I was just being silly. I’d happily ride fashionista all day. I’m just saying they don’t neccarily make good kits for the money (value). But i suppose that’s what a lot of the appeal is about - fashion which is fine anyway as road cycling looks silly enough so being happy with your kit is important!!! I see Assos under a different light - they are performance focused (or at least that’s how they sell themselves) I definitely would be interested in getting a pair of Assos Bibs!
But true, not to spark a big debate I do have a personal issue with fashionista as they enhance the whole elitist culture around road cycling. Today I road a 4 hour zone 2 ride @ 3wpkg with 3min 50 seconds of coasting. Jersey = 2 quid from a charity shop. Bib - 22 quid DHB Blok. Socks, base layers etc = Uniqlo. Just try different things and see what works. You never know. DHB stuff might really work for you! Just cause you are having issues, buying a more expensive pair of clothes isn’t a garuantee to comfort.
Perhaps my advice would be only valid to budget sensitive cyclists as myself (broke architecture student).
100% Ive had bibs from PI, LG, Pactimo, Assos and at this point I can only make myself wear my Pactimo summit raptor bibs and my assos. Contact points are important. I’ve learned that the absolute best products are the ones you don’t notice or ever think about. I’m always tweaking this or that on the bike, but rarely do I notice my bibs bothering me. This hasn’t always been the case.
See, here’s the thing. I NEVER see anyone brag that they are fast because they have a nice bike or a nice jersey. Those people know they like nice things and they buy them. It has nothing to do with thinking they are better than anyone else. They just like comfortable clothes.
The only people I ever see brag about their power are the people who brag about being able to ride strong while using cheap equipment. No one ever posts “I passed a guy while riding my tarmac and Rapha and he was in jeans and on a ten speed”. It’s always, “Look at me, I can pass people who are on a tarmac wearing Rapha while I’m in jeans and on a ten speed”.
Just ride. Don’t judge other people. Wear what you want to wear.
Yep. Guilty. That’s definitely me!! not to mention I still ride an aluminium bike (I’ll never go carbon) I did see a carbon bike split in half in today’s ride tho! crazy!!
I’m just sharing my views in response to the question, that’s all! Didn’t mean to start a debate! There is definitely something irrational about my opinion. And like i said, its personal and if it makes you feel happy/comfortable then you should go for it!
For me, bibs are the most individual piece of kit you own. What works for one may not work for another - how they fit, as far as you and you alone are concerned, is crucial. You find a brand that works for you? Stick with it. I’ve tried a lot, and some brands work, some don’t. Castelli top my list for comfort and longevity. Morvelo and dhB both very comfortable but seem to wear too quickly. Got some Le Col last year which are super comfy but yet to see how they are in terms of durability; they might be a ‘fashionista’ brand but they throw around discount challenges every 2 months on Strava which bring them down to the same cost as dhB so worth a punt.
I’ve one pair of Assos, which are fab, but not worth twice the price of my Castelli’s (though if they last longer I may revise that). Nalini and Endura I hated, and they didn’t last long anyway.
I see you point. And you are more than likely right.
A good example are the black bibs. Many love them. Some find them meh. Some hate them.
I find them meh. Would i buy them again? Probably. Just because they are comfortable enough and have a good price point.
Like I said before, i find my new pactimos the best bibs i have. They are super comfortable, and to me that’s the most important part. I only use them on outdoor or long rides.
Bike stuff is way too expensive. And I have no idea why. There is absolutely no need for a bike shirt to cost 100, no matter how good it is. Same for bibs. No reason to price them at 300 and more! But here we are… Cycling has become and elitist sport sadly. And the point of entry is getting higher every year…
I’ve had issues with some mid-range brands, getting sores from them (pearl-izzumi, dhb mid-range). But at the same time I’ve hade great experience with Trimtex and Castelli top of the line products. Currently I ride only Castelli on the trainer rides. I’ve heard great things about Le Col and Rapha from friends.
I love the DHB stuff and my normal “outside” training kit usually consists of DHB socks & shorts and a $19 replica jersey from some mid-80s pro team. Assos bibs, on the other hand, are like a hand-tailored suit. Steer clear; you can’t go back… lol
Their PI Black and Pro Bibs with the top of the line chamois are great IMHO.
The First pair of $100 bibs I bought were better than the Performce Bike shorts I had but now I can’t do more than about 60-90 minutes in the lower end stuff…
Yeah if you’re caring about other peoples brands or what people think if your brand then you have bigger issues that chamois. A lot of outdated class concepts and security issues need to be unravelled there. Anyone that cares about something as petty as cycling brands likely cares about all kinds of brands and personal choices to a self limiting extent. The sort of personal that holds themselves back and isn’t great at helping their friends and families progress and aspire either.
Grew up in a small town, know the warning signs well.
Try this one https://kvsport.com/producto/campeonisimo/
Don’t be afraid because the price. I have owned several bibs, including a Mavic of 120€ or so (it was good for long rides)… but KvSpor bibs are much moooooooore comfortable.
Once I bought one and tried, I went for a second bib!
I had problems with my “ass” with more than 3-4 hours rides. And now I finish these kind of rides as new.
Ah, and the company is a family run business directed by a former Miguel Indurain mechanic…
I am a big fan of family run/small companies as they make sure the quality of the product is there. Big brands - their marketing machine is huge but in my opinion you pay for the label. I will definitely give these campeonisimo guys a try.
Could you give an example in cycling where that’s actually true?
Margins in the low to mid range slave labour market are probably higher once R&D and staff costs are factored in.
Assos and Rapha for example are very small operations ultimately but at least in the latter’s case you know they’re doing good original R&D and sourcing materials from ethical suppliers. They put that out there proudly and are now moving on to recycled materials.
That squeezes margins, and in Rapha’s case we know they’re not a cash cow as that because public during the takeover.
When it comes to clothing, cheap means someone slaved and suffered for it and in the mid tier, you’ve basically got a middle man sticking their logo on half decent kit, doing no material R&D, and banking nice profits (La Passione).
Sanctimony and cheap clothing wearers has always went hand in hand, but it’s always been deeply hypocritical. One of the most destructive industries on the planet.
And no we don’t have a Gucci cycling brand or anything even close to that. That’s a different mom-functional game entirely.
I didn’t mean “cheap”. I’m not testing my undercarriage with “Decathlon essentials” range. Just saying that smaller businesses are often way more customer orientated and have same or even better quality to the big brands. And also they are ethical (most of them anyway). I can’t give you any examples in cycling but as I mentioned before, giving those Spanish guys a go as has seen good reviews.
Who are these big brands in cycling that you’re referring to at least with these high margins.
Extremely wary of crowd pleasing sentiment in this area, don’t mean to be on your case, just that cycling is already very niche and it lacks the scale of the fashion market.
Even stepping up from Decathlon, can we see the provenance of materials sourced from DHB and brands retailing around that price point? Pearl Izumi etc?
Personal observation is that people bend ethics to suit their price point without ever truly checking a brand they wear out from field to retail.
I consider bibs to be one of the most, if not THE most, important part of your entire kit for endurance road riding. Okay maybe second only to shoes!
I must admit, coming from an MTB background I was shocked at the cost of high-end road bibs and started road riding with a pair of DHB Aeron bibs, which were pretty cheap, but had fairly good reviews - many people suggesting they were just as good as the expensive brands. They were fine…for about 90 mins riding. Beyond that they started chaffing the inside of my thighs along the seams and after a 4 hour hot summer ride I finished up with two nasty wounds that took a couple of weeks to heal and left scars for months. I haven’t worn them since!
Then I bought a pair of Le Col bibs, which are pretty expensive at full retail, but really only mid-priced with their big Strava discounts. These are way more comfortable than the DHBs. The material is silky smooth next to my skin, while the DHBs feel rough. Still had some issues though with the pad on longer rides. It’s a sponge-like material that easily gets saturated with sweat and then becomes really uncomfortable. So I don’t wear them for hot long rides now. But I do really like their fit and these are now my favourite indoor trainer bibs.
My third attempt at finding true endurance bibs was Assos Mille GT, which are superb. They are not even particularly expensive compared to the top end Assos bibs and other high-end and boutique brands. These are so light and comfortable on long rides and deal with the sweat much better than my other bibs. I’ve done 7 hour hot weather rides in these with no issues. My only complaint is the fit is a bit loose, but that’s a personal thing and doesn’t seem to affect their comfort. I may size down on the next pair.
So anyway, that’s my bib-short experience in very recent years. I’m sticking with the high-end brands like Assos and would like to try Rapha bibs as I have some of their other gear which has really impressed me. I would also like to try the higher end of the Assos range to see if they offer any further benefits.
My pet peeve is that companies don’t show the chamois in their advertising. Even a high end brand like Rapha. You could save you and me a lot of time and shipping costs by just showing me a picture of the chamois before I order.
not to mention I still ride an aluminium bike (I’ll never go carbon) I did see a carbon bike split in half in today’s ride tho! crazy!!
