Your recommendation for bib shorts and longs

[Brakepad]

had some assos, vermark , pearl izumi, giordana… but since the latest addition will nit touch them. its a 4mm thin padded bib from sqlab

[DieselnDust]

Hi folks,

I hope you’re not struggling too much under the circumstances and that you are well.

 

Do you have a bib / longs / chamois/ riding pant for road duty that you recommend or really appreciate above any others?

Maybe you even have different ones for different conditions. I’d love to hear what you enjoy using.

 

 

I'm no to come out brand bashing or praising. I think every brand caters for some of the some of the time, some of the people all of the time but not all of the people all of the time.

 

There are a few brands whose sizes are just so inconsistent between models that I really don't like them but  here goes:

 

One also needs to consider that sizing plays a big roll in how fit and comfort is perceived so its always best to try before you buy and not go on other peoples comfort recommendations. Some peeps find Pearl Izumi to be the best fit and comfort while I think its a plastic bag with an ironing board sown to the inside.....never-the-less...here's my humble opinion.

 

Best value of money: Vye Cycle Kit out of Cape Town. 4 hours on an indoor trainer doesn't lie. At around R1200 per bib its my go to budget bib.

 

Best high end brand: Assos. Whether you buy a Gt Mille or an S9 you're getting a heritage product. Years of passion for making the best possible bibs delivers great products that last.

They're got thick pads for MTB, medium pads for road and thin pads for Tri. They cover your butt no matter what.

 

Others barnds in my kit bag...

Ciovita.... inconsistent and the i think the corsa 2.0 is a step forward in pad but 2 steps backward in the panelling and stitching.

 

Pave......becoming a favourite slotting in under Assos and displacing my Castelli fetish.

 

Castelli.....nice italian threads. Buy a size up ad don'texpect more than 3-4 seasons out of it. Beautiful light air, fragile....Like an Alfa Romeo.

 

Cannondale......still rebadged Sugoi. Never seem to have my size in stock but otherwise great when they do.

 

Pearl Izumi..........less said the better.

 

Leatt 1.0 trail pants. Really cool but the inner shorts and outer shorts sizing doesn't match. Needs more R&D and a decent size curve. Great quality though.

[Aurora]

Gone through a lot of different brand over the years but the ones that I always go back to are the ASSOS MILLE and the Cuore but both for different reasons. 

 

If you could put the Assos chamois into the Cuore Bib / Lycra, you would have the perfect set of bibs. 

[varkie2]

Assos

[Chris_]

had some assos, vermark , pearl izumi, giordana… but since the latest addition will nit touch them. its a 4mm thin padded bib from sqlab

 

Where did you buy these? (I like the sciency stuff on their site.)

[Nevermore]

Hi folks,

I hope you’re not struggling too much under the circumstances and that you are well.

 

Do you have a bib / longs / chamois/ riding pant for road duty that you recommend or really appreciate above any others?

Maybe you even have different ones for different conditions. I’d love to hear what you enjoy using.

Assos is the best. You'll waste your money trying something else, the guys at cyclesharp are the best when it comes to apparel imo

 

https://www.cyclesharp.co.za/product-category/assos/

[gerriemtb]

Rather than creating a new thread, I will post and ask here:

I currently have a Pearl IzumI bib that cost just over 1k.

 

I am looking at getting either the Assos T Mille S7 (I see Assos is loved on the forum!) or the Ciovita Supremo bib (recommended by a friend).
 

Two questions:

1. Between the two, which one would you recommend, especially regarding comfort and durability?

2. Is the jump in price worth the jump in cost (from 1K for another one of my current bibs to nearly 3)?

Cheers!

[RobertWhitehead]

I have only used Assos and I won't buy anything else. A bib and saddle to me is a non-negotiable, when I started cycling long distances (Transbaviaans, C2T etc) I spent over R7k on doctors bills and medication due to having some prostate and bladder issues.

The last doctor I went to, a urologist told me that if I wanted to stay out of his rooms I needed to invest in proper kit. 

 

At that point I was just riding with the most affordable bib I could find (Merrel, Anatomic, First Accent and or anything I could find under R1000) and sommer the saddle the bike came out with. I now ride with a phenom and Assos and this combo works for me.

 

Mille S7 bib for around R2 699.00 (https://www.cyclelab.com/product/assos-t-mille-s7-mens-bib-shorts-black) - how long do you think this bib will last? The reason why I chose the s7 Mille is because I have 2 pairs. 

 

My first pair I bought back in 2014 or 2015 from Solomons and I still use them on the trainer - the lycra becomes quite thin over the years and wont be suitable for outdoor use anymore  . Also, the chamois on this one only gives me support for around 45 min to an hour where as in the past or when it was still new I could easily do 10 hours plus  .

 

The Assos price tag can be daunting to start off with but lets do some simple math: R 2 699.00 / 5 = R 539.80 p/a or R 44.98 p/m 

 

Then lastly what I have also found is that the cheaper bibs tend to fail faster and you end up buying more than one pair over the time one pair of Assos lasts

 

Rather than creating a new thread, I will post and ask here:

I currently have a Pearl IzumI bib that cost just over 1k.

 

I am looking at getting either the Assos T Mille S7 (I see Assos is loved on the forum!) or the Ciovita Supremo bib (recommended by a friend).
 

Two questions:

1. Between the two, which one would you recommend, especially regarding comfort and durability?

2. Is the jump in price worth the jump in cost (from 1K for another one of my current bibs to nearly 3)?

Cheers!

[Prince]

Rather than creating a new thread, I will post and ask here:

 

I currently have a Pearl IzumI bib that cost just over 1k.

 

I am looking at getting either the Assos T Mille S7 (I see Assos is loved on the forum!) or the Ciovita Supremo bib (recommended by a friend).

 

Two questions:

1. Between the two, which one would you recommend, especially regarding comfort and durability?

2. Is the jump in price worth the jump in cost (from 1K for another one of my current bibs to nearly 3)?

 

Cheers!

 

1. Assos

2. Hell yeah!

[gerriemtb]

I have only used Assos and I won't buy anything else. A bib and saddle to me is a non-negotiable, when I started cycling long distances (Transbaviaans, C2T etc) I spent over R7k on doctors bills and medication due to having some prostate and bladder issues.

The last doctor I went to, a urologist told me that if I wanted to stay out of his rooms I needed to invest in proper kit. 

 

At that point I was just riding with the most affordable bib I could find (Merrel, Anatomic, First Accent and or anything I could find under R1000) and sommer the saddle the bike came out with. I now ride with a phenom and Assos and this combo works for me.

 

Mille S7 bib for around R2 699.00 (https://www.cyclelab.com/product/assos-t-mille-s7-mens-bib-shorts-black) - how long do you think this bib will last? The reason why I chose the s7 Mille is because I have 2 pairs. 

 

My first pair I bought back in 2014 or 2015 from Solomons and I still use them on the trainer - the lycra becomes quite thin over the years and wont be suitable for outdoor use anymore  . Also, the chamois on this one only gives me support for around 45 min to an hour where as in the past or when it was still new I could easily do 10 hours plus  .

 

The Assos price tag can be daunting to start off with but lets do some simple math: R 2 699.00 / 5 = R 539.80 p/a or R 44.98 p/m 

 

Then lastly what I have also found is that the cheaper bibs tend to fail faster and you end up buying more than one pair over the time one pair of Assos lasts

Thanks a lot for the feedback!

 

I sorted my saddle out late last year (also on a phenom now) and now I am having a serious look at decent bibs - looks like Assos is the way to go.

 

[gerriemtb]

1. Assos

2. Hell yeah!

Nice, thanks!

[DieselnDust]

Rather than creating a new thread, I will post and ask here:

 

I currently have a Pearl IzumI bib that cost just over 1k.

 

I am looking at getting either the Assos T Mille S7 (I see Assos is loved on the forum!) or the Ciovita Supremo bib (recommended by a friend).

 

Two questions:

1. Between the two, which one would you recommend, especially regarding comfort and durability?

2. Is the jump in price worth the jump in cost (from 1K for another one of my current bibs to nearly 3)?

 

Cheers!

 

 

You have three alterntives:

 

1) Assos T Mille GT

2) Assos T Mille S7

3) AssosT Mille GT on special at our most loved to hate online bikestore.

 

The Pearl Izumi bibs are like broken underpants in comfort comparison.

 

I won't get into Ciovita but lets just say its been a massive disappointment.

Yes Assos is well worth the jump in price, a much better investment.

 

A really good and well priced local brand is Vye Cycle Kit. Their Mirage bib surprises me all the time and is my indoor trainer workhorse. For R1100 these are probably the best value for money out there and they don't advertise aggressively. Why I do not know

 

A few stores do run promotions on Assos from time to time. 

 

Some perspective: I have several ASSOS bibs dating back to 2002:

 

FI.13 form 2002 is used on IDT because its too thin for external use/

Campionissmo from 2003, has a small hole but It's still in use out there and comfy as heck

Mille from 2005, still in active use

These three have all completed 2 8 day stage races, several 2, 3 and 4 day stage races and tours.

I started replacing these with T Mille S7's and Mille GT's  that are absolutely excellent. I may hand over some extra cash for a Evo or S9 when I next purchase bibs.

Ca

Edited May 25, 2020 by DieselnDust

[gerriemtb]

You have three alterntives:

 

1) Assos T Mille GT

2) Assos T Mille S7

3) AssosT Mille GT on special at our most loved to hate online bikestore.

 

The Pearl Izumi bibs are like broken underpants in comfort comparison.

 

I won't get into Ciovita but lets just say its been a massive disappointment.

Yes Assos is well worth the jump in price, a much better investment.

 

A really good and well priced local brand is Vye Cycle Kit. Their Mirage bib surprises me all the time and is my indoor trainer workhorse. For R1100 these are probably the best value for money out there and they don't advertise aggressively. Why I do not know

 

A few stores do run promotions on Assos from time to time. 

 

Some perspective: I have several ASSOS bibs dating back to 2002:

 

FI.13 form 2002 is used on IDT because its too thin for external use/

Campionissmo from 2003, has a small hole but It's still in use out there and comfy as heck

Mille from 2005, still in active use

These three have all completed 2 8 day stage races, several 2, 3 and 4 day stage races and tours.

I started replacing these with T Mille S7's and Mille GT's  that are absolutely excellent. I may hand over some extra cash for a Evo or S9 when I next purchase bibs.

Ca

Great to hear, thanks a lot.

[Veebee]

Rather than creating a new thread, I will post and ask here:

I currently have a Pearl IzumI bib that cost just over 1k.

 

I am looking at getting either the Assos T Mille S7 (I see Assos is loved on the forum!) or the Ciovita Supremo bib (recommended by a friend).

 

Two questions:

1. Between the two, which one would you recommend, especially regarding comfort and durability?

2. Is the jump in price worth the jump in cost (from 1K for another one of my current bibs to nearly 3)?

Cheers!

Assos all the way !

I have a Supremo bib and they are nice, but my Assos Cento and S9 are still ALOT more comfy.

[RobertWhitehead]

How do you manage to get it to last that long? I bought an S5 short the same time as the bib in 2014 or 2015 and both has stretched quite a bit. In fact, I gave away the shorts because I started to look like Obelix  . I literally had to pull it up to just under my armpits to get it to fit  . 

 

Then also the chamois starts to give way, not the support it had when new 

 

You have three alterntives:

 

1) Assos T Mille GT

2) Assos T Mille S7

3) AssosT Mille GT on special at our most loved to hate online bikestore.

 

The Pearl Izumi bibs are like broken underpants in comfort comparison.

 

I won't get into Ciovita but lets just say its been a massive disappointment.

Yes Assos is well worth the jump in price, a much better investment.

 

A really good and well priced local brand is Vye Cycle Kit. Their Mirage bib surprises me all the time and is my indoor trainer workhorse. For R1100 these are probably the best value for money out there and they don't advertise aggressively. Why I do not know

 

A few stores do run promotions on Assos from time to time. 

 

Some perspective: I have several ASSOS bibs dating back to 2002:

 

FI.13 form 2002 is used on IDT because its too thin for external use/

Campionissmo from 2003, has a small hole but It's still in use out there and comfy as heck

Mille from 2005, still in active use

These three have all completed 2 8 day stage races, several 2, 3 and 4 day stage races and tours.

I started replacing these with T Mille S7's and Mille GT's  that are absolutely excellent. I may hand over some extra cash for a Evo or S9 when I next purchase bibs.

Ca

[matthieup]

I have a selection...

 

Vermarc MTN branded bibs. Thin chamois, great lycra and the shoulder straps are this great webbed fabric. They're a solid 9/10 for me, and I only really start feeling sore after three or four hours on the bike. Use these for training and the indoor trainer mostly, but quite happy to ride with them on the weekend. They're not flashy but they work incredibly well.

 

Assos.. Have some of the green pad and pink pad lowest of the range ones... Still Hella expensive. They're good. The pink ones have a strange fit and I don't like the low cut front, but everything else is good. Shoulder straps on both a tree comfy, and definitely my go to shorts for very long rides.

 

But top of the pops - giordana FRC bibs. Super quality, from the pad to the lycra and shoulder straps, it fits my body best by far and the pad is otherworldly. They're not even top of the range goirdanas but theyre incredible. Leg grippers seem fragile at first but they've held up perfectly well. I really like the seam placement on these too.

 

I'm 125kgs on a good day at the moment, use a spez romin 155 saddle, and have my bikes fitted to me. So there's a little background - generally as the fatty I am, a bike saddle will hurt no matter what, but those bibs above do a phenomenal job of keeping my relatively comfortable.

 

Thanks for your comment as it is not often I find one i can relate too size wise. I have often found it difficult to get the size right with euro brnad being also around 123kg and 1.9m. What size do you go for in giordana or assos?