I don’t think I’ve read a negative review of Assos bibs? Every list puts them at the top and seemingly everybody who has tried them speaks as if they’re sent to earth from the gods. Some people talk as if they’ll change your life. So I picked up a pair of the Equipe RS bibs. And I have to say I’m a little underwhelmed. They’re not bad by any means. They’re just ok. The chamois is middle of the road, not very dense, but not uncomfortable. Sewing is nice and the feel high quality. But nothing about them is really exciting me. If you have them to me unbranded and asked what I think they cost, I might say $150ish. I don’t know, I just don’t see why people are paying $250-300 or more for these.
I don’t see them as any better than my La Passione bibs or my all time favorite, Specialized SL bibs. Not to mention the Specialized have almost zero branding apart from a small black logo that you can barely see. Maybe I was just building them up too much? Or are the Equipe not their best stuff?
Here’s the bibs I bought:
by Junk-Miles
4 Comments
Naming schemes with cycling brands are straight up bad.
For Assos, from thickest to thinniest chamosis: GTO (Dummy THICC) > GT (club fit, padded) > Equipe RS (race fit, thinner padding).
I own GTO and GT since I do long group rides and they’re wonderful for that.
I do know of folks who prefer the Equipe RS anyway since everyone’s fit is different.
Also, I will say Assos’ bib straps are the best in my experiences–super comfortable, you forget that they’re on. I didn’t have that experience with other brands. Avoid PNS bibs, I was pretty disappointed with mine.
There is also GTS which is between GT and GTO. Plus Equipe R which is a cheaper version of RS. They just dropped the new Summer 2025 line.
Assos has a cult like following. They’re just good bibs, but not magic.
The bibs were too long for me but I love their jerseys and windbreakers.