Assos back at 700
Assos are a cycling apparel brand synonymous with quality and performance and are famed particularly for their shorts.
Based in Switzerland on the border with Italy, Assos have been at the forefront of cycling clothing since the introduction in 1976, of their then revolutionary lycra cycling short. Over the years their designers have pioneered new fabrics, technologies and approaches to cycling apparel that have revolutionised how we perform and enjoy our cycling. The ALS (Assos Layering System) a case in point – pivotal in maximising the efficiency both of the clothing we wear and the body beneath it – layering is accepted wisdom and that is largely thanks to Assos.
Blending stereotypical Swiss precision with Italian passion, Assos continue to push boundaries and pioneer cycling clothing with meticulous attention to detail, proprietary materials, ergonomic design and elegant aesthetics. Assos’ range is broad, offering the discerning cyclist all they could need to get the most from their cycling : indoors and out, regardless of discipline and offers complementary fits for racers and enthusiasts alike. Offering a selection of jerseys, shorts, tights, jackets, base layers, gilets and accessories – as well as the products to take proper care of them – Assos is a brand you can be confident in to support you in your riding.
Despite (in our opinion – and on the basis of customer feedback at the time) a ‘wobble’ around 6 years ago with the loss of their pivotal man – Luigi Bergamo (founder of Q36.5), coupled with a simultaneous change in distribution that has since settled; Assos retain a look and brand image that few other cycling apparel companies seem to be able to match. With their clean lines and clear attention to both aesthetic details and technical performance, they have carved a name for themselves as something of an aspirational product and an industry benchmark.
In the early days of 700, prior to the ‘wobble’ and our subsequent decision to switch to Q36.5 – following Luigi on his new venture, Assos were our best selling clothing brand by some significant margin. It is with pleasure then, that we welcome Assos back into the fold. With their pricing shift and new direction, we feel they are a prefect complement to Q36.5 and can now offer both of these premium, complementary brands to our discerning customers.
In recent years and largely as a result of Assos taking over distribution and being more hands-on, the company – while continuing to offer a comprehensive range of clothing and accessories manufactured (unlike most) in their own facilities – has made 2 key changes.
Firstly, they have refined their clothing ranges ultimately resulting in the creation of a Total Comfort line and a Race line. Both offer key technologies that pervade both lines, the difference lies predominantly in the fit.
Total Comfort comprises the MILLE GT and UMA GT ranges, Mille for men, Uma for women. Total comfort is aimed at the committed and discerning rider looking for comfort first and while the range is unquestionably a performance one, the clothing has a more forgiving ‘regular’ fit so you can ride and enjoy it as much as possible.
The EQUIPE RS and DYORA RS for men and women respectively, make up the Race Series. Designed to offer the speed-focused rider or committed racer, all the technical benefit possible in a closer fitting, second-skin, aerodynamic clothing range that is optimised to perform at higher intensities.
Both ranges are split into Summer, Spring/Fall and Winter and garment detailing is colour coordinated for simplicity too. Yellow = Spring/Fall and Blue = Winter. These are augmented by a solid line of what the company call ASOSSOIRES. A cunning pun indeed, this range of warmers, base layers, socks, gloves etc is essentially universal and designed to complement either GT or RS ranges.
Secondly, while remaining a premium brand, Assos have done some fine price evaluation – again the result of removing the middle man from the supply chain – and now offer some exceptional tech at more reasonable price points; firmly elevating them above those companies that deliver decade old tech, marketing spiel and a lot of ‘fluff’ at the same price – and there are plenty out there!
I’ve long believed that should a product or brand not stack up to the competition at any point during its tenancy at 700, we would remove it. This was exactly the case 6 years ago with Assos vs Q36.5. Equally, I also believe that should the reverse happen, I would consider it once again. Our re-introduction of Assos after 6 years is timely. We held off for a while as for much of the range there were only minor changes to product (aside from the obvious Equipe _s9 ranges and a few key lines) in the intervening years. It made more sense to wait for the full range to come into line with regards to short technologies and as Assos themselves put the finishing touches on the refinement of their line-up. This should be achieved during 2021 and we look forward to sharing some excellent new products and tech with you.
So, starting with Spring Summer 2021, we are pleased to once again be offering our customers Assos products and we are now fairly confident that we have the 2 best cycling clothing brands on the market, available to you.
We have cherry-picked our range of Assos and are prioritising our web-listings with that in mind. More product is being added all the time and needless to say, if there is a product that you would like but cannot yet see on the site – just ping us an email or give us a call and we can help you out.
Check out the ASSOS Range
