Is Assos worth the big $$$$?

[2wheelwill]

$200+ for a pair of shorts! Really? Are Assos really worth the big bucks or are people just paying for bling? And Ralpha...OMG!

Actually just did big ride today in my $70 Performance century shorts and starting to wonder if my arse is missing out.

Your experience?

[Jaq]

It's worth it if it fits, is comfy, and makes you feel good about riding.

I tend to spend extra (if it's warranted) for contact points; shorts/bibs, shoes/socks, gloves. That said, I've got Performance Ultra II bibs that I got on sale for fifty bones that I love. But I've got a pair of PI pro bibs that are wonderful. I don't really like jerseys much; dunno why. So I tend to ride in t-shirts. I'm hard on glasses, so I don't spend money on 'em.

Whatever floats your boat.

[gasman]

Tried lots of shorts and love my one pair of Assos. My arse says they are worth every penny.

[SteveFrench]

I love perusing their website. Very attractive (female) models!

[roydyates]

Lots of shorts are fine for short rides. But somewhere north of 200km, Assos are really nicer than the various other PI, Gore, Sugoi, Giordana shorts I've tried. Not that those brands are bad, but they're not as nice.

I would be offended by the price if I actually bought a pair. They make a great gift if your family thinks "you're impossible to buy for, you have everything..."

[bagochips3]

Best shorts I've tried by a wide margin. To me, worth every penny.

[benitosan1972]

The Assos brand fit makes my skinny ass feel fat.
I like their quality, design, materials but who the heck can fit it?
I'm 6' tall and like 145# on a bad day, and I'm somewhere between a L/XL!

Pass me the doughnuts :crap:

BTW, LOL @ "Ralpha." At least in that brand, I'm a medium & can oftentimes pull off a small :banana:

[pdmtong]

If you are not assos sized, try the rapha classic bibs with their 30 day money back offer. as others and myself here have found, they are superb

they launder and wear excellently.

[yim]

I have tried them but I think that they are not worth.
Their legs are short. Wear out extreme quickly on Brooks saddle.
I can buy two or even three pairs of other brands.

[thinpin]

Only for long rides (150km+).
I find other good brands do perfectly up to that point. Keep the assos for the long days.
Quality is there for sure. Will last for years if selectively used.
I hate the diaper feel though.

[jpw]

If your body shape matches the Assos pattern templates shapes then yes, but no if you expect to get high mileage out of every garment. I would say that typically the garments are more toward the delicate than the durable end of the wear range. Having said that I still have a pair of roubaix winter bib tights from circa 1995 that do a good job for me as an extra layer in cold weather. Then again I have a pair of 851 early winter gloves that are starting to look dog-eared after only a year.

I've been eyeing up their new jackets, but then I begin to wonder how well they might stand up to the abrasion test in a fall. I seem to fall quite regularly - twice already this new year. If you stay upright then maybe the $ is worth it in the long run if you look after the stuff carefully. I think the stitching can pop if pulled on and off quickly - you need time when dressing.

[Rueda Tropical]

Assos puts the research and engineering into the garments to justify the price. That does not mean that they will provide value for money for your individual needs or application. Whether it's worth it depends on your anatomy and how and where you would use the particular garment.

For starters, there is no way any one jersey, jacket or short can provide best fit for everyone and with apparel, bikes and shoes fit should be first consideration. Then there are riding conditions. I wouldn't fork over the money for a FUGU jacket or cap if I lived down south but if I lived far enough North I'd consider it money very well spent.

[godfrey1112000]

For years I have had multi sets of Bibb shorts and they wear well, yes sizing needs to be increased but the comfort and material are really nice.

I am looking forward to trying my first set of rapha bibb shorts

Customer Service, in New Jersey is very good also, has some wear on the bibb tights, it is not my fault the seat wore out after 4 years of winter riding,
they looked at them and did give me 50% credit as a returning customer

The will work with you

I would purchase again

on 200k and 300k and the Double centuries they are standard equipment

Capo
Pearl
Giordana

also have high quality

[Elefantino]

$200+ for a pair of shorts! Really? Are Assos really worth the big bucks or are people just paying for bling? And Ralpha...OMG!

Actually just did big ride today in my $70 Performance century shorts and starting to wonder if my arse is missing out.

Your experience?
No experience with shorts, but yes with jerseys.

Wearing them off the bike, I was disappointed. They bunched. Looked weird. Then I got on the bike. The jersey just ... disappeared. Best fit ever.

If that's important, then yes, worth the money.

[reforester]

All their clothing tags say engineered in Switzerland, but the clothing is actually made in Slovania. I find their clothing to still be excellent, but no better than Nalini or Exteundo higher end clothing.

[Johnnyg]

$200+ for a pair of shorts! Really? Are Assos really worth the big bucks or are people just paying for bling? And Ralpha...OMG!

Actually just did big ride today in my $70 Performance century shorts and starting to wonder if my arse is missing out.

Your experience?
Short answer, absolutely worth it! Rapha also and they are having a sale at the moment. Good luck

[Gummee]

aving said that I still have a pair of roubaix winter bib tights from circa 1995 that do a good job for me as an extra layer in cold weather.
I'm still wearing (off and on) a pair of Roubaix bib knickers from about the same time period. Chamois isn't as nice as today's but the rest of the garment is top notch.

Just got an 851 jacket in a trade. Too warm to wear it the first day. Rain and no riding the second day, headache the third, and now there's today. I still have the headache but by golly, I'm getting out in the jacket if I have to pedal with an ice pack on my head!

M

[54ny77]

funny read here on assos:

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2011/06/simply-complicated-give-me.html

[oldpotatoe]

If you are not assos sized, try the rapha classic bibs with their 30 day money back offer. as others and myself here have found, they are superb

they launder and wear excellently.

So what does Rapha do with returned bibs/shorts?

(ewwww)

[AngryScientist]

absolutely worth it IMO. Assos, and Rapha as well, last forever. when you're washing your performance shorts for the 100th time, they'll be in much much worse shape than the better made stuff.

[rwsaunders]

I was not a believer until I found a used 851 jacket, assuming that I could always sell it if it were all hype. For the past two seasons, I've used nothing else between 25-45 degrees as it just works better than any other than I've worn. I'd love to try some shorts and a Fugu jacket.

[choke]

I bought a pair of Assos bibs a few years ago and was very disappointed. I absolutely hated the chamois and found it to be far less comfortable than any other brand I had used.

[thendenjeck]

funny read here on assos:

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2011/06/simply-complicated-give-me.html


"At this rate it could be years before the people at Assos not only discover a pedal/cleat combination that actually works together, but also figure out how to make the cleat thingy go into the pedal thingy. I'd imagine primitive man went through much the same process before he figured out how to make fire, and he probably rubbed all sorts of things together--mud, fish, rabbits--before he figured out which combination actually caused combustion."


bwaahahahahaa

[zap]

I started wearing Assos in the late 80's. Still used leather back then.

Great fit for me but.....the sewing quality is what I would expect from someone who does not know how to sew. Last bib I purchased was the F1 back in '05ish. True to form, seams came undone after 3-4 rides.

These day's my azz prefers chamois with minimal padding (and saddles with no padding) and have been quite happy with top of the line Sugoi bibs (Team kit so it was like US$90 three years ago).

Folks here posted in a thread I started late last year that Assos quality is now good but based on my experience many years ago......I'm leery and have yet to purchase Assos anything.

So to answer the op...........no.

[djg]

I dunno what's worth it to which rider. I've got all sorts of things -- team kit, castelli, stuff I picked up on sale or whatever. There's plenty of other stuff that I like, but the few Assos pieces I've picked up have been great for comfort, and head and shoulders above the other stuff for durability. I bought a pair of Assos evo campianissimo bibs 10 years ago. 10. The pad is still good. At the time, I thought that the sale price of 80 bucks or so was crazy, but I've thrown away a bunch of other stuff in the interim.

[rice rocket]

Can someone explain the Assos chamois to me? Never tried one, but it seems like quite a big diaper.

10 year lifespan sounds crazy though.

[iml]

Assos makes good stuff. Is it worth it? Well, it can be. Etxeondo too.

It always amuses me that people spend big bucks on bikes but cheap out on clothing. The clothing matters at least as much as the bike, for when, you know, you're riding bikes all day while wearing clothing.

Thread drift:

When Rapha people (Conti riders and employees) make fun of Assos, they tend to do it by lampooning the ridiculous adverts Assos turns out. Same stuff year after year, and admittedly hilarious. Swiping at the competition's marketing rather than the product says quite a lot about what each brand considers important.

Signed,

Not a hater. Really.

[oldguy00]

If you can afford it, and if it fits you well, then I think it is worth it. I've had several pieces (bib knickers, bib tights, shorts,jerseys, vest, airblock jacket).
Regardless of where it is made, I do not think it is fair to compare it to brands like Exto, etc. Assos stuff is made with really nice materials, much nicer than most other brands IMHO.
My airblock jacket was purchased in 2002/2003 and is still going strong. Bib knickers have been used a lot (cold here on the east coast), they are so comfortable, and warm.

I've had very disappointing experiences with a lot of other brands.
PI Attack shorts - junk, fell apart after one use.
Capo Forma Cima bibs - Stitching all came apart. Sent them to capo, they had someone re-sew them. Fell apart again right away. Nice......
Nalini - too thin, no compression, cheap fabric.

[nahtnoj]

$200+ for a pair of shorts! Really? Are Assos really worth the big bucks or are people just paying for bling? And Ralpha...OMG!

Actually just did big ride today in my $70 Performance century shorts and starting to wonder if my arse is missing out.

Your experience?

Every single major clothing brand has shorts that cost over $200. Most have multiple pairs.

"Ralpha" which everyone loves to hate on is actually middle of the road price wise.

Get. Over. It.

[goblue]

Assos bibs are well worth the price. Rode 174 miles from East Grand Rapids to Torch Lake in one day last July and literally had no pain in the azz. I own Etxeondo, Capo,Castelli and Descent. The Etxo bibs are great but not as perfect as my Assos. My 851 Airblock jacket looks new after 4 seasons including cold Michigan winters! I have no isssues riding in 35 degrees with a couple of base layers. I am curious about Rapha bibs and may get a pair in the spring.

[uber]

Is anything worth it? If I enjoy a product for a long time, and can afford the price, it is worth it to me. I have a pair of Assos that will not die. Wonderful product. I prefer the fit of Rapha and their more understated styling.

[happycampyer]

Can someone explain the Assos chamois to me? Never tried one, but it seems like quite a big diaper.The Mille model is the one with the thicker chamois (it also has shorter legs, or at least used to). The chamois in the F.l. 13 shorts is normal thickness. The chamoises are made by CyTech, who makes chamoises for many other top brands (including Rapha), but the Assos are unlike any of the others.

[yakstone]

I have a number of different bibs from different manufacturers and for me the Assos are my favorites. I picked up a pair of Raphas recently but have yet to try them out however is looking them over they don't seem to be as nicely made as the Assos. The Assos jackets, vests and jerseys that I ride in are also top notch.
To me they are worth the coin.

[Bob Ross]

My 851 Airblock jacket looks new after 4 seasons including cold Michigan winters! I have no isssues riding in 35 degrees with a couple of base layers.



Is "851 Airblock jacket" the same thing as the 851 Airjack?
'cuz 35°F is almost too warm for my 851 Airjack period, and I'll generally only wear a single base layer with it down to ~26-27°. Only around 25° do I go to a third layer.

But yeah, that 851 Airjack absolutely is worth it. best piece of winter cycling kit I own, by a long shot.

I also have a pair of Assos F.Mille bib shorts, and I like 'em enough, but not three times as much as my Pearl Izumis. They're certainly comfy, but after 120 miles my ass hurts no matter what I'm wearing!

[Louis]

PI Attack shorts - junk, fell apart after one use.

FWIW, my experience is 180* from this. I have tons of PI stuff and have been using their shorts, bibs, knicker, tights and leg warmers for years. They have a variety of different chamois types for different applications, and some work better than others, but 1) the PI chamois that work for me are great, and 2) I have had zero problems with the quality of any of the PI stuff.

Eventually, after years of use, the chamois pads go soft, but other than that, all my PI items, including the Lycra material and the stitches, are in as good shape today as they were the day I bought them long ago.

[1centaur]

Well made and carefully considered; quite likely to make most riders forget about their chamois over 50 miles. Worth - that's between you, your wallet and your feeling about quality stuff. Personally, I like most of their stuff a lot.

[beeatnik]

The cold weather stuff is in its own league.
The bib shorts are as good or better than any $200 plus shorts from Capo, Giordana, De Marchi, Gore, Craft, PI, Exteondo, Brandt-Sorenson, and Castelli (especially Castelli).
The Jerseys. Well, the $300 SS.13 is overpriced by about $150. The UNO is awesome and the sublimation is bootiful but the sleeves tend to pile. It would be the best jersey on the planet at $100, not $150. Bottom line, IMO, no jersey on the planet can justify a price over $150. There's just not that much of an improvement in performance between a premium jersey and a moderately priced offering.

[illuminaught]

The cold weather stuff is in its own league.
The bib shorts are as good or better than any $200 plus shorts from Capo, Giordana, De Marchi, Gore, Craft, PI, Exteondo, Brandt-Sorenson, and Castelli (especially Castelli).
The Jerseys. Well the $300 SS.13 is overpriced by about $150. The UNO is awesome and the sublimation is bootiful but the sleeves tend to pile. It would be the best jersey on the planet at $100 not $150. Bottom line, IMO, no jersey on the planet can justify a price over $150. There's just not that much of an improvement in performance between a premium jersey and a moderately priced offering.
+1

[Lionel]

The AirJack is totally awesome. Would pay full retail for one if I had to (mine is 4 years old and in perfect shape). I've had many bibs in the last 20 years and got offered an Assos one 7 years ago and still wear it today and bought 4 more. Never ride any of the others any more. They are in their own league and fit me perfectly. I tried the Rapha one and returned it after one ride. YMMV. Oh and their winter tight are great as well.

[verticaldoug]

I have to agree with Lionel, the winter bibs are hard to beat. The Winter LL tights are my go to tights during the dark damp days of winter. The mille bibs seem more durable and better made then the Uno bibs. I think the value is in mille.

As for assos jerseys, I think they have the best pockets. I don't use a little saddle bag and jam everything into my pockets. The assos jersey pockets hold the shape and the jersey doesn't sag on you. Rapha jerseys and others just sag when the pockets get heavy. And if it happens to rain, rapha turns into a dress.

[Lionel]

As for assos jerseys, I think they have the best pockets. I don't use a little saddle bag and jam everything into my pockets. The assos jersey pockets hold the shape and the jersey doesn't sag on you. Rapha jerseys and others just sag when the pockets get heavy. And if it happens to rain, rapha turns into a dress.
Uno jerseys are great as well indeed. While I am at it the gilet are the best as well and so is their rain gear.... Can you tell I became a believer :)

[Grant McLean]

$200+ for a pair of shorts! Really? Are Assos really worth the big bucks or are people just paying for bling?


Your experience?

You can buy Assos FI Uno Bib Shorts for about $130 from Ribble most of the time.

-g

[2wheelwill]

All, thanks for all the great feedback re Assos. I just ordered a pair of UNO S5 bibs. Hope my arse likes them!

Will

[dekindy]

A forum member had 3, red F1.mille_S5 bib shorts for sale, nib @ $125 so I tried a pair, I wanted red anyway. If I had known for certain they would fit and how extremely comfortable they were I would have purchased all 3 pairs. Like someone already mentioned Assos are designed to be comfortable on the bike and are extremely uncomfortable off. I reserve my Assos for longest rides and if possible do not put the shoulder straps on until I am ready to ride. This makes for strange pre-ride pictures but the straps are so tight while walking around I do not want to do it for any length of time. Once you get on the bike they are the most comfortable that I have. I have seen Assos discounted but it is rare.

[Gummee]

Wore my 851 jacket this AM. Garneau mesh base layer, a mid-weight wool layer, then the jacket. I was chilly when it was in the high 20s/low 30s unless I was working. The headwind down to where I was meeting my buddies meant I had to work, so all was well.

Warmed up to the upper 30s by the time I got home and while I was still comfy, I was borderline overdressed.

I apologized to the dude (runner) I scared yesterday. He was completely on the other side of the road (running into oncoming traffic) and I was on my side, he just didn't expect to see me.

M

[ridemoreoften]

Check out Specialized top end gear - shorts about $140 and well worth the $$$

[tsarpepe]

NOT WORTH IT: their Climajet sheet they proudly call "jacket." It's just a rain shell, and no matter how breathable it is reputed to be, there is no reason to pay $200 for it.

[oldguy00]

NOT WORTH IT: their Climajet sheet they proudly call "jacket." It's just a rain shell, and no matter how breathable it is reputed to be, there is no reason to pay $200 for it.

I would never say that -all- Assos products are worth their price. The gloves, socks, head wear, knee warmers, arm warmers, the shells like you mentioned......I don't think any of them are worth their MSRP.

But their winter jackets, the jerseys and their Uno and Mille shorts/bibs/tights, they are worth the money.

[hainy]

I f you are tall and lean like me forget Assos.

[CNY rider]

I got a pair of the RX LL winter tights on sale at Licktons a couple of weeks ago.
$100 and worth every penny. Very comfortable and appear well constructed.

[Lionel]

I f you are tall and lean like me forget Assos.
Really. I am 6'5", 180 pounds. XL is perfect for me.

[Lionel]

As far as the price difference with some of their competition it depends if you are willing to pay for some details or not.

Some of their pieces really standout IMO (AirJack, bib, bibtights).

Some of their things are just a bit better, for instance the Uno Jersey has great pockets that do not move around and I find them better than any other jersey I have tried. So it is not head and shoulders above another good jersey but this is still my favorite.

[hainy]

I am 6'2" and 165lbs and according to their sizing I am an XL. This size swims on me and if I go to medium the shorts are half way up your thigh and I have to get an extra 2 inches sewn into the bib straps. I am a great believer that shorts should be a bit of a struggle to pull on otherwise they are too loose.

I have a 851 jacket which is awesome and large fits me well. Leg warmer are good.

Cheers

Hainy

[tsarpepe]

Just curious: does anyone have their Bella Carolina jersey? Most of the Assos stuff is rather plain, but this one is quite a splash. How does it compare to their regular line in terms of quality? (The price tag was $150, if I remember.)

http://cf.mp-cdn.net/30/18/e6041bb497558e5a03f7f6511511.jpg

[martinez]

^ want!

[thinpin]

Just curious: does anyone have their Bella Carolina jersey? Most of the Assos stuff is rather plain, but this one is quite a splash. How does it compare to their regular line in terms of quality? (The price tag was $150, if I remember.)

http://cf.mp-cdn.net/30/18/e6041bb497558e5a03f7f6511511.jpg
My wife does the whole cow thing. She loves them. Quality is excellent. 100s of hours of use in the (ozone thin layer) sun here and no sign of fading.

[tsarpepe]

I want a man to step up and say "I wear one." :p

[southernexposur]

The shorts, jackets and some jerseys are absolutley worth the cost to me. I have some bib tights a buddy gave me from the early 90s that are still going strong. And they were a 2 year old team issue tight so had been well used by then. Also have a few pair of the SS Uno bibs, Mille knickers and Mille bibs and they are without question my favorite bottoms to wear. Feel a little strange off the bike, but once you are riding they just are perfect. The Airblock 851 Jacket might be the single best clothing piece I own. I try to get the jerseys on sale as they are a bit spendy, but again, the fit is better for me than most others and the pockets are much better than any other jersey I have used (giordana, capo, castelli, gonso, PI, rapha).
Wether they are worth it to you, you will have to decide yourself. If you put in long hours on the bike, try a pair of the Mille, otherwise try the Uno. Competitive Cyclist has a very good return policy, so it might be worth going through them.
Andrew

[CPP]

Assos equals quality, fit, technology and longevity. Is that worth the $$$$? No brainer