Assos FI 13 s5 v Assos Mille s5

Scrumple
Scrumple Posts: 2,665
edited March 2013 in Road buying advice
PLEASE

Don't post here unless you have used both of these bibs. I can quite capably read the reviews and know one is a race fit and one a distance pad. I am not after "I have got one pair and this is what I think" posts... I am looking for those who can compare both from experience. Current s5 pad experience please.

I have a pair of brand new FI 13 sat in a box as I just have too many bibs. I tend to stick to club runs and distance trips like Mallorca etc. I think the Mille is probably the better option for this sort of riding but have heard the FI 13 shorts are just as comfy on long rides?

Anyone got any thoughts based on personal use. My decision is to either keep or sell and swap for the Mille. Worries me the FI 13 may be a bit race orientated for fifty to hundred mile rides and the odd mountain trip? If it helps I have the Uno bibs and find the pad a bit big.

Thanks

Comments

  • Scrumple
    Scrumple Posts: 2,665
    Anyone?
  • ajb72
    ajb72 Posts: 1,178
    I'll give it a go…..

    I have used Mille, Uno and FI 13's, all S5 versions. I believe some of what makes these comfortable or not is the shape and thickness of the pad and whether that suits your particular shape. For me personally, I did not enjoy the Mille at all - the wider shape just doesn't suit my narrow sit bones!

    The F1 13's however are a joy to ride in. The fit is absolutely perfect (for me at least) and the pad has been perfectly comfortable, despite feeling less padded than the Mille. They do transmit more feedback from the road and saddle, but not to the extent that makes them uncomfortable.

    I tend to save them for 'best', so they come out for longer rides of at least 3 hrs+, and have been on 5hr rides so far. Money no object I would use them for every ride, as my Uno's are pretty threadbare these days.

    What surprises me is that you find the Uno pad a bit big, but like the Mille's? If you had that the other way around I could understand it, but I always thought the Mille were the wider and more padded Assos shorts, the Uno a 'budget' racing short? Anyway, yes, the F1 13's are spot on for whatever distance.
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    Scrumple wrote:
    I tend to stick to club runs and distance trips like Mallorca etc.

    Chapeau, thats got to be about 1200 miles!
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • Scrumple
    Scrumple Posts: 2,665
    1200 miles more use than that post.

    Thanks for the other reply - I have never tried either the Milles or the FI 13's - just find my Unos a little thick on the pad so it tends to ride up a bit...

    Being slim of arse I may just whip the FI out the bag and forget the Mille then - if they size up bigger than the Uno pad!
  • robbo2011
    robbo2011 Posts: 1,017
    The mille pad is significantly thicker and more bulky than the uno pad. Both are still comfortable for me though. The FI I3 has a similar thickness to the uno, but i cant say more than that as i haven't ridden on it yet due to the weather being too cold for shorts.
  • ajb72
    ajb72 Posts: 1,178
    Scrumple wrote:
    1200 miles more use than that post.

    Thanks for the other reply - I have never tried either the Milles or the FI 13's - just find my Unos a little thick on the pad so it tends to ride up a bit...

    Being slim of ars* I may just whip the FI out the bag and forget the Mille then - if they size up bigger than the Uno pad!

    Sorry, I misread your post and thought you were riding the Mille.
  • northpole
    northpole Posts: 1,499
    I have all three types of assos shorts.

    The uno and f1 13 have a similar slightly tighter fit than the mille. My experience mirrors that of an earlier poster. I had a six day ride a couple of years back and swapped between the three. For my slightly slim build, I ended up avoiding the mille's - over a full day I found them significantly less comfortable than the others. The f1's were incredibly more comfortable for me. They also seem to have a more durable construction - the material in contact with the saddle appears considerably more heavy duty than any other shorts I've come across.

    I remember being very surprised with the mille's - I was expecting them to be the much more comfortable shorts for day long rides, and this proved not the case at all for me. I'm not sure if, like saddles, different physiques will prefer different shorts/ saddles. For me though, the results were very clear.

    Peter

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