Assos’ Mid-Range Cycling Shorts Still Shine

Telling a bike rider to try a pair of Assos shorts is like telling a gearhead to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari. The product is beautiful, impeccably thought out and insanely expensive. There’s not a reason in the world that you should actually have either, but once you try them, you find it hard to settle for less.

The FI.Uno S5 bibs are actually Assos’s value product, if you can call a pair of bike shorts that retail for around $200 a value. Slip them on, though, and you see why you might pay such big bucks. The cut is simply perfect — when you’re standing, they feel odd and binding, but once in the saddle, they seem to almost disappear. These are made for riding bikes, not walking around.

The padding isn’t as plush as the company’s higher end models, but still offered a ton of comfort with no friction problems during our group test rides. The construction is of Assos’ typically high standard, though not as refined. The seams are overlock, rather than invisible, and you can spot a slight lack of refinement when you closely inspect them alongside the higher-end versions.

That said, this is an amazing pair of shorts. They’re just not quite as perfect as the top model, but that’s a very high standard to live up to. Think of them as the Ferrari California. It’s still crazy high end, but not quite the pinnacle.

WIRED Typically high comfort on the bike. Assos products wear like iron, so should last for years with good care. Comes with wash bag.

TIRED Very expensive. Leg grippers not quite as solid as they could be.