Sunday 22 February 2009

Assos Element One Review

Assos elementOne - Tags
Fall / Early Winter Jacket
8-16˚c

Essentially a lighter duty version of the airJack and constructed from the same RX900 "Super Roubaix" type fabric, the Element One, or to use the correct Assos capitalisation - elementOne, is a mid-weight item which spans the gap between jersey and jacket. Although not new to the range in itself, the jacket has only been available in white since October '08. Given my affliction of wardrobe chromophobia, this was the colour I chose.

After some trouble procuring the Element One in this hue, mine arrived from JE James. Evidently one that had served the first part of it's life on the shop's apparel rack, due to the lack of the usual zip bag and tell-tale bike shop odour, it fortunately exhibited no blemishes or marks. A spin through the machine in the oh-so-sweet bouquet of Assos' Active Wear Cleaner soon dissolved the aroma of a thousand tyres and ensured the jacket was ready for testing.

My first ride with the Element One was my Friday morning commute, and at -1˚c, too cold for the jacket alone so I elected to use it as a base layer with my airJack over the top. I was pleased to see that like my airJack, the jacket I received differed from the one pictured on Assos' site in the respect of not having the garage at the bottom of the zip, which despite looking neat makes taking on and off troublesome. It would appear that Assos have now abandoned this idea.

A more suitable test was the next day, 8˚c and the sun attempting to break through the clouds. My bottom half consisted of the Fi.Mille S5 shorts, knee warmers and to provide some wind protection a pair of Gore MTB shorts. Not exactly befitting to the rest of my ensemble, but I've elected to hold of purchase of Assos' 3/4 roubaix shorts until they are updated with the S5 pad. Under the Element One I wore the earlyFallInteractive base layer and stuffed an Element Zero vest into one of the captious rear pockets. This combination proved ideal for the conditions and the Element One's surprising windproofing abilities ensured my 6 hour ride was pleasant. The vest was only drafted into service on a couple of rapid descents.

Assos' reputation for detail hasn't been missed with this item. From the zip garage that prevents rubbing against your neck to the (possibly co-incidental) positioning of the RX900 logo to touch your bib short straps rather than your skin when wearing the jacket without a base layer, the little bits are all here.

Pros
Excellent fit, warm, large pockets, zip pocket is useful, works well as a base layer

Cons
Looks a little odd due to the laminated material around the collar, not the most attractive item in the range


Photos - Click for full size or view more on flickr

Assos elementOne - Front

Assos elementOne - Back

Assos elementOne - RX900 Logo

Assos elementOne - Collar Detail


Wednesday 11 February 2009

assos.com Summer 2009 Update


assos.com was updated today to include the new spring/summer 2009 items - with the long awaited CS.Uno skinsuit.

For the standard collection these are as follows:
  • CS.Uno -  skinsuit
  • sJ.13 luftSchutz - windbreaker jacket
  • classicSocks - Mid length summer socks
  • H FI.Uno_S5 - half shorts with S5 Uno pad
  • H FI.Lady_S5 - female specific half shorts
  • summerGlove.Lady  - female specific short finger gloves
With these new for the limited collection:
  • SS.Lady Limited - female specific jersey in limited edition colours
  • Mumu Pack - Jersey, socks and cap in Friesian cow print
  • squadraMondo Pack - Jersey, socks and cap in BMC/Assos team design
Items should be in stores in the next couple of weeks.

Welcome to Assos Fables


winter.ll bib tights 

A wise man once said "there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing". Exactly who was the first to state this is lost in time, but the phrase is truer now than ever.

Cycling in inclement weather conditions can rarely be described as fun, but appropriate attire transforms the experience from chore to at a minimum, quite acceptable. The Swiss company Assos, whom this site will concentrate on, produce a complete range of clothing in undeniable quality to enable the serious cyclist to function all year round.

This site (I am reluctant to call it a blog, as I'm hoping it will be much more) is intended to be a collection of resources for Assos information, reviews and news. Having myself been a fan of the brand for barely more than six months, yet severely light of wallet as a result, I find myself keen to share the information that I stumble across and provide my own first hand experience of the products.

I hope there are fellow cyclist out there who I may help out as a result of this.