Assos customer service

markyone
markyone Posts: 1,119
edited October 2017 in Road general
Just to say i have always used assos and have spent a lot of money over the years,anyway pulled my winter bibshorts out of the wardrobe and noticed a big hole in the seating area.
IMG_3813_zpstx2nsihl.jpg
IMG_3814_zpsvuwu63ox.jpg
The shorts have been used for about 3 months over last winter,what assos say is this.

Hi Mark

Apologies for the delay. Thanks for sending this over.

It looks like the damage is caused by Lycra deterioration attributed to friction perhaps with your saddle and/or saddle bag and I’m afraid in this case we are unable to make a repair. Contact with anything that may cause friction causes this as a repeated issue, meaning that a repair would still be unable to assure the shorts’ longevity.

Best wishes
Amy

Imo all shorts have some sort of friction with saddles,anyway looks like i have to grin and bear it.
Never had this with there shorts before.
Colnago c60 Eps super record 11
Pinarello F8 with sram etap

Comments

  • shimanobottombracket
    shimanobottombracket Posts: 376
    markyone wrote:
    Just to say i have always used assos and have spent a lot of money over the years,anyway pulled my winter bibshorts out of the wardrobe and noticed a big hole in the seating area.
    IMG_3813_zpstx2nsihl.jpg
    IMG_3814_zpsvuwu63ox.jpg
    The shorts have been used for about 3 months over last winter,what assos say is this.

    Hi Mark

    Apologies for the delay. Thanks for sending this over.

    It looks like the damage is caused by Lycra deterioration attributed to friction perhaps with your saddle and/or saddle bag and I’m afraid in this case we are unable to make a repair. Contact with anything that may cause friction causes this as a repeated issue, meaning that a repair would still be unable to assure the shorts’ longevity.

    Best wishes
    Amy

    Imo all shorts have some sort of friction with saddles,anyway looks like i have to grin and bear it.
    Never had this with there shorts before.

    Sounds like they were not fit for purpose. I would try and force them to refund you as any replacement will be just as crappy.
  • markyone
    markyone Posts: 1,119
    £175 for shorts and as they are out of warranty i have to live with it.
    As i said to her i have used summer bibs so these have only been used for about 3 months max,the thing that gets me is that they blame saddles and saddle bags as a excuse,i look after all my kit and my saddles are mint with no chance of the shorts being snagged.Its just plain poor quality.
    Colnago c60 Eps super record 11
    Pinarello F8 with sram etap
  • markyone
    markyone Posts: 1,119
    Oh yes i can pay for them if i wish.

    Dear Mark,

    As I mentioned on the telephone, in circumstances such as these, our experience shows us that the product has been affected by something in the saddle area causing abrasion. Over time this will lead to a hole. Repairing this is not something we will do under warranty after the first 3 months following purchase.

    If you would like to send these in for repair at your cost, please send the shorts in to us. However there will be a charge for this service.

    Amy

    My saddles are 2 fizik arione r1 fitted to 2 different bikes
    Colnago c60 Eps super record 11
    Pinarello F8 with sram etap
  • cgfw201
    cgfw201 Posts: 674
    Looks like it's been eaten by a moth?
  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    cgfw201 wrote:
    Looks like it's been eaten by a moth?

    Probably was something like that. Well, definitely if they didn't have a hole in them before they were put away in the wardrobe all that time ago. I would have thought if they'd had a hole in when you last rode them you'd notice, and if they had a hole in when they were put away you'd notice.

    Holes don't tend to just appear in things for no reason, Assos probably have the reason wrong though.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I'm in the moth camp....
  • grenw
    grenw Posts: 803
    Does look like friction wear to me. I've got the 3/4 versions of these and they've just started on their 3rd winter. They get used around 6 months of the year and are my only pair so get a couple of rides a week - maybe 5 hours in the saddle a week x 12 months.

    They look pristine and have a no sign of wear like the ones in the pictures. I'm not talking about the hole but the 'shine' and flattening of the waffly pattern in the lycra. Now whether that's the saddle or a cosntantly shifting position etc I don't know.
  • cgfw201
    cgfw201 Posts: 674
    ...also, how can a saddle bag be a reason for this?!
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Sometimes people have velcro straps round the bag and if the end is loose it catches on the shorts. It'll wreck them pretty quickly.
  • keith57
    keith57 Posts: 164
    Tough, I caused something similar in my Assos shorts once, down to me not looking where something was making contact with bits of the bike You can't blame Assos for something you've done really :-)

    I only ride in Assos and the stuff is indestructible in normal use in my experience! Customer service is brilliant too. They altered a Fugu Jacket for me once, reduced the waist size, free of charge. It fitted fine on the shoulders / chest, but was very draughty around the waist.
    http://www.fachwen.org
    https://www.strava.com/athletes/303457

    Please note: I’ll no longer engage deeply with anonymous forum users :D
  • robbo2011
    robbo2011 Posts: 1,017
    I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with the tiburu shorts per se. I am starting the 3rd season of use with my pair and they are perfect.

    Looks like some kind of abrasion damage to me.
  • spatt77
    spatt77 Posts: 324
    Hi, Ive had exactly the same problem with 2 pairs of Equipe shorts, hole in exactly the same place using a Fizik Aliante saddle, they were sent back to Assos who sent me 2 new pairs!
  • apriliarider
    apriliarider Posts: 222
    I had this with an Arione R1 as well - I got some iron on wet suit repair off ebay and covered the affected area with a patch - well cheap and cant really see the repair in use.

    Its where the cut away indentations are - the edges are quite sharp as they are die cut into quite tough material and I think that the pedaling action rubs away at this area (both sides for me).

    To cure it, I got a fine sanding block and used the corner of the block to take away the sharp edges - its since worked and has not worn through the Castelli replacements :D

    Cheers

    MW
  • markyone
    markyone Posts: 1,119
    apriliarider wrote:
    I had this with an Arione R1 as well - I got some iron on wet suit repair off ebay and covered the affected area with a patch - well cheap and cant really see the repair in use.

    Its where the cut away indentations are - the edges are quite sharp as they are die cut into quite tough material and I think that the pedaling action rubs away at this area (both sides for me).

    To cure it, I got a fine sanding block and used the corner of the block to take away the sharp edges - its since worked and has not worn through the Castelli replacements :D

    Cheers

    MW
    To be honest you are right and thats what i think has called the problem,there is a sharp edge on these saddles which runs down the middle.
    Colnago c60 Eps super record 11
    Pinarello F8 with sram etap
  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    I had similar rubbing (but not wearing through) with the old Charge Spoon (with the thread on it).

    Now, only Fabric Scoops which are utterly smooth and, to date, I don't even see the rubbing pattern on my Tiburu (or indeed any of my Assos shorts). So these things can definitely be saddle specific. Which is irritating as, of course, you've found the one pair of shorts you really rate and the saddle you love.
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
    https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
    Facebook? No. Just say no.
  • markyone
    markyone Posts: 1,119
    bendertherobot wrote:
    I had similar rubbing (but not wearing through) with the old Charge Spoon (with the thread on it).

    Now, only Fabric Scoops which are utterly smooth and, to date, I don't even see the rubbing pattern on my Tiburu (or indeed any of my Assos shorts). So these things can definitely be saddle specific. Which is irritating as, of course, you've found the one pair of shorts you really rate and the saddle you love.
    Yes its defo the saddle its so rough on those cut outs,talking to wiggle at the moment as i have 2 on both bikes which are nearly new and dont want to trash anymore shorts,or my new tights.
    I was looking at fabric what they like?
    Colnago c60 Eps super record 11
    Pinarello F8 with sram etap
  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    markyone wrote:
    bendertherobot wrote:
    I had similar rubbing (but not wearing through) with the old Charge Spoon (with the thread on it).

    Now, only Fabric Scoops which are utterly smooth and, to date, I don't even see the rubbing pattern on my Tiburu (or indeed any of my Assos shorts). So these things can definitely be saddle specific. Which is irritating as, of course, you've found the one pair of shorts you really rate and the saddle you love.
    Yes its defo the saddle its so rough on those cut outs,talking to wiggle at the moment as i have 2 on both bikes which are nearly new and dont want to trash anymore shorts,or my new tights.
    I was looking at fabric what they like?

    Ok, I'm 95% happy with the Fabric Scoop Shallow. Can move around, cheap if you don't like them. I'd imagine the Flat will be the Arione equivalent?
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
    https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
    Facebook? No. Just say no.

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