Assos Equipe RS Spring Fall Bib Shorts S9

The Assos Equipe RS Spring Fall Bib Shorts S9 are some of the best cycling bib shorts out there. They're excellent. Comfortable and warm, with a great pad, there's really nothing not to like about them – except perhaps the price.

Assos has used its Osmos Heavy material for the majority of the shorts. It's soft, stretchy, and provides a considerable amount of warmth. It has a fleecy lining that keeps you warm and comfortable even when riding in fairly cold conditions.

Despite the extra weight, the material is also very breathable and wicks well, something that becomes extra important in changeable conditions as the last thing you want is a pair of sweat-sodden shorts in the freezing cold. Both are exemplary on these shorts, quickly moving sweat away from the body.

Pad

The pad, too, is excellent. It's soft against the skin, squishy without making you feel 'enveloped', and firm enough to keep you comfortable on a variety of rides. I used these shorts in lots of different conditions and on a variety of surfaces and never once wished I was wearing something else.

Assos has used essentially the same pad as in its Equipe RS summer shorts, but without the 'kraterCooler' ventilation system. In fact, not only has it removed the ventilation system, it's added a panel of 2L Sphere Ultra, a weatherproof, breathable membrane, to the crotch area.

I certainly didn't feel like the shorts lacked in ventilation – and you're unlikely to be using these in anything much above 10°C anyway – and the extra weatherproofing is really useful.

They're designed for cool, dry days, but I used these shorts for a fair few wet rides and post-rain gravel rides and didn't notice any water ingress in this area. The thicker material all-round provides extra weather protection anyway, but having a specific weatherproof panel here is really useful.

Assos has used its 'GoldenGate' system to stitch the pad to the shorts. It's attached only at the front and back, allowing the pad to move more freely with you as you shift on the saddle throughout the ride – like a Mips helmet system but for your bum. It works really well.

Fit and cut

The fit of these shorts is as close to aero as you're likely to get in a cool/cold weather pair. I didn't notice any kind of bunching or folding. The stretch in the fabric combined with the grippers on the bottom of the legs keeps everything in place impressively well.

Unlike the majority of colder weather shorts, these don't sit higher on the body. They essentially have the same cut as summer shorts, but with significant insulation on the legs. I initially thought this could cause issues with cool air rising up into the jersey, but this wasn't the case at all, even in cold and rotten conditions.

The shorts use the same 'Carbon Xbib' design as the Equipe RS summer shorts, creating what is essentially a harness in the middle of the back, which takes a lot of the strain off the shoulders and offers balanced support to the bottom of the shorts.

The straps are attached both to the top of the shorts section and just above the pad. Assos calls them 'rollBar' straps (in its description of the summer shorts), designed to 'lock the insert in place'. It's the same system here, and it works, keeping everything in place and secure.

At the bottom of the legs the Ultralight Leg Grippers are impressive. Essentially three lines of silicone that run around your leg, they keep everything secure when riding, and on top of that they keep knee and leg warmers in place well too, which is very useful – I often preferred pairing these with knee or leg warmers rather than going with full-length bibs.

Value

Coming in at £200 these are not cheap, but you really are getting top quality for your money. These are probably the most comfortable autumn/spring bib shorts I have ever used.

> How to dress for cycling in autumn

And they're not overpriced compared with other high-end thermal shorts. Rapha's Pro Team Winter Bib Shorts are another £15, and while Le Col's Pro Thermal Bib Shorts II are £5 less, and look to offer a similar high-quality construction and comfortable pad, they lack some of the innovations you get with the Assos pair.

However, they are £40 more than Poc's Road Thermal Bib Shorts, which we haven't tested, though I have heard good things about them, and £50 more than Sportful's Fiandre NoRain Pro bib shorts which, if you clicked on our guide to the best cycling bib shorts mentioned at the start, you'll see get our vote for best winter bib shorts. Jamie reviewed them in 2019 and described them as 'perfect shorts for imperfect weather'.

Overall

In conclusion, you can save money by going for cheaper (but still very good) options, but apart from the price there isn't much not to like about these Assos bib shorts. They are very comfortable, fit well and stay in place perfectly, and offer both warmth and breathability.

The pad is superbly comfortable, and the GoldenGate construction means that even on the longest rides they stay that way.

The only real issue with these is that they are expensive, but I reckon you are getting what you pay for: a supremely impressive pair of autumn/spring bib shorts.

Verdict

Very impressive shoulder season shorts that are both warm and comfortable