Rapha Tart

redddraggon

jashburnham wrote:

Euro-gimp

What's a Euro-gimp?

richardjallen

I have the original softshell they did and it is ok but don't expect it to be showerproof for long. Water is supposed to bead off the material but after a few seasons I can see it soak in to the fabric.

il_principe

It's a gimpsuit but Euro/fluro style! ie Assos....

method

I can't say I've ever seen anyone in the Assos "Euro-gimp" colours, it always ends up on sale, most people just wear the black. Whereas Castelli is so not euro gimp is it...

http://www.castelli-us.com/pc-778-5-wicked-short.aspx

AntLockyer

I'm trying to look more euro, will have to seek out the fluro kit.

andyp

To look more euro you need white shorts. And a tan. Avoid cheap white shorts as they will show of your ar*e crack in it's full glory to the poor unfortunate on your wheel. :shock:

AntLockyer

If only I wore team kit

Monty Dog

I confess to having had the full Assos outfit, but the jackets and tights got crashed, worn and washed away to nothing and to be honest, the price hikes every year means I'm loathe to drop £150 on tights that will go the way of the last pair - sliding down the road when I can buy Briko Katanas on ebay for £15! I regret not buying a Rapha softshell a few years ago for £50 in their sale - particularly considering the silly prices now. The quality / durability gap between Assos, Rapha and the rest has closed considerably IME - but their prices continue to get more exhorbitant.

jimmythecuckoo

I love the fixed t-shirt. It is an amazing garment. I can't afford any of their on bike clothing so I go for the off bike stuff.

Unless something comes up here.

giant_man

Well i wear Assos and love it. Jackets, tights, shorts and jerseys. I don't mind paying 150 quid because I don't generally come off and I do think they are worth that money.

HungryCol

Monty Dog wrote:

I'm afraid the full-Assos look these days is the dead-cert look of the guy that's walked into Condor or Sigma, dropped his gold card on a Trek Madone or suchlike and full Assos ensemble - Surrey Hills are full of them at the moment.

Suerly not?! It's not the best of weather outside. Wait until the temp reaches double figures and then they'll come out of the wood work on their Cervelos and plimsolls. Not that I mind. I'm all for rich folk being into cycling. It's these rich folk that sponsor our club teams and events. The more the merrier.

The Assos stuff is brillant but that won't stop me from queueing outside Aldi/Lidl for their cycling deals stuff either.

jimmythecuckoo

I have never owned an item of Assos clothing in my life. I worry that if I did and then nothing else came up to standard that I would end up spending loads more money than I do now on Probikekit and Decathlon stuff.

Ken Night

Monty Dog wrote:

I The quality / durability gap between Assos, Rapha and the rest has closed considerably IME - but their prices continue to get more exhorbitant.

Yes, fully agree. The technical clothing has all improved in quality

Still, Assos, and to a lesser extent, Rapha confers a certain level of commitment to the sport, and I guess that's what the newly fully equipped noob will want to tap into

I also observe the price bar being raised by Rapha (softshell) and Assos (Fugu) in what people are prepared to pay for any part of their kit. Assos shorts look cheap next to the Fugu jacket, as do the club jerseys, next to the softshell

Interesting then, that Dhb kit is so good, at such an attractive price point. I love my Merstons and 3/4 tights

turkeytickler

I agree Assos is equally tarty but the difference is it looks silly...

...with one noteable exception...

http://www.primera-bournemouth.co.uk/Te ... rodID=1442

:shock:

cougie

I did get a Rapha softshell in teh sale a few years back. V pleased with it, and I can wear it off the bike occasionally as well as on. The Assos kit wouldnt work for that.

Did get a pair of Assos bibs last year to see what the fuss was about. Nicely made, but no comfier than any of my other cheaper shorts.

You can reproof jackets with Nikwax if they dont perform as well as they used to.

kmahony

Monty Dog wrote:

Beats the bloaters you see wearing Assos kit these days! Seeing as cycling is the new 'golf' walking into a shop and buying a head-to-toe outfit is a dead-cert sign of a noob with more money than sense!

Monty Dog wrote:

I'm afraid the full-Assos look these days is the dead-cert look of the guy that's walked into Condor or Sigma, dropped his gold card on a Trek Madone or suchlike and full Assos ensemble - Surrey Hills are full of them at the moment.

- Bloater - 98kg
- Assos - 2 shorts, 1 longs, 1 jersey, 2 socks
- Surrey Hills - most weeks
- Trek - No, but does a Litespeed count?

Is it possible that generally:
- Being good at cycling and being rich aren't often compatible?
- The heavier you are, the more important the quality of your shorts?

pjm-84

I like my Assos bib shorts but not much need for the 851s this winter. The gloves are rubbish or the ones I have are and I see they have been dropped them from the range.

The Trek doing fine and it's only had two outings this year. I took the cyclo cross bike with 35c knobblies and cyclo cross gearing (yep 46 outer ring) for a nice little jolly out by the Surrey hills on the Hell of the Ashdown ride early this year clocking a very comfortable 4hr 10min, getting lost 8) , fixing a sign :arrow: so others didn't follow suit and riding with a slower team mate, who I caught up, for 20km ( painfully slow on the hills :shock: ). Luckily I didn't take the Trek I say

Assos XLG / TIR
100 kgs - 36in waist
Watts - too many (5x frames / 1xforks/1x handlebars / 1xstem to my name)
Still waiting for my Colnago Extreme Power - size massive

turkeytickler

One other thing that worries me about assos.... separated at birth?

pjm-84

gumball3000

If people only bought stuff that they needed rather than wanted, this industry would be no where near the size and quality that it is.

If I bought only the products that my skill required, I would be riding Tiagra and wearing non brand clothing.

The fact that I choose to wear Assos clothing shouldn't really matter to anyone. My overspending in bike shops means good profitability for the shop and better pricing for others.

I love cycling. I don't claim to be brilliant at it, but I love it all the same. I am certainly not lightweight and wear TIR sized Assos. I also have a fleet of Cannondales, mostly with Dura Ace.

Does that make me a noob and should I be informed that I could survive without all the top of the range gear?

Put it this way. You can buy a Brand New car for less than £7k. It will get you to and from work. If you can afford to spend more, you spend it. Doesn't mean you need or deserve it.

scherrit

Hmm, lucky man to be able to squeeze your cacass into TIR..... no amount of shoe horning is going to get me into their shorts..... I'm still waiting for someone to offer a reasonable cut for the errr, larger built men riding bikes.... and they could call it something flattering like the "Sprinter" line. Since Castelli abandoned their XXXL shorts I've been casting about for good quality shorts for the fuller figure....

APIII

gumball3000 wrote:

Nice fleet

pjm-84

Yep but what I want to know is where the bike rack goes

turkeytickler

gumball3000 wrote:

If people only bought stuff that they needed rather than wanted, this industry would be no where near the size and quality that it is.

If I bought only the products that my skill required, I would be riding Tiagra and wearing non brand clothing.

The fact that I choose to wear Assos clothing shouldn't really matter to anyone. My overspending in bike shops means good profitability for the shop and better pricing for others.

I love cycling. I don't claim to be brilliant at it, but I love it all the same. I am certainly not lightweight and wear TIR sized Assos. I also have a fleet of Cannondales, mostly with Dura Ace.

Does that make me a noob and should I be informed that I could survive without all the top of the range gear?

Put it this way. You can buy a Brand New car for less than £7k. It will get you to and from work. If you can afford to spend more, you spend it. Doesn't mean you need or deserve it.

if i bought the stuff i needed id be on shimano tourney and £50 ebay full sus mountain bikes! just poking a bit of fun at the silly money you can pay for these things rapha and assos being the obvious examples

HungryCol

How do you find the Six13 Gumball? I'm having one built up in the LBS at the mo with Ultegra and Fulcrum 3's. I'm quite excited....

JWSurrey

Well, if you don't want to fork out full price for an Assos jersey, you can always try one of these repro. editions:


http://www.partypants.fsnet.co.uk/male/daffyd-little-britain-costume.jpg

Just not so sure about the shoes. They're saying to me: "London dispatch rider"

Now, where did I leave my rod brake adjuster? I've got to hand wash my woollen plus-fours and run them through my non-branded mangle before tomorrow's bike ride.

juggler

we should all support anyone riding a bike - whether they ride top end steeds or ride a rusty old wreck on the way to work. I have enough cash to buy anything i want in terms of bikes and gear etc - it's my only hobby. So if you want to look down on me for not being the right weight, riding the wrong bike or wearing the wrong clothing .... take a good look in the mirror tomorrow morning.

sean65

Rapha or Assos? Speedo's or Zogg's? ITV or BBC1? Eggs or Poridge? Apple or PC?

Choice! It's a great thing.

Thanks for all the enlightened input. I thought I bought a Rapha Long Sleeve Jersey because I liked it. Because of it's understated looks and subtle functionality. Not to mention the excellent photography on their web site.

As it turns out, I'm a noob, a knob, and I have too much money.

Oh the joys of listening to narrow minded people with strong opinions.

It's a bit chilly today so I think I'll wear my Endura jacket over my Rapha jersey when I go for a spin on my Condor bike with a Brooks saddle and Campagnolo group set.

So if noobs wear Rapha, knobs wear Assos, what do all you seasoned riders wear?

redddraggon

sean65 wrote:

So if noobs wear Rapha, knobs wear Assos, what do all you seasoned riders wear?

Lidl and dhb mainly.

Doom

redddraggon wrote:

Lidl and dhb mainly.

Coming from someone whose avatar is cyclings style icon and the most euro pro trend setter in my day I don't really believe that!!

I find it funny that people would consider someone's performance in the surrey hills on a training ride an example of whether they are capable riders or not.

Do I wear Assos? Yes
Do I get overtaken on Box Hill? Yes

But I am training not racing so what should I care what someone who rides Box faster than me thinks of my ability because I wear Assos. It doesn't benefit me to chase someone down and exceed my zone to prove I am worthy of wearing certain brands of clothing.

Now someone wearing a National Champions jersey... thats someone I would chase!!