Assos

I have three pairs of shorts from 2007 that have orange 'solid' pad and a more recent pair which is S5, a blue dimpled pad.

Thanks. Both my pairs actually have that blue dimpled pad. Strangely they are, in some ways. the most comfortable ones I've owned - but there seems to be just a tiny excess of material that moves around in the middle which annoys me slightly.

Mine have done thousands of miles and are a bit saggy. I could probably do with a new pair.
I'm tempted to buy a pair of bibs too to give me two shorts options on TCR.

The blue dimpled ones are the ones I swear by. They've been super comfortable and my forays into Rapha, Milltag, RH+ and others honestly haven't come close to Assos.

I get a bit concerned when they make major changes as there's little in the way of cycling kit as reliable and predictable as a pair of Assos bibs or shorts.

I may try a new pair of bibs and see how I fare and whether I should horde some from the factory outlet whilst still available. You never know, it's possible that they've improved them somehow.

If anyone wants them I've got a pair of Assos T Fi.Mille s5 regular leg bibs - they were a gift but didn't fit. Road a sedate 20 mins to work and back and that's it. Think they are about £120 new, so £50? They have the blue dimpley pad. Ping me a PM if of any use.

Edit: size L (180 - 185 cm height).

I will have them depending on size

They're very comfortable but I still have a thing for the orange pads. The whole shorts were better. They looked better, didn't have the rubber gripper stuff, just a thick elastic, the constructions was thicker. They lasted ages.

Size?

What I hate about some rival bibs is that they're going for the hemless thing, and their bibs are like non-sticky sellotape or something. Just ultra-thin fabric, no seams/hems.

Which sounds great, and the first time you try them on they're fab.

But then you wash them, and they're crap. And after the tenth wash they're fairly ugly.

The thicker, with hems, Assos stuff just lasts years, and may be uglier as a result but generally feel as new as the first day for ages.

I have both the s5's and the new s7's. Both are brilliant, but I prefer the new pad (purple). The bib design changed slightly too and the new version is even more comfortable in my opinion.

new pad (purple)

ooh, now we are talking..

Just had a Ribble email about Assos

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/assos-t-equipe-s7-bib-shorts/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Jul23-FlashDeal-10%25Assos&utm_term=UK%20Master%20List

20% off at bikerooms with a free chamoix sample as well .

Ooh.

And if you pause on their checkout page they give you an additional 5% off the already discounted price.

That pad looks very thin.

Bye bye another £300...

Another pair of S5 mille F1 etc or the new T equipe S7? Probably down to whichever is harder wearing.

I held back on ordering any of the flash sale items.

Instead I'm going to go into a shop and checkout the new pads before deciding to drop big bucks on the S7 or save money and go for the S5 remnants.

I'm throwing money first, asking questions later.

I can't tell if a pad is going to work by looking at it so better to just buy, test and return if it's shit. But it's never going to be shit is it? It's Assos.

I suspect you're right and I will be penalised by missing the flash sales. Curse my hesitancy.

I've bought 2 pairs of the S5 blue pad bibs from the Assos Outlet store over the years and I find it hard to image more comfortable shorts.

The old are still as good as the new and they both get worn 3 hours a week minimum.

I just paid a £5k credit card bill, I'm bleeding cash, what's another few hundred. Panic buying is fun! :)

I was going to buy the old orange pad ones assuming that's what the factory outlet store was selling but I didn't want to pay almost the same price as the new ones. Probably should get a pair anyway. Mine are going see-thru on the thighs but they're almost 10 years old.

I saw some see-thru shorts on the Dunwich ride... none were Assos.

But what I saw: polka dot knickers on one girl, a very hair crack on one guy, several quite smooth bums on others.

Shorts that have worn thin don't survive super-bright lights from people riding close behind.

I've always wondered whether it's appropriate to say something like "ahem, I can see your arse..." in that situation...