The Assos Mille GTS Spring Fall Jacket C2 is an excellent jersey-like option that offers impressive wind protection and breathability, and a more casual fit than some of Assos' racier offerings. While it can't compete with the best waterproof cycling jackets on wet days, it's a great choice for cool, dry days.
It's that time of year where you look out the window thinking it's one temperature and step out the door only to find it's another, then when you're 10 miles into your ride, another again. It makes it very difficult to know how to dress, which is where jackets like this Mille GTS step in.
Though it's called a jacket, it's more part jersey, part jacket. You aren't likely to want to wear a jersey under it, but at the same time you wouldn't want to wear a jacket over the top, other than a light rain shell on really wet days. It wears multiple hats. That could be seen as a weakness, but it's actually a great option for this time of year when the weather can change almost as quickly as a conservative government.
It manages this by combining genuinely impressive protection against the cold with excellent breathability.
Assos has used its windproof and waterproof Airblock.888 material across the front of the jacket. This offered protection against everything I had thrown at me during October and November – no small feat. The windproofing, in particular, is very noticeable. I took this out on some cold and windy rides around the Dorset coast and it was the ideal testing ground. You could feel the wind pushing the jersey into your chest, but none of that came through – very impressive.
The sleeve material is RX Evo Light, which offers a degree of water resistance – it's good for showers or light rain – while at the rear Assos has prioritised breathability: the back panel is made of a mesh material that lets hot air pass through easily. As your back is generally sheltered from the wind it doesn't need wind protection, but you wouldn't want to be caught out in heavy rain without an extra layer. It's fine for light showers, but in rain or to protect against road spray you'll want to shove a rain jacket over the top.
At the top Assos has included its StruzzoKragen collar, a thermoregulated design for allowing increased breathability, reducing the need for you to unzip when the temperature rises. This worked fairly well, but did I still feel the need to unzip halfway up long climbs? Absolutely.
At the back are three good sized pockets, each with a flap at the top to prevent things flying out when you're riding – a nice touch. There's no zip pocket, which is a bit of an omission but not the end of the world.
It falls into Assos' 'comfort series'. The fit is more relaxed than its racier items; it's comfortable, but the cut still draws you towards a more tucked position. When you're standing it can feel a little tight around the shoulders and chest, but on the bike the fit is ideal.
Value
As you may expect from Assos, the Mille GTS doesn't come cheap. At £210 it is cheaper than Castelli's Perfetto RoS 2, which Liam described as brilliant but which costs £245, though its water-resistant fabric will see off a very heavy shower and road spray.
Sportful's Fiandre Pro Medium jacket is another jersey-like option and a tenner cheaper than the Assos at £200, while other weatherproof jerseys you could consider comparable include 7mesh's Seton, which Iwein tested recently, and which is £40 less, and Shimano's S-Phyre, which Liam also reviewed, a few years ago. It has a tighter fit, but offers similar weatherproofing qualities, and has a current rrp of £199.99.
Overall I was really impressed with this Assos offering. It is very versatile and perfect for riding in autumn and spring months. With the ability to offer impressive wind and rain protection while still remaining breathable enough to comfortably wear into the low teens, it is an excellent choice. The only big stumbling block is the price.
Verdict
Pricey, but this is a great high-quality shoulder season option
Make and model: Assos Mille GTS Spring Fall Jacket C2
Tell us what the jacket is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Assos says: "Our iconic Spring Fall Jacket reworked, blending new, proprietary membrane protection with breathable thermal insulation. Perfectly tuned for variable cold, wet, and windy conditions as part of a layering system: wear with a base layer for cooler days or go with lighter layers for warm days."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the jacket?
From Assos:
AIRBLOCK.888 mid-weight technical membrane insulates and blocks wind and water, protecting your microclimate against variable conditions
RX EVO Light sleeves are lightly insulated, breathable, and repel road spray and light precipitation
struzzoKragen neck collar of lighter, soft touch insulation with a comfort fit, designed to actively modulate the personal microclimate without requiring unzipping and exposing the throat to cold air. Layers over neck warmers on colder days
Streamlined regularFit, finished with the Stabilizator V11's high-stretch, elastic-free hem to maintain coverage without constriction
Triple Ramp Pockets have flexible fabric panels sewn into the pockets to create 'lids,' securing and stabilising the contents while protecting against precipitation or road spray
Reflective elastic adds visibility to the back hem in the low-light, overcast conditions when wind and rain protection are most valuable
Rate the jacket for quality of construction:
9/10
Very well made, with well-thought-out materials and strong stitching throughout.
Rate the jacket for performance:
9/10
Does exactly what's needed at this time of year, offering both weatherproofing and breathability for changing conditions.
Rate the jacket for durability:
8/10
No reason to think it won't last; no threads have come loose, it's survived several washing cycles and looks as good as when it arrived.
Rate the jacket for waterproofing based on the manufacturer's rating:
7/10
Waterproofing on the front is great, on the arms it's fairly good, and on the back it's not really designed to be waterproof but is fine in a shower.
Rate the jacket for breathability based on the manufacturer's rating:
10/10
Superb breathability, easily its strongest asset.
Rate the jacket for fit:
8/10
A really good fit, halfway between casual and aero, which is ideal for the kind of riding I tend to do at this time of year.
Rate the jacket for sizing:
8/10
The large I tested sized up as expected.
Rate the jacket for weight:
7/10
Rate the jacket for comfort:
9/10
Very comfortable; the cut feels a bit weird off the bike, but is ideal when you're riding.
Rate the jacket for value:
5/10
How easy is the jacket to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Very easy. I chucked it in with everything else at 30 degrees without any issues at all.
Tell us how the jacket performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well, it is an ideal shoulder season option.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the jacket
The breathability is superb, and means you can safely go out on a cold morning and not worry about the temperature quickly rising during the ride.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the jacket
It doesn't come cheap.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market including ones recently tested on road.cc?
At £210 it is cheaper than Castelli's Perfetto RoS 2, which Liam described as brilliant but which costs £245, though its water-resistant fabric will see off a very heavy shower and road spray.
Sportful's Fiandre Pro Medium jacket is another jersey-like option and a tenner cheaper at £200, while other weatherproof jerseys you could consider comparable include 7mesh's Seton, which Iwein tested recently, and which is £40 less, and Shimano's S-Phyre, which offers similar weatherproofing qualities and costs £199.99.
Did you enjoy using the jacket? Yes
Would you consider buying the jacket? Yes
Would you recommend the jacket to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
It's excellent. Yes it's expensive, but it's a high quality and genuinely useful piece of kit for this time of year. Being able to wear it across multiple conditions means you don't need to worry about layering, additional kit, or that you'll get boiled if the temperature increases.
Age: 35 Height: 6 ft Weight:
I usually ride: CAAD13 My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed,
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