mgm777
05-03-2011, 07:18 PM
For my cycling apparel, I wear mostly Assos. Over the years I have worn other brands, but eventually, always gravitated back to Assos. For bibs, I wear the new FI-Mille-S5 and the older version as well. Recently, I purchased a pair of Pearl Izumi Pro IN-R-Cool bibs with the new 4D seamless chamois. They were significantly less expensive than my Assos and based primarily on cost, I thought they would be a less costly alternative for shorter rides and daily training. As for performance, I didn’t have high expectations. About three years ago, I had a pair of their Pro level bibs with their top, 3D orange chamois with all kinds of welded layers and seams. A couple of hours in that bib short was akin to putting my parts on a belt sander. Additionally, they wore thin and became translucent prematurely, in my opinion. Today, however, was a completely different, unexpected and pleasant PI experience. About 5 miles into my 25 mile lunch-time ride, I noticed that I didn’t notice my bibs. These bibs are remarkably comfortable in a you-don’t-notice-them kind of way. I can’t speak to the IN-R-COOL feature because it hasn’t been warm enough for that to be an issue here, yet. But the pad, oh the pad, is just perfect. No more funky scar-inducing, raw flesh rubbing, pseudo-tech chamois. I think they used the same 4D Seamless pad in last year’s version as well, so I think deals/sales can be found on them. As an admitted Assos-phile, I can honestly say that I am really impressed with Pearl Izumi’s Pro bib short. If you’re looking to save a few FRNs, check them out. They’re not the PI of a few years ago. Their product development folks are producing some very nice stuff. I also bought their Pro soft shell full zip jersey recently and have been equally impressed. If you haven’t tried PI in a few years, like me, give them another shot. You just might be very pleasantly surprised. And…no, I don’t work for PI.