Assos Clothing – Sponsor Yourself

I love cycling clothing, I have drawers full of it. Comfortable clothing can make all the difference in your cycling enjoyment. I have a saying:

“There are no poor cycling days just poor clothing choices.”

Assos Clothing – Sponsor Yourself

Clothing technology, especially fabric technology has come a long long way. Less can be more nowadays. Selecting the right clothing can make riding a real pleasure no matter the conditions. There are many great clothing brands that have been around for years. Certainly Assos is regarded as one of the premier brands of clothing. My first experience with the brand was back in 2007. I purchased shorts, socks and a jersey. It was a lot of money for cycling clothing and I wondered if a $300 pair of shorts was really that much different. By that time I was certainly a clothing snob as it relates to cycling apparel. At that time I  wasn’t riding in shorts that were less than $150.

I was literally blown away by the difference the shorts and jersey made. In many ways it felt like I wasn’t wearing clothing, it was more like a second skin. It managed the moisture extremely well and you almost forgot you had a jersey or cycling shorts on. I love the Assos kit and I don’t wear it nearly as much as I should. Probably because I want it to last as long as it can. So it is a special rides kit. According to Assos they design and build all of their bibs and shorts to last for five season. Other brands in the market have a lifespan of a season and a half typically. So I guess it is silly of me to not be wearing it more frequently. For the last few years it wasn’t an option because I had gained a few pounds.

Recently I got a new Assos kit that includes shorts, baselayer and jersey. They are the T.cento_S7 Shorts, SS.mangussta_S7 Jersey and the NN.skinFoil_Summer_s7 – Body Insulator ie baselayer.

I’m super excited to test the new Assos kit. Before I ride in it (I have a tendency to like to prolong the anticipation of something I am super excited about) I thought I would pull out the “old kit” and ride with it again. I wanted to compare the old kit to the new kit. On this ride I just wore the Assos bib shorts. I don’t remember the model I bought back then. On initial comparison they are much different then the T.cento_S7 Shorts.

The chamois is very different, same with the bib straps and the cuff around the legs, the quality of the Lycra as improved too. In an eight year time span you would expect changes and knowing what I know about Assos I am super excited to get some rides in with the new pieces. All go into deeper detail in future posts once I start riding in the new items.

One of the unique things about the Assos clothing is the packaging. It isn’t like most, okay almost all cycling apparel that is on a hanger. The shorts come in boxes and opening them is a pure joy with each step to remove the shorts revealing something new until you finally get to the bibs.

The first view as you open the box.

Finally the Shorts – T.cento_S7 Shorts

The same with the skinfoil, it takes multiple steps to get to the neat folded and super soft garment.

The back of the skinFoil Summer S7 Body Insulator

skinFoil Summer S7 Body Insulator

Each step reveals something new. It’s like Christmas morning!

Getting Closer

Made It! skinFoil summer body insulator

The jersey is a little less exciting to open, in a zippered pouch with the wording Sponsor Yourself.

SS.mangussta_S7 – Jersey

I wonder if there is a poster of this image.

SS.mangussta_S7 – Jersey in Black Volkanga

I’ve been scoping out a pair of their gloves and I imagine they’ll be added to my collection sooner than later to test out.

In my next post I’ll delve deeper into the packaging and my first impressions of the shorts, jersey and baselayer. In additional posts I’ll cover the differences between the two Assos kits I now own.