B E N D E R's non sweary review site, roubaixcycling.cc (and general kit discussion)

bendertherobot

Pave are 20% off this weekend.

Comfort? I really like the aeron but only for a few hours or so. The assos I put on at 5 am for the velothon and took them off 10 hours later. 5 hours riding and they were sublime.

Another thing though is the control. Do certain shorts work better with certain saddles...

bendertherobot

letap73 wrote:

Oh there is a difference between the Cento and the Campionissimo:

https://vimeo.com/81490839

God he drones on. The Falkenham is not for presenting videos

mechanism

One thing about the Aeron Speed shorts is that they're not very good at gripping knee warmers. The pad has been comfy so far.

letap73

robbo2011 wrote:

@bender: You might, actually. The Cento is more of a relaxed cut, whereas the Campionissimo has a race cut with more compression. Totally different fabrics too. The chamois construction is also very different, more like the old double layer Fi 13 S5 which were fantastically comfortable.

I am not for a moment suggesting you try the Campionissimo though. Much too expensive really.

I actually have both - for me the campionissomo is better(and should be) then the T cento. It is too expensive, in much the same way as the ASSOS rally evo jersey is, however, there is a lot of thought gone into the construction and if it fits then it feels fantastic - the compressive nature of the fabric really makes it feel like a second skin around the thighs. I would not be surprised to eventually see it in the everything must go section at wiggle.

bendertherobot

The Rally jersey is £137 today btw, including the base layer. It's a bit of a steal!

letap73

bendertherobot wrote:

The Rally jersey is £137 today btw, including the base layer. It's a bit of a steal!

I'm playing the waiting game on that one - I am seeing far to many (tempting) bargains at the moment.

bendertherobot

I wonder how low it can realistically go. They took the Cape Epic jersey out after it had hit £75. I was waiting for it to hit £70. It's a bit weird that a product can be identified as in need of selling off then, as soon as it sells cos it's cheap, they hike it back again. It also makes a bit of a mockery of the price drop. Once in it should stay in.

bendertherobot

letap73 wrote:

robbo2011 wrote:

@bender: You might, actually. The Cento is more of a relaxed cut, whereas the Campionissimo has a race cut with more compression. Totally different fabrics too. The chamois construction is also very different, more like the old double layer Fi 13 S5 which were fantastically comfortable.

I am not for a moment suggesting you try the Campionissimo though. Much too expensive really.

I actually have both - for me the campionissomo is better(and should be) then the T cento. It is too expensive, in much the same way as the ASSOS rally evo jersey is, however, there is a lot of thought gone into the construction and if it fits then it feels fantastic - the compressive nature of the fabric really makes it feel like a second skin around the thighs. I would not be surprised to eventually see it in the everything must go section at wiggle.

Do you have the Equipe? Frankly I love them. I'd rather wait and get another pair cheap than get the Cento if the Cento aren't great.

robbo2011

Grill used to rave about the Cento's on here a while back. He reckoned they were the best bibs bar none. And I get the feeling that he has been through a fair bit of kit to be able to make a sound judgement.

I reckon the Q36.5 bibs will be a bit special too. I'll buy a pair at some point to check them out. But it will be a while as my current bibs are all still going strong.

letap73

Obviously bib shorts performance is very much a personal thing. From my understanding the T equipe is race fit where as the T cento has a more relaxed fit (akin to its predecessor the mille S5) therefore it is obviously suited to longer rides. The Kuku penthouse works for me and is an advantage in terms of comfort over similar priced bib shorts from Rapha and Castelli. To be fair, my T Cento is actually one size too big for me and this possibly stops it from feeling perfect - the T campionissimo on the other hand is the perfect size (race fit like the T equipe). In short the T cento has the fit of the mille - the S5 pad has been replaced with the S7 pad with the addition of the Kuku penthouse.

lastant

So, Bender...now you're well into your reviews - in your opinion what'd be the best value bib shorts for the commute?

Looking to tidy up the cycling wardrobe this summer, so as good a chance as any to get it fully sorted with some 'nice' day-to-day kit that won't necessarily break the bank.

bendertherobot

lastant wrote:

So, Bender...now you're well into your reviews - in your opinion what'd be the best value bib shorts for the commute?

Looking to tidy up the cycling wardrobe this summer, so as good a chance as any to get it fully sorted with some 'nice' day-to-day kit that won't necessarily break the bank.

I do think that the Aeron are hard to beat for value. But a lot of things can be very personal. I've not yet tested, for example, any of the shorts from Conquest, but they do appear highly regarded.

There were some epic deals on Lusso at Merlin but most sizes are gone now.

bendertherobot

Ummed and ahhed. The Equipe were £127 and I love them. But since the Cento were only £13 more, hit order.

Should have a refund on my BOR rings so I think I will order some Vittoria Corsa Graphene G+ in, unusually, 23c to test and review.

gaffer_slow

isn't "more relaxed fit more suited to longer rides" just a euphemism for fat and slow (relative to racing snakes)?

Why would looser bibs be more comfortable for long distance rides, all that would mean is chaffing.

bendertherobot

Possibly! It's weird one though. If the Mille were supposed to be that way, then I always found them tighter than the Uno. So I will try and if the fit is loose, which I hate, back they will go.

imatfaal

apreading wrote:

imatfaal wrote:

Oh and Mr B - what is your recommendation for a light-weight cheap short-sleeve top? Commuting kit is beginning to get holey and I am hoping that the summer will be good enough to need some cooling tops

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/wiggle-essentia ... e-jersey-1

Cant get cheaper than that and last year's version (called the DHB Mono) was really good - I love mine as much as more expensive kit I have.

Just took delivery of a £12 (less 17% plat discount to bring it under a tenner) jersey. First impressions are pretty good in absolute terms - moreover considering it is a small fraction of the price of lots of kit it seems amazing.

bendertherobot

Looks bloody good to me to be honest!

My Cento came. First impressions are excellent, in fact I do think they might be better than the Equipe because of the free floating codpiece section. Indeed, I wonder if the Neo Pro are the best on a budget and then it makes sense to step up to the Cento. We will see.

robbo2011

How are they fit wise compared to the Equipe? Is it better to size down with these or stay with same size?

bendertherobot

Seem absolutely the same.

mrb123

I had a couple of deliveries last week...

Firstly, a Chapeau Etape jersey. The jersey seems very well made with some nice details. Sadly it's going back as the fit seems to be totally wrong for my tall and lanky body shape. The Chapeau website describes the jersey as having a tight, race fit but it is fairly loose in places, particularly the lower half of the jersey. I don't think a smaller size would fix it for me as the jersey may then be too short and tight round the shoulders.

Pactimo Summit Raptor Pro bib shorts. These seem excellent - a lovely silky finish and nice and long in the legs. Delivery was very quick and communication from customer services was great. Got 30% off with a discount code so no complaints in terms of value. The pad seems to be of very high quality and caused no issues over the course of a century ride at the weekend. The pad position is relatively far forward so probably less suited to a very upright position.

bendertherobot

robbo2011 wrote:

How are they fit wise compared to the Equipe? Is it better to size down with these or stay with same size?

Right. These seem very very good. I love the kuku. In fact, it seems such an obvious thing that it really should feature on all of them. There's no real cost associated with it so you pay a premium to get a flap of material. Really works in my book. Pad seems much the same, perhaps a bit more comfy. Front section a bit more flexible overall. Really rate these.

letap73

Reading Ugo's thoughts on steel frames where he basically stated that since you can't change the properties of steel significantly then effectively buying expensive steel frames is almost a case of Emperor's new clothes. I suggested previously on this thread that due to the advent of certain companies upping the game in cycle clothing, it could be perceived the likes of Assos and other brands are over priced and living off the cache of their name. I suggested Bender could possible write an article on this - due to his experience of other brands and his ability to express his ideas in a cogniscent, interesting and succinct fashion. My personal take is that much as the likes of Parentini, Torm, DHB, Lusso etc are absolutely superb,I still think there is a place for ASSOS.

The previous generation of ASSOS bibshorts were superb - class leaders, which I am certain lead to the likes of those listed previously to raise their game. The latest generation of ASSOS bibshorts are very different to the previous generation, as alluded to in previous posts, the pad and how it is attached is completely different (Golden gate technology). In the more premium shorts you have the addition of the Kuku Penthouse which if you have tried these shorts you would wonder why nobody else has come up with the same idea. The postioning of the bib straps and the cut at the front of the shorts are also completely different to the previous generation. Obviously, all of this would not work if you did not have the appropriate texiles/materials to make these shorts, you get the impression that a lot of R&D involving much testing must have taken place and taken a lot of time. This has lead to the development of the T Cento which you are able to buy for circa £150 - which is a lot of money but then there are shorts which cost almost as much which don't have the technology invested, the use of propriety materials or the build quality of the T Cento. At the same time they make stuff like the T Campionissimo bib shorts and the Stumprintz rain jacket which are likely loss makers - but they still make them because ASSOS are bit bonkers and they like to push the boundaries.

Bender I look forward to your review on the T Cento. I am certain you will love them and not unlike Grill probably think they are the best bib shorts around, although I hope in your minds eye you will think about what the T Campionissimo has that the T Cento doesn't.

bendertherobot

Succint? Moi? Why thank you

At some point I will get round to something like it. And I agree, things slot into price ranges and you can see why prices are the way they are. Ultimately it's for the reader to decide whether the investment is worthwhile.

I'm about to start a piece about SRAM etap/hydro. Not from a testing point of view, I wish, but in relation to how we might design bicycles. It's bound to be slightly controversial but I'm increasingly of the view that, if we designed a bicycle today, there is no way on earth we'd choose cables. That they work perfectly well is rather besides the point. The parallelogram mech equipped safety bicycle is a pretty old thing now. New tech has come (and gone) but we're still really where we were in the 30's at heart.

bendertherobot

http://www.tokyofixed.cc/kit-bundles/to ... kit-bundle

That arrived today. I'm going to have a shot of vodka before going out in it. It's bloody well made mind. (and I have to give it back!)

I think that when I get my little bit of cash in the next week or so that this jersey will be next on test?
https://www.pedaled.com/#!/products/shi ... rsey/black

oldbazza

That Pedal ed stuff looks good,nice and understated.

mamil314

Cento s7 is the only bib i have that starts chafing after 140-150 km. Very comfortable straps and legs, but chamois moves about after every out of saddle effort. Genital garage seems useful.

bendertherobot

mamil314 wrote:

Cento s7 is the only bib i have that starts chafing after 140-150 km. Very comfortable straps and legs, but chamois moves about after every out of saddle effort. Genital garage seems useful.

I'm up to a mere 50m in mine today. Seem fine. Did 88 on the Velothon in the Equipe, same golden gate tech. I do wonder why they've done it though. Works for me, but can see how if you move around a lot it's a pain.

grenw

mamil314 wrote:

Cento s7 is the only bib i have that starts chafing after 140-150 km. Very comfortable straps and legs, but chamois moves about after every out of saddle effort. Genital garage seems useful.

I've read a few comments along the same lines. Something to do with the black bits attached to the pad at the sides.

I was worried when I bought the Bonkas which have the same pad but they come without the black bits. Never had any issues with chafing but also not noticed the extra thickness.

robbo2011

Those black bits have got to be connected to the pad in some way and that means extra seams. At the end of the day, any time there is a seam there is a chance for chafing to occur. I'm holding back from the upper Assos bibs partly because i am not sure about those additional seams.

The Equipes work fine for me, so no reason to go higher really.

jlammy

Hi Bender, I think I read you had both the Aeron and ASV? What is better? I'm tempted to buy one or the other...