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Assos Equipe RS Spring Fall Bib Tights S9

7
£240.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Arguably a little warm, and definitely very expensive, but very comfortable and good performers
Great fit and construction
Excellent chamois
Quick drying fabric
Expensive
Pretty warm for their intended seasons
Weight: 
263g
Contact: 

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The Assos Equipe RS Spring Fall Bib Tights S9 are a beautiful fit with an excellent chamois and neat design all round. However, given they're for 'training and racing in the cool, dry conditions of spring and fall,' they are curiously warm - so long as it isn't raining, you could wear them for the most of winter.

Assos has a great reputation for high quality cycling clothing that sits near the top of the performance tree... and the price tree. Let's start by confirming that these bib tights are very good for cold weather training, and they're very expensive too.

They're beautifully cut from Assos' Osmos fleece-lined fabric to create a flexible-yet-compressive shell around your legs, and I found next to no ruffling around the joints. It's mostly the lightest version of Osmos, which means they feel relatively thin on the legs versus your average bib tights. It's a grade thicker on the front-facing panels to fend off windchill.

2022 Assos Equipe RS Spring Fall Bib Tights S9 - straps front detail.jpg

There's one long seam down the outside rear quarter of the legs (about the best location to avoid chafing). The stitching is as high quality and 'neat' as you might hope, and soft to the point of unnoticeable.

2022 Assos Equipe RS Spring Fall Bib Tights S9 - back.jpg

Despite their thin feel, their warmth has been practically my only problem with them. Spring and autumn weather can vary wildly – this year has been mild, with temperatures during the test period little lower than 6-7°C during the day. For me, this is on the upper limit of these tights' temperature range.

Someone who needs more insulation than I do may well fare better, but even on one 6°C morning ride with a north-easterly wind I really had to moderate my effort to keep my body temperature steady and my helmet and jersey from becoming overrun with sweat.

2022 Assos Equipe RS Spring Fall Bib Tights S9 - legs back.jpg

That's not to say these tights aren't breathable. You can definitely feel cooling air seeping gently through the fabric, so on tempo rides in low single figures I can absolutely see them coming into their own. Moreover, they would end rides remarkably dry given how much I'd sweated, proving their ability to shed moisture and dry quickly.

While these tights may be quick drying, they're certainly not water repellent beyond the first sprinkles of rain, so don't go thinking they'll work for every ride whatever the season. They're very much for dry, cold days.

> 24 of the best warm winter cycling tights

The bib section is neatly designed with flat straps that cross over your back, and does a grand job of distributing any tension across the shoulders. There are no silicone grippers, but I never felt it needed them anyway.

2022 Assos Equipe RS Spring Fall Bib Tights S9 - straps back detail.jpg

The medium on test here is practically perfect for me, sizing up as expected, and is designed to be compressive. The cut is 'racy' (signified by the S9 designation) with a low-ish front section, and while there are no zips to help get your feet in, again they never feel needed – the stretchability of the fabric makes it easy.

The whole garment is really well shaped for a low, racy riding position, including at the Elastic Interface pad. It has 9mm of high density 'superAir microShock' foam overlaid with a waffle fabric under the soft top cover, and is (deliberately) not fully stitched in so it can move as you do.

2022 Assos Equipe RS Spring Fall Bib Tights S9 - chamois.jpg

It also leaves a small gap for the perineal area, mimicking/complementing a saddle cutout and reducing pressure when you're in a tuck.

For me it's also one of the better chamois I've come across for postponing numbness around your sit bones. The waffle fabric really does seem to help, as when you move around the saddle the pressure points are mediated by the differing levels of foam. At least, that's how it feels.

Value

The Equipe RSs are certainly pricey at £240. Albion's Three Season Tights are considerably less at £150 and got an impressive 9/10 score from Hollis, while Gore's C5 Thermo Bib Tights are £149.99 – though they're more relaxed in their design.

Stu also found the Sportful Bodyfit Pro Bib Bib Tights comfortable for a 5-14 degree temperature range, and awarded them 8/10. They're still considerably cheaper than these Assoses at £180.

Overall

These may be pitched for spring and autumn, but presumably Assos wasn't thinking of typical UK springs and autumns when they named them. But if it's cold (for me that's 5°C or lower) and dry they're fantastic, and certainly that's what they were aiming at in general. They feature a superb cut and construction and are very comfortable too, but there's no getting away from their cost versus the competition – especially when the others can be more versatile for UK use as well.

Verdict

Arguably a little warm, and definitely very expensive, but very comfortable and good performers

road.cc test report

Make and model: Assos Equipe RS Spring Fall Bib Tights S9

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for

Assos says: "Lightly insulated, race-cut bib tights for training days on both sides of winter, built on our S9 platform for maximum stability and frictionless comfort during full-gas efforts."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Key features (via Sigma Sports):

- Lightly insulated, ergonomic bib tight for riding in chilly spring and autumn conditions

- The lightly brushed, warming and breathable OSMOS Light material features throughout

- OSMOS Light material is also compressive to provide muscular support

- An extra layer of highly insulating OSMOS Medium fabric is positioned on the wind-facing crotch panel

- A-Lock framework provides an exact fit and supports the seat pad

- rollBar bib straps combine with the ergoBox panel format to grant a stable fit

- The 'X' construction of the bib straps lies perfectly flat on the body without irritating

- Carbon fibres in the bib straps are antibacterial

- The stitch-free finish to the waist and hems creates a smooth transition with the body

- The Equipe RS seat pad is made from superAir microShock foam that absorbs vibrations from the roads

- A 3D waffle construction to the seat pad increases breathability

- The part-stitchless Golden Gate seat pad concept allows the pad to glide with the rider's movements

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

They are warm.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10

A good race fit.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
4/10

£240 is markedly more expensive than many rivals.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Very easy.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

For me, these tights are too warm for spring and autumn weather. But wear them accordingly and there's not much to fault.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Great fit and construction, excellent chamois, quick drying fabric.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Expensive, too warm for UK spring and autumn.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The Equipe RSs are certainly pricey at £240. Albion's Three Season Tights are considerably less at £150 and got an impressive 9/10 score from Hollis, while Gore's C5 Thermo Bib Tights are £149.99 – though they're more relaxed in their design.

Stu also found the Sportful Bodyfit Pro Bib Bib Tights comfortable for a 5-14 degree temperature range, and awarded them 8/10. They're still considerably cheaper than these Assoses at £180.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? I would probably opt for a cheaper alternative

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Possibly

Use this box to explain your overall score

These are very well made, extremely well cut for racy use and very comfortable. They're also excellent in cold, dry conditions, which is the idea – for me though they need colder air than UK springs and autumns typically bring, and there's no ignoring the very high price.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 32  Height: 188cm  Weight: 80kg

I usually ride: Canyon Ultimate CF SL (2016), Fairlight Strael 3.0 (2021)  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, Dabble in Zwift training and racing

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