ASSOS have unveiled their summer 2018 collection with a significant increase in their offering for female cyclists and in their entry-level Mille range.
In what Richard Todd, managing director of Assos UK, described as a "democratisation" of the Assos line, all product ranges will now be available in the lower price point for Mille, meaning that new Assos customers can have a complete range of kit from the same collection.
We picked out what we thought were some highlights of the new range:
FORTONI tribute jersey £130
ASSOS was founded by Toni Maier in 1976 and he is credited with being the first person to bring lycra to the sport of cycling, when he was testing bike frame in a wind tunnel for their aerodynamic qualities and found that lycra ski suits had far less drag than the wool jerseys that were worn by cyclists at the time.
The company has now launched a tribute jersey with retro 1970s styling, available in three colours (Azzurro Nazionale, caleum blue & sage silver, which is light blue, dark blue and silver to people who don't work in the fashion press). FORTONI means that it is 'For Toni' but anyone who has worn ASSOS for a while knows that they play fast and loose with capitalisation and merging of names of their products.
We liked the look a lot and we expect to see a lot of these jerseys out on big rides such as the Maratona, Marmotte and Etape.
Mille long sleeve summer jersey £95
Watching the new kit being presented, this was the one item that really stood out for me. Blue swirls won't be to everyone's taste but for those who don't want a team kit or the classic mono colour of the 'style leaders' then this is a really interesting and different look. I think that wearing this out on a group ride will get a lot of compliments. The same jersey is available for women in a short sleeve version, if you want to go for that matching look with your partner...
Equipe RS Schloss Hund rain jacket £255
My half-German wife was amused by the name of the new ASSOS rain jacket, which literally translates as 'castle dog'. I think the actual meaning is more like 'guard dog' and the idea is that it keeps you dry in seriously bad weather. It is an update on the ASSOS sturmPrinz jacket, which many riders I know swear is the best on the market.
The Schloss Hund (which they admitted will probably be marketed as the Equipe RS in the UK) is half the weight of the sturmPrinz and has been redesigned on the sleeves to make it much easier to put on and take off, following advice from the BMC team that they were cutting off the cuffs to make it easier to use during a ride.
Additional features include a reflective strip down the back and a double zip puller, meaning you can unzip from the bottom of the jersey as well as the top. I really like this feature as I find that I would often rather unzip a rain jersey from the bottom than the top.
Women's UMA GT jersey (£85) and bib shorts (£95)
ASSOS, like many other cycle clothing suppliers, are really expanding their women's range and also thinking a lot more about making female specific designs, rather than making their men's range in smaller sizes with a slightly bigger chest and producing them in pinks and pastels. The UMA GT jerseys have three panels (instead of two for men) so they stretch in the right places and there are six new colour versions for summer 2018.
The female bib shorts have a 8mm female specific memory insert and look to be a high quality bib short (we will let you know more when we've actually ridden some).
Interestingly, ASSOS also have reformed their LaaLaLai range (which is slightly more expensive at £110 for a jersey) which are now in five new colour ranges which also have matching bib shorts (still black bib shorts but flashes of colour to match the jerseys).
Skinfoil HotSummer Evo7 base layer (£55)
The feedback from the BMC pro team was that the ASSOS base layers they had been wearing were great in most conditions but when it got really warm outside then the layers were just too hot. The Skinfoil HotSummer base layers are designed for when it gets about 35 degrees and while you need the wicking elements of a base layer, you want to make sure that it doesn't feel like you are wearing two layers of clothing. There is both a male and female range. It will be interesting to test and see how it works but we love the concept.
Sportive.com hope to have more detailed reviews of the individual pieces of ASSOS kit in the next few weeks, once we have received some items for test reviews.
The new range will be available in store and at assos.com from mid-January 2018.
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