These bibs are incredible. I've tried several brands such as Rapha, Aerotech Design, BlackBibs, Neo, Gorewear and none of them give me the soft and complete flexibility of what Assos bibs do. I love the cross straps because they truly stop the chamois from moving around. The fit is a little more towards the racey side than comfort but I don't think that's a negative because it's like having a second skin as clich' as that phrase is. I will say my only small gripe is I wish the pockets had a reinforcement stitch at the opening because sometimes my phone camera bump catches the opening takes a little effort to get it fully in the pocket. A very small nitpick though. I'm an Assos buyer for life!
My hands were getting numb easily during rides I needed shake them out frequently to get the circulation going again. Not a big deal on a casual ride outdoors, but when I'm at the track I'm in the drops virtually the entire time and don't get much of a chance to relax. I've been wearing a pair of nice padded gloves, and I began to wonder if I had too much padding, so I opted to try the Assos. Almost all of the numbness has disappeared. These do have a "second-skin" fit, i.e., there isn't any additional padding and no seams in the palm of the glove. The palm is a thin, stretchy synthetic material, and I don't know how well they will hold up over time, but so far they have solved the numbness for me.
I bought these for the Mid-South 100 mile gravel race in 2026. I did a short 20 mile ride in them before the event and that's all the 'break in'.
For the race, they were great! These are my first Assos product. It is also the most I've spent on bib shorts, but well worth it. Good compression and about the right weight fabric for a spring race. Could see them being a little hot for summer road use.
Chamois was comfortable. It didn't feel too diaper-like and didn't bunch up. The chamois is well ventilated.
I'm happy with my purchase and will consider other Assos bib shorts or tights in the future.
