Assos

Equipe RSR Bib Shorts S9 - Men's

Assos is well renowned for creating some of the most comfortable cycling shorts in the business and when the time came for a redesign, it scrutinized its current designs, analyzed its pro rider feedback, and spent hours upon hours of research and development when engineering a new platform. Enter the new Equipe RSR Bib Shorts S9, cycling bibs that Assos claim to be the lightest, most comfortable race-spec bib shorts to ever leave its factory. Assos' primary goals were to improve bib stabilization and ridding the chamois of unnecessary bulk and by doing so, creating shorts that mostly disappear, letting you go about your riding without noticing your apparel.

Assos engineers its products to excel in the toughest racing environments, working with professionals to hone its garments. No one puts in the saddle time across such a wide variety of conditions like the pros and the feedback it receives as well as analyzing the wear and tear of the garment helps to influence its new designs. Assos isn't afraid to innovate and knew it needed to think outside the box, using new fabrics and designs if it wanted to achieve its goals.

As we stated above, one of the principal objectives with the new shorts was improving the chamois and the rider's interaction with it. To ensure comfort, Assos worked tirelessly on the insert, something that would have received praised and warranted a new model just on its own. The new chamois, constructed of Balsat, was developed as a race-specific design and is an advancement over its already comfortable Equipe EVO platform. Assos was able to cut the bulk by using a new superAir microShock foam that works in unison with its 3D waffle construction and kraterCooler system to increase airflow. Add that to the already proven goldenGate technology that removes the stitching at the center for a free-floating chamois and you have a new level of comfort like nothing you've experienced before.

We should pause here and explain the differences between the RS version of the short and the RSR we have here. The RSR doesn't get the rollBar used in the RS version saving weight and focusing on the holding properties of the material itself to help stabilize the shorts. In order to do so, Assos created a new material combining the ideal blend of compressive support, durability, softness, and low weight. This fabric, dubbed Type.701kompressor, is the worthy successor to its already highly praised S7 Campionissimo kompressor material. This complex woven material is made of incredibly thin yarn with enormous elasticity, in a weave that is nearly friction-free providing comfort, while supporting hard-working muscles.

The new materials are one part of Assos' A-Lock Engineering, the other part is an actual stabilizing system using details to keep the shorts locked to the rider while keeping the insert in place. These shorts use an all-new two-panel pattern whereas the previous S7 generation used four panels. A primary “butterfly” panel fully wraps the legs with a consistent, uniform hold while reducing weight and joins at the rear to form the ergoBox structure, a square pattern construction that effectively frames the insert in the back, boxing it in for added stability. This design prevents the insert from slipping and in combination with the Type.701 material, achieves the best "clickfit" Assos has ever created.

The Carbon Xbib straps are also redesigned using a single section of elastic material that's folded over on itself forming a supportive A-frame with tuned, short vertical stretch and calibrated elasticity. Its built with a lay flat, antibacterial carbon weave that wicks moisture and at the front, a more flexible material and wider spaced straps reduce any chance of irritation.