From the “absolute fastest, no compromise, all-around road race wheelset” to the most expensive bib tights we’ll have ever reviewed here at road.cc, this week’s Five Cool Things also features the latest Coros Pace Pro GPS Smart Watch, waterproof accessories and winter cycling gear. Let’s get into the previews…
Assos Mille GTO Winter Bib Tights C2 (£420)
> Best winter bib tights for cycling
The Assos Mille GTO Winter Bib Tights are designed for the harshest cold-weather conditions, according to the Swiss brand. They feature IMPACTOR construction on the hip panels, which includes removable impactPads designed for abrasion resistance and impact protection. Additionally, the Geoprene outer layer at the bottom of the legs is said to repel water, providing extra defence against the elements.
At £100 more than the priciest bib tights we’ve previously reviewed on road.cc so far, could these be the best bib tights Ben has ever tried? At £420, we’d certainly hope so.
Coros Pace Pro GPS Sport Watch (£349)
> Best smart watches for cycling
The Coros Pace Pro is a GPS sports watch tailored for multi-sport athletes, packed with a wide range of features. It has a 1.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen and what the brand claims is the fastest processor in its class – twice the speed of the Pace 3, which I recently reviewed and awarded a 9/10.
Coros promises that the Pace Pro offers up to 38 hours of battery life with GPS operation and 20 days of regular use and sleep tracking. It also provides 24/7 heart rate monitoring, ECG data, full training plans for running, cycling, swimming, cardio, and strength, along with detailed data tracking for all your activities.
Hunt SUB50 Limitless Aero Disc Wheelset (£1,479)
Hunt’s SUB50 Limitless Aero Disc wheels offer “aero superiority and class-beating performance to weight”, claiming to be the fastest road race option out there in a depth of up to 50mm when fitted with either 30mm or 28mm tyres.
They feature hookless rims, carbon spokes and a new ratchet hub, with a claimed weight of 1,428g for the pair. The SUB50’s replace the 48 Limitless Aero Disc wheels which were released in 2019 and have previously earned our Wheels of the Year award.
Check back in a couple of weeks to see if Jamie thinks they are worthy successors.
Muc-Off Waterproof Essentials Case (£30)
Has the recent weather made you nervous about your phone getting water-damaged? Muc-Off claims to have just the thing for you, and Ollie Smith has had plenty of rain (and wind) to put it to the test.
The Muc-Off Waterproof Essentials Case is made from waterproof TPU fabric and is designed to store your phone, essential tools, and puncture repair kits while fitting into your back pocket.
Madison DTE Stellar Tech Isoler Thermal Leg Warmers With DWR (£29.99)
> Best arm and legs warmers for cycling
Madison’s DTE Stellar Tech Isoler Thermal Leg Warmers With DWR are described as “thermal cycling leg warmers with explosive reflectivity for maximum visibility in low light conditions”.
Designed for those in-between days, these thermal Roubaix leg warmers feature a water-resistant coating to fend off spray and light showers, while reflective detailing on the lower legs enhances visibility.
For all the latest road.cc reviews, head over to our reviews section. If you want some more advice before spending your hard-earned cash, check out our buyer’s guides.
21 thoughts on “The most expensive bib tights we’ll have ever reviewed! Five cool things coming soon from Assos, Hunt, Muc-Off, Coros and Madison”
While I can’t afford these
While I can’t afford these particular Assos bib tights, I’m delighted to see winter tights with impact protection. I hope this protection trickles down into Assos’s other bib tights. I value it for winter.
Motorcycle clothing has had incredibly thin armour that’s barely noticeable (e.g., D3O Ghost protectors) available for many years. It’s time cycling caught up, notably for winter wear.
As an aged and now brittler
As an aged and now brittler scrote-cyclist, I feel that clothing that’ll at least reduce the likelihood of a broken hip would be a useful thing. I know half a dozen olde cycling pals, now, who have fallen and broken that part. Some recover with an artificial joint whilst others don’t get fixed soon enough so wither and die.
Best not to crack at all in a fall, really. Best of all – don’t fall …. but even the most careful and experienced cyclists get old and doddery. However, one does not wish for the mad-pantaloon look, especially if one’s hip-wings catch on the hedges.
Cugel wrote:
I agree with you about hip protections. Anyone can make a human error and come off, so armour makes sense for non-racing scenarios – particularly in autumn/winter when it can be slippery, and we’re all dressed up.
For several years, motorcyclists who want to avoid the pantaloon look have been wearing ultra-thin armour, such as D3O Ghost and SAS-TEC Phantom protectors. I hope Assos starts to offer its IMPACTOR protections in other clothing. Others provide some abrasion resistance – Q36.5’s Grid Skin and Nalini’s Dyneema ranges – but lack the impact absorption to reduce fracture risk. However, you could buy two pairs of Q36.5 Grid Skin Winter Tights for the price of one Assos Mille GTO C2 pair!
I cycled slightly over a mini
I cycled slightly over a mini roundabout in a supermarket car park at about 5mph one January. Found some ice, next thing I’m on my side, landing on my hip. Couldn’t sleep on that side for almost a week !
I avoid anything like that, plus any manhole covers to avoid coming off.
Cugel wrote:
In all fairness, nobody says exactly where on your body you should wear a helmet…
I feel that clothing that’ll
I feel that clothing that’ll at least reduce the likelihood of a broken hip would be a useful thing
They have tried this in various trials of padding to reduce hip fractures in the elderly- it doesn’t work on a population level, where the triallists have low bone density. The only hope there is reducing falling. It could be different in those with high bone density and I don’t know about trials in those circumstances, but I hold out more hope for reduction of skin injury using Kevlar patches
I remember reading somewhere
I remember reading somewhere that often the hip fails first due to osteoporosis and actually then causes the fall, which is then blamed for the breakage.
Geoff Ingram wrote:
That’s one case, certainly. But of the two cyclists I know who have hip replacements after breaking theirs when cycle-falling, neither had osteoporosis. On the other hand, bones do get easier to break as one ages – but for more reasons that bone-loss perhaps.
Osteoporosis is apparently more common in older ladies – something to do with the hormone changes of that gender in later life. I have a female friend who snapped her ankle when going down a short playground slide with a bairn in her lap. Until then she had no idea she’s suffered so much bone loss that a wee tap to her ankle would snap it. Mending it was a long-drawn out affair too.
She still cycles but is very wary of any kind of fall now. Would tights or other padded clothing such as these being discussed help? I would guess that if they can be designed and made, there’s a market for them. …. But not at £400+.
Perhaps the identical tights to those in the article may be found without the £300 label sewn on? 🙂
I am sure you are correct
I am sure you are correct when talking about cyclists’ hips. But I was replying to Mr. wtjs’ comment about trials in the general population and hence thinking more of elderly ladies and their osteoporosis -the group you also mention as prone to the disease.
I remember reading somewhere
I remember reading somewhere that often the hip fails first due to osteoporosis and actually then causes the fall, which is then blamed for the breakage
The problem with this hypothesis is that it’s difficult to falsify- it’s going to be almost 100% of occasions that the fractured hip is on the same side as the side onto which the victim fell. This therefore supports both hypotheses- the other being that (much more likely, in my opinion) the fall occurs before the fracture. It’s different with the comparable problem where there’s a fall ‘with a head injury’, and the suspicion is that the fall was caused by a stroke. That one is falsifiable because they’re almost all going to get head CT, and it’s difficult for a fall to cause a brain infarction (dead brain due to blood supply failure)- if there’s a lot of blood about then there may still be some doubt
A very good point. I can’t
A very good point. I can’t remember exactly where I read it, except that it was a reasonably reliable source, not some conspirational headbanger on YT so it seemed a possibilty.
wtjs wrote:
Interestingly, research in motorcycle protective clothing found that body armour provided more abrasion resistance than Kevlar, etc. Abrasion-resistant motorcycle clothing often holed in crashes, but riders avoided road rash due to their body armour:
https://www.georgeinstitute.org/media-releases/motorcycle-protective-clothing-protection-from-injury-or-just-the-weather
“winter bibs” and “harshest
“winter bibs” and “harshest cold-weather conditions” they write. I had to go and check Assos’ website. We’ll some points for at least having a little bit of snow in the promo vid. Still, it can be cold, it can be wet, it can be harsh and whatever, but unless there’s ice and snow all over the f*king place, it’s not winter. FFS. I though after GOT everybody would’ve finally gotten what winter means.
Destroyer666 wrote:
Perhaps with that moniker you are Beezlebub and so unfamiliar with the concept of winter? This is a season of the year defined by the mechanics of the solar system. Snow is just one of its various frocks.
Where is this f*cking place you speak of? Can one buy an entry ticket, to enjoy the gyrations and antics? Not that I’d want to, especially if its all cold and snowy. (I get cold feet standing about in the slush). 🙂
There’s technically a “winter
There’s technically a “winter” in Majorca, too, but it doesn’t have the “harshest cold-weather conditions.”
It doesn’t have to be good enough for Antarctica to qualify, but I’d at least expect it to work in a Minnesota winter.
Cugel wrote:
I can see how this might be a relevant concern for you.
Destroyer666 wrote:
I live in southern England. We had frost on the ground last “winter” on a couple of mornings. Snow fell on one day, IIRC, but didn’t settle.
I hadn’t realised that England didn’t get a winter – must leave myself a note 😉 😀
I accept “winter”. and,
I accept “winter”. and, perhaps, season of mist.
Destroyer666 wrote:
Yeah, my bib tights only come out once the winter has lasted a generation.
Respect.
Respect.
quiff wrote:
Did you go out the back of the wardrobe you found them in perhaps?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion,_the_Witch_and_the_Wardrobe