Hey guys I am looking at purchasing a good pair of bibs to log the cycling miles in. The plan is to train in the bibs and use them for cycling trips next year when I go over to France for a few weeks. I have been looking online and my mates all seem to be either recommending Assos , Rapha or Castelli with those Progetto X2 pads.
For Assos I would be either going for the Cento or the Equipe models ,while Rapha everyone seems to be recommending the Pro Team Bibs. Castelli is the interesting one as some of my mates say it is the best bibs u can buy and some say it is the worst lol.
The other issue is Rapha doesn’t have a shop where I can try the bibs (call my old fashion but I really would love to try it on first before deciding to purchase them or not). Assos and Castelli has no such issue as my local LBS has both brands in stock. And to sweeten the deal he is giving me a pretty good discount as i intend to purchase 3 and I have been quite a loyal customer.
I have the Castellis and the Assos. The Castelli X2 is a great everyday pad; really well done and high tech. The Assos is a thicker, less tapered pad; great for longer rides. I have more of the Castelli, because I can get them on deep discount ($100-$125) at times. The Assos comes out for long rides, fondos, etc.
Regarding Assos. The Cento model has something called Kuku Penthouse. Does the fabric cause any abrasion?
That is one area u definitely won’t want any abrasion lol.
And for that price of $125 is it a online website pricing or a LBS?
Hey guys I am looking at purchasing a good pair of bibs to log the cycling miles in. The plan is to train in the bibs and use them for cycling trips next year when I go over to France for a few weeks. I have been looking online and my mates all seem to be either recommending Assos , Rapha or Castelli with those Progetto X2 pads.
For Assos I would be either going for the Cento or the Equipe models ,while Rapha everyone seems to be recommending the Pro Team Bibs. Castelli is the interesting one as some of my mates say it is the best bibs u can buy and some say it is the worst lol.
The other issue is Rapha doesn’t have a shop where I can try the bibs (call my old fashion but I really would love to try it on first before deciding to purchase them or not). Assos and Castelli has no such issue as my local LBS has both brands in stock. And to sweeten the deal he is giving me a pretty good discount as i intend to purchase 3 and I have been quite a loyal customer.
So decisions???
Thanks.
I’ve various products from all three companies, bibs from Assos & Castelli only. All make good stuff but I’d rank Assos and Rapha ahead of Castelli - mostly due to fit and durability. My Castelli stuff just doesn’t seem to last as long as the others. So, to your question: if your LBS has Assos, you’ll get a deal and you like to try things on - go with the LBS/Assos.
However, Rapha make great kit and their customer service is excellent - you just need to get past the try-on factor. Which leads me to say: get a pair of them too. If you’re going to cycle as much as you say you are and you’re prepared to buy three pairs - get one from Rapha as well.
Starting with the chammies, I find Rapha to be more comfortable than many brands. Having said that, I have not worn the new (purple) Assos products, mainly because I am not keen on the styling of Assos overall or the high price for the top model bibs. Ya, Rapha is expensive too but still in Aus the top Assos bibs were $500 AUD.
On the other hand, being a 193cm scrawny roadie, and even though I like the quality of Rapha and really like their chammy, I’ve found a local Aussie brand Attaquer fits me better. The Rapha Pro Team line is made to fit a shorter standard body, so getting a tight fit means my jersey is kinda short. Attaquer styling isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, though I’ve no complaints on chammy.
Anyway, there are a lot of good quality kits with good chammies. I think the low volume custom manufacturers must be quite happy with all the micro brands popping up.
I am actually also aligned more towards Assos since about 6 of my mates have been using the Cento and Equipe models when they got released and they swear by the comfort it provides them as compared to the tri suit (unfair comparison I know). One was even crazy enough to buy the Campionissimo model.
The other thing is the Assos rep said you are recommended to use liquid soap when it is thrown into the wash? And only cold, gentle wash. Seems rather fragile to me no?
How do you take care of your Assos bibs? I definitely don’t wish to be seeing my new bibs coming out thrashed. As all my tri suits , bibs, running shorts I just simply placed them in a netted bag and chuck whatever soap there is in the drawer .90% of the time it is in powder format unless the missus has the fancy Japanese liquid soap which cost a bloody bomb and I have been warned never to use sadly…
Re Rapha maybe I would just take a chance and just purchase one and see how it goes.
I know rapha does have a great return or exchange program. Might take a bit longer but I would order a pair and just try it out. Return if needed. You can always check to see if they have a pop up location coming near you too.
Also you can never go wrong with castelli. Both my rapha and castelli are super comfortable during my long rides.
Rapha also “recommend” their own hyper-expensive soap. I worked for an Assos Concept Store and while the Assos soap is terrific, the value proposition is absurd. That shit’s expensive.
Lycra - any lycra, Assos or not - is best treated gently. Heat kills it, salt kills it, detergents kill it. I can attest that Assos products are super-durable, and my five-year-old bibs still fit and function good as new. I machine-wash my stuff on low heat (30c) and with no detergents and everything is surviving just fine.
Does anyone know if the Rapha Cycle Club in Sydney stock clothing? If so I will be going over to Sydney next month on a business trip.
Yes, they stock pretty much everything, its a good shop. They often have more available than is on display too, make sure you speak with the staff. The staff are generally very good with fit and technical knowledge too.
Their cafe is good as well…I struggle to stay away…
Comfort, quality, durability and ability to wick water are second to none. Comfort IMO is key. A minute after you put them on you forget about them.
Running in them is also possible.
And as an added bonus, they also have a sunglass holder piece on each bib strap.
Love my Assos S7. Never bought expensive bibs before, will never buy cheap ones again.
Edit to add: I raced IM Cairns in them this year. I wore them under my wetsuit for the swim and just threw a full zip jersey on in T1 with everything I needed already in the pockets.
The Assos Cento is my go-to bib for long rides. They sell for $325USD…so while more than the top of the line Castelli or Rapha, it’s not that much more. And it’s definitely a better bib and chamois is killer.
The Assos Cento is my go-to bib for long rides. They sell for $325USD…so while more than the top of the line Castelli or Rapha, it’s not that much more. And it’s definitely a better bib and chamois is killer.
Do you get any chafing from the Kuku Penthouse? One of my mates ditched his Cento model and went for the Equipe because in his words “The pouch was rubbing around my dick causing chafing” If I do decide to go down the Assos route I would be going for the Cento model due to the thicker pad but I don’t wish to have chafing at my family heirloom area lol.
My LBS doesn’t stock any DeSoto bibs? But I also heard great stuff about their 400mile bibs. How’s durability on those?
I don’t mind paying extra cash for the durability of a product
I bought a pair of DeSoto 400 mile bibs in the spring as I trained for a double century. They quickly became my preferred gear, and I’ve put them through a few washings per week since then, and they’re holding up very well.