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Thought I would put a RANTY click bait topic header, but bare with me.
I've ridden more or less exclusively in Assos kit probably for the last 10 years, and like the feel of the shorts on the bike. I sold Assos for years in a London bike shop and always sold up to my customers based on their superior reputation, customer service and willingness to repair crash damage etc. I have no complaints about how they feel on the bike...but...
2 summers ago today I took a pair of mille shorts back to the Assos flagship store in London. The shorts were a couple years old and the chamois had started to separate from the lycra, causing holes visible from the outside. The shorts had also become very "thin" in places and a little see through. The assistant had a look at them, and commented that they were a couple of years old, and that he thought I'd probably had "fair use out of them." I was a little annoyed but bit the bullet and bought some new shorts as I'd been quite the mileage junkie over the summer (as well as a new jersey, jacket and a few other bits.)
Anyway here we are two years later, with probably less than a couple thousand miles on these new shorts (...i don't wear them in the winter or on the turbo), with the exact same problem. I took them back (this time with the receipt from the shop) and a new assistant took a look at the shorts. "Not seen this before" he said, looking concerned at me and the shorts before telling me it looked like fair wear and there was nothing he could do about it. His manager agreed; I'd worn the shorts out. They would offer me a small discount on a new pair, before going off on some tangent about the quality and changes made to the bib straps.
I don't want new bib straps. There is nothing wrong with the straps on my current bibs.
The idea that they hadn't seen this wear before is absurd. A number of riders at my club have the same problem. The way the chamois is stitched to the lycra causes holes, and the lycra in many of Assos's shorts very quickly thins to transparency.
I've got pearl izumi, castelli, specialized shorts from when i was a Junior, which i probably wore for 7 years when i was a teenager and at university. The chamois has certainly thinned, but the shorts aren't full of holes!!
My recommendation...save your pennies, avoid Assos and buy something else. I'm a loyal customer well and have been well and truly lost.
Yeah but you really think they’re going to replace 2 year old shorts on the basis you say you’ve only done a few thousand miles in them?
Just don’t buy anymore if other makes are lasting better.
bare with me
I'll keep my shorts on thanks.
^ applause
Ha. I've actually surprised myself with my ranty intellect there. I'll bare what i want thanks, but these shorts are causing me to bare all.
Contrary to my experience.
5 pair of Assos numbers. 2x Cento S7, 1x Equipe S7, 1x Uno S5 and 1x Mile (old one Goretex branded, bought second or maybe even third hand) and no issues whatsoever of what you mentioned.
Unless S8 and S9 are that rubbish, then I will stay with S7 once my mile will disintegrate...
Cheers!
I.
Now Rapha stuff has lost its quality and design only Castelli seems worth the money so I buy that or I buy whatever is cheap in a sale and don't expect it to last very long. Assos has always been a bit too gucci for me anyway.
Up until about 15 years ago I only used Assos, then some of their stuff started to look like fetish-wear and they tried to out-price Rapha, I gave up and when Castelli were re-launched by Sportful it's been a no-brainer.
I gave up with assos when I couldn't pronounce their stoopid product names.
Yeah, but £25 is a really nice price for A PAIR OF GREY SOCKS 😂
I gave up and when Castelli were re-launched by Sportful it’s been a no-brainer.
Pls explain - I like sportful's fit a lot more than castelli. Am I going to have to stock up before they change over to all be like castelli ?
I bought two pairs of Assos cheapest option in I think 2006. The bibs have worn thin but they are still fine and I use them under baggies. The non bibs are still fine, the pad has detatched internally from the outer fabric so after a wash I have to straighten it up. But they are still in my regular use cycle.
I bought another pair of non bibs earlier in the year - the design is pretty different, so we'll see how we get on. Supremely comfortable though and at £75 they are more than twice as comfortable as the Decathlon ones that were half the price.
i can only recommend ground effect based on the number of pairs of liners i have that are all at least 10 years old. their current stuff might be crap of course. 😉
May I suggest an alternative? Save your money, buy these, with 15% off they are £42.50 (pre order as they are so popular) they also come in 3/4 and long. Wiggle are selling assos bib shorts at £93 so these with discount are better than half price.
https://alpkit.com/collections/cycle-clothing-mens/products/rhythm-bib-shorts-mens
Like most of you I have loads of kit but for the last year, these are getting washed straight away and used every time over my more expensive brands. They still feel like new 1 year on. They also have a low cut at the front which helps when having a quick wee! The padding is exceptional and comfy on both mtb and road.
Back in the day I had the UNO S5 (I think). They went pretty see through at the back after about 2 years as well, in fact they were pretty “used” looking quite quickly. I’ve not really bothered with Assos since then.
My current Rapha are two years old and are pretty similar. I’ve got about 3 or 4 pairs of bibs I wear, do about 6000 miles a year so pretty poor performance from both Assos and Rapha. I do use my Rapha indoor I suppose, but that shouldn’t really matter should it?
Going to try Isadore next, birthday coming up so going to get some 3/4 bib shorts. Bought a couple of jerseys and been very impressed.
Always understood assos to be sold on how they perform and feel not on absolute longevity.
No different to a tyre. They wear.
I expect to downgrade or replace my bibs every year.
I expect to downgrade or replace my bibs every year.
I normally wear mine till they fall apart, last set of Enduras were so old the elastic gave up, at which point I binned them...
Yeah but like a pair of shoes with no sole you're not doing yourself any comfort favours.
Yeah but like a pair of shoes with no sole you’re not doing yourself any comfort favours.
You don't get arrested for having a hole in your shoe in public!
I've seen some terrible sights over the years! 😱
Ever since racing as a junior I've always lusted after a pair of Assos bibs but couldn't afford them. Now I can & invested in April having started more road riding in lockdown. A couple of weeks ago I slid out in the wet & put a hole in the hip. Assos repair service said unable to repair but have offered me discounted crash replacement. Any other generic places do good repairs?
Yeah but like a pair of shoes with no sole you’re not doing yourself any comfort favours.
I took the insoles out of my cycling shoes the other day to wash the shoes and noticed I'd completely worn through the insole in the toe section, just a large hole there.
Still, they have been going strong since about 2005...
SPD Cleats are pretty loose now, I keep pulling my foot out by accident, so I might have to change those in the next year or so.
Hmm... I was getting ready to invest in some Mille waist shorts for turbo and 'under winter longs' duties. At least nobody will notice if they end up see through!
Interesting.
I have a pair of bibs that are years old and are still going. Stitching at the chamois is now coming apart but I still ride them. Best shorts I own and have ever owned.
That said, as I enthused about the quality to someone in the trade I have known for many years and who sells Assos, he commented on how he has seen a decline in the relative lifespan of the current range compared to previous years.
Yep, given up on assos shorts, gone back to Santini, the gel pad is great and the shorts last ages.
@TheDoctor - what do you recommend in Santini?
How is the fit? If their size guide is to be believed I'm a size L but fool me once Italian sizing, shame on you, fool me twice...
An interesting perspective on all high end cycling gear, be it clothing or components.
No high end clothing or groupset promises improved durability. They promise better performance, lighter weight, nicer finishing and lots more besides. But XT or even SLX as an example will probably last longer than XTR. XTR is lighter, more polished and an out-and-out race groupset.
The same is true for Assos. Particularly their very high end stuff (like the old Championissimo) came with a card specifically stating that the material used was somewhat fragile and performance rather than endurance orientated.
Assos is at the cutting edge of performance, but doesn’t pretend to be the longest lasting. Now, having said that I have teased many years out of some Assos kit, and I can understand people’s disappointment at only getting 2 seasons out of a pair of expensive bibs. Nevertheless if it’s longevity you are after there might be better brands to try.
Pls explain – I like sportful’s fit a lot more than castelli. Am I going to have to stock up before they change over to all be like castelli ?
The original Castelli company went bust about 2000, the company was bought and relaunched by Sportful a few years later. Castelli generally have more of a 'race fit' so might not suit all physiques. I've also got some Sportful stuff - I really like my Fiandre pro light shorts and TC bib tights.
Ridden Assos and wasn't particularly impressed. Have ridden Castelli for a lot longer and they're okay and better for me.
Life lesson: marketing and profitability is king, comfort and practicality isn't!
My favourite go to shorts are GSG and lately Endura who seem to do loads of R+D.
Castelli used to brag that a percentage of the Pro's used the 2nd or 3rd tier 'endurance' shorts rather than the top priced race bibs.
Am very tempted by some Endura MTR bib shorts, seem ideal for winter/CX riding where a bit of mud and spray is inevitable...
Sort of related query - I wanted to buy some waist shorts to wear under winter tights (which have no pad, but do have bibs). Would it be craziness just to wear the tights with bib shorts, e.g. two sets of straps? Sounds like a lot of bunching and chafing waiting to happen...
Not an issue for me, since first winter I started to have shorts bib and winter bibs over that.
No problem with doubling of braces...
Cheers!
I.