i win lotto i'll go assos shopping :p

when eddy ruled said:

assos gear is awesome. it aint cheap but you do get what you pay for. ive got a pair of tights which have nearly finished their 6th winter. granted i dont use them alot (maybe twice a week) but the stitching is still perfect and the chamois is as supple as ever. if you follow their washing and care instructions then their gear should last for at least a couple of years.

ive been using castelli bib and brace for the last 4 years and they have been excellent, although they are kinda on the way out now 🙁 i picked up a pair of santini gel bib and brace recently and man they rock!! very comfy cut and not too expensive ($200au)

when i win lotto i'll go assos shopping :p

Heya pete! Great to hear these last a long time haha I might just go get the F1 S2 or the F1 Mille. I plan to ride in these all year round. 😎

wcngu1 said:

Hi bro! I just wanted someone that would last me for a long time. I like the feeling of having something that I could not live without that would last me for a looooong time rather than keep changing and buying and upgrading over time. I"m looking for my "holy grail" of bibknicks hehe. I'll only buy one pair so I"d like to get it perfect even if it does cost a fair penny. If its damn good quality and will last a long time I"ll buy it as long as the comfort is perfect so I can rely on it.

Also have you tried the Rapha bib knicks Bro? I"m curious which is better overall..

If you are looking for the holy grail then Assos would probaby be it, but you have to weigh the value of the marginal improvement over something else. Clothing is a consummable just like tires, chains, and cassettes. The more you use it (and wash it), the faster it wears out. It is not something you should expect to be treasured forever. Any of the good quality shorts will last several years with moderate use.

As I said earlier you would be better off buying several pairs of a cheaper short instead of just one or two expensive pairs if you intend to train most days of the week. Or you could do what some people I know who mostly use cheaper shorts but break out something like an Assos F1 Mille bib for five or six hour rides. It also depends on what future purchases you intend to make.

I live in the U.S. and have never seen Rapha sold here.

I guess I could also mention that I don't really care for most of Pearl Izumi's gear. None of it fits me very well. Their jackets seem to have an American "club fit," which seems to mean they accomodate a spare tire, as opposed to Assos' athletic form fitting cut. A lot of other people really seem to like PI's stuff though. I have had good luck with the various tights they make.

Bro Deal said:

If you are looking for the holy grail then Assos would probaby be it, but you have to weigh the value of the marginal improvement over something else. Clothing is a consummable just like tires, chains, and cassettes. The more you use it (and wash it), the faster it wears out. It is not something you should expect to be treasured forever. Any of the good quality shorts will last several years with moderate use.

As I said earlier you would be better off buying several pairs of a cheaper short instead of just one or two expensive pairs if you intend to train most days of the week. Or you could do what some people I know who mostly use cheaper shorts but break out something like an Assos F1 Mille bib for five or six hour rides. It also depends on what future purchases you intend to make.

I live in the U.S. and have never seen Rapha sold here.

I'll be biking on average 2-3 days a week so it'll be fairly moderate. ONe day of full riding (maybe 6-7 hours) and the weekend to ride to andn from work (30-40k each way). So I wont be going too crazy. If they last me 2 years it'll be well worth it for me.

wcngu1 said:

I'll be biking on average 2-3 days a week so it'll be fairly moderate. ONe day of full riding (maybe 6-7 hours) and the weekend to ride to andn from work (30-40k each way). So I wont be going too crazy. If they last me 2 years it'll be well worth it for me.

Whatever you do, don't buy Sugoi RS bibs. I bough 2 pairs and they only lasted just over 12 months each. At $250 each I am not happy.
I contacted Sugio regarding the poor life span and the comment came back that they might not stand up to Australia's UV. Not a good thing to admit to in an email.

My wife and I are both using the top of the line Pearl Izumi bibs and find them very comfortable. Longest rides we do are 7-8 hours.

Cheers

Geoff

performance elite bibs. good enough, only 50 bucks

wcngu1 said:

Hi bro! I just wanted someone that would last me for a long time.

Then treat her right, and she might stick around 😄

Le Knicks have some Corratec bibs on sale for $65. Not a great chamois, but good lycra

Giramondo sell very good bibs and knicks direct to the public for $85 (bibs) and $60 (knicks), but you've gotta go to Leo St Falkner to buy them.

I'm sure they have more stuff than is on this page:
http://www.giramondo.com.au/products-b01.html

wcngu1 said:

I'll be biking on average 2-3 days a week so it'll be fairly moderate. ONe day of full riding (maybe 6-7 hours) and the weekend to ride to andn from work (30-40k each way). So I wont be going too crazy. If they last me 2 years it'll be well worth it for me.

I'll echo Bro Deal's sentiments. I've used Assos for nearly 2 decades and have been migrating to having a greater quantity of less expensive bib shorts.

Assos is great stuff mind you. In my experience, they don't last appreciably longer than less expensive shorts and they last much less than several (say 3 pair) of less expensive shorts.

As to what's comfortable - well that's a rather personal choice. My team uses Vermarc and I find them much to my liking (I'm sure some folks don't).

dkrenik said:

I'll echo Bro Deal's sentiments. I've used Assos for nearly 2 decades and have been migrating to having a greater quantity of less expensive bib shorts.

Assos is great stuff mind you. In my experience, they don't last appreciably longer than less expensive shorts and they last much less than several (say 3 pair) of less expensive shorts.

As to what's comfortable - well that's a rather personal choice. My team uses Vermarc and I find them much to my liking (I'm sure some folks don't).

Wow 2 decades of assos is amazing haha. Damn I thought Assos would last a good while longer than the cheaper ones. I've been looking for the "SIDI" of bib shorts but maybe all bibs are made not to last that long. Never had any cycling clothing before so its all new to me (including lifespans of materials).

In your experience which other shorts have been excellent value for money and comfort? They might not be for me but at least I"ll know its worth trying on hehe. With your amount of experience you can't go much wrong. I don't know the fine line of whats Value for money in the land of the bib shorts/knicks 😕

wcngu1 said:

Wow 2 decades of assos is amazing haha. Damn I thought Assos would last a good while longer than the cheaper ones. I've been looking for the "SIDI" of bib shorts but maybe all bibs are made not to last that long. Never had any cycling clothing before so its all new to me (including lifespans of materials).

In your experience which other shorts have been excellent value for money and comfort? They might not be for me but at least I"ll know its worth trying on hehe. With your amount of experience you can't go much wrong. I don't know the fine line of whats Value for money in the land of the bib shorts/knicks 😕

I've had PearlIzumi shorts and winter tights and didn't like them - any of them. They didn't fit me well and chaffed me.

My team has used Verge before Vermarc and Verge was OK - not great. I really like Vermarc. Good fit. Good chamois and 3 pair will last 4x longer than 1 pair of Assos (at about the same price).

I'm not knocking Assos - I really like Assos. I had a pair of Assos Roubaix tights for ~12 years and I still have a couple of pairs of Campianissimo bib shorts. They too lose their elasticity/support after a couple of years when worn oftern. That's one of the things you get by going with several pairs of less expensive (but well fitting) shorts - they hold their "support" longer. I just can't justify the difference in price anymore.

dkrenik said:

I've had PearlIzumi shorts and winter tights and didn't like them - any of them. They didn't fit me well and chaffed me.

My team has used Verge before Vermarc and Verge was OK - not great. I really like Vermarc. Good fit. Good chamois and 3 pair will last 4x longer than 1 pair of Assos (at about the same price).

I'm not knocking Assos - I really like Assos. I had a pair of Assos Roubaix tights for ~12 years and I still have a couple of pairs of Campianissimo bib shorts. They too lose their elasticity/support after a couple of years when worn oftern. That's one of the things you get by going with several pairs of less expensive (but well fitting) shorts - they hold their "support" longer. I just can't justify the difference in price anymore.

If in a week I only rode one full day (6-8 hours) and two days of riding to and from work (only 40min-1hour each way) how long would you predict an Assos S2 to last? I"m also considering getting the campagnolo racing bibshort, Adistar bib short, Santini, Pearl izumi (not sure about these). Its a bit like rolling a dice...

to be honest I wish I could just wear something casual like a comfy normal pair of shorts that dont' look so tight on the ass (friends are giving me funny looks when I say I"ll probably wear bike shorts). I"m mainly doing this for fitness and touring on the beach and along the YArra river like I used to do on my mountain bike. Aerodynamics means nothing to me but I guess for comfort bibs are my only choice 🙁

wcngu1 said:

If in a week I only rode one full day (6-8 hours) and two days of riding to and from work (only 40min-1hour each way) how long would you predict an Assos S2 to last? I"m also considering getting the campagnolo racing bibshort, Adistar bib short, Santini, Pearl izumi (not sure about these). Its a bit like rolling a dice...

I really can't say. My experience is all relative...

wcngu1 said:

to be honest I wish I could just wear something casual like a comfy normal pair of shorts that dont' look so tight on the ass (friends are giving me funny looks when I say I"ll probably wear bike shorts). I"m mainly doing this for fitness and touring on the beach and along the YArra river like I used to do on my mountain bike. Aerodynamics means nothing to me but I guess for comfort bibs are my only choice 🙁

Again, shorts are a very personal choice. Myself, I'd only use bibs. Others will differ.

dkrenik said:

I really can't say. My experience is all relative...

Again, shorts are a very personal choice. Myself, I'd only use bibs. Others will differ.

haha I"ll just track everything down and try them on I guess. This is probably an obvious question to most of you but.. We can still wear underwear with the bib shorts right? Or are we not supposed to? I can't remember where but I think I read your not supposed to wear underwear? that just sounds a bit weird to me 😄

DO NOT WEAR UNDERWEAR UNDER ANY SHORTS, bib or not (with thunder and lightning and a booming, god-like voice):p

bobbyOCR said:

DO NOT WEAR UNDERWEAR UNDER ANY SHORTS, bib or not (with thunder and lightning and a booming, god-like voice):p

haha I guess bike shorts are like pretty much a different version of underwear? goddamn.... I'm definately not giong to consider that cheap assos on ebay who said "wore it only once" TO HELL WITH THAT.... 🙁

wcngu1 said:

haha I guess bike shorts are like pretty much a different version of underwear? goddamn.... I'm definately not giong to consider that cheap assos on ebay who said "wore it only once" TO HELL WITH THAT.... 🙁

Yeah. Get knicks new, do not buy them used. There may be an STI there.