Rider Inspiration: All-mountain clothing from ASSOS

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Legendary Swiss brand ASSOS have a solid reputation amongst our lycra clad cousins for outstanding kit at the unashamedly higher end of the market. Their summer 2020 TRAIL collection combines loose fits, protective features and innovative textiles, perfect for demanding riders. Ross, Amanda and I went to Grizedale Forest to check it out in more detail.

Men’s 2020 Collection

Assos trail clothing

ASSOS Trail SS Jersey

Price: £80.00
From: ASSOS.com

Assos trail clothing
ASSOS Trail SS Jersey

Kicking off the ASSOS TRAIL collection, is the SS (short sleeve) Jersey. It’s cut looser than you might expect from a brand with such a strong road cycling heritage, trading aerodynamics for versatility, day long comfort and flexibility on the bike with room for pads underneath. The main fabric is light, flexible and hard wearing, while the jersey features large mesh panels under the arms to aid ventilation and keep things fresh. The subtle colours mean it looks just as good off the bike.

ASSOS TRAIL SS Jersey Details

  • Ultrasoft fabric with UPF35
  • Bi-stretch 3-Mesh panels under arms for ventilation and flexibility
  • Crew neck, comfortable, versatile fit and a drop hem
  • Black Series / Corfu Blue / Mugo Green / Rodeo Red
  • £80.00

ASSOS TRAIL Cargo Shorts

Price: £105.00
From: ASSOS.com

Assos trail clothing
ASSOS TRAIL Cargo Shorts in Black

ASSOS have really sweated the details on these, to bring us a stripped back, all mountain & trail short. The first thing you notice is the lack of a waistband fastening. Instead, the shorts use an innovative elasticated band, which reduces the bunching of materials and helps eliminate pressure points. At the top of the thighs, the shorts are cut slimmer to reduce unnecessary material and thus avoid saddle snag, while towards the knee the shorts have been relaxed. A 12″ inseam means they work both with and without pads. The shorts have been treated with a DWR coating to help shed mud and water, and rounding things off are two zippered thigh pockets.

ASSOS TRAIL Cargo Shorts Details

Assos trail clothing
  • Minimal design with elasticated waistband and no waist fastening
  • High density, bi-stretch fabric
  • UPF50+, fast drying with DWR treatment
  • Trim cut at the top to avoid saddle snag
  • 2 zippered pockets
  • 12″ inseam
  • Black Series / Torpedo Grey
  • £105.00

Price: £130.00
From: ASSOS.com

Assos trail clothing
ASSOS TRAIL Liner Bib Shorts

Designed to be worn directly under the TRAIL Cargo Shorts, these TRAIL Liner Bib Shorts are packed with features. To help you ride freely, they have two secure pockets, large enough for a spare bottle or pump so you can ditch the pack on shorter rides. The waist area has been designed to remove pressure on your abdomen, while the inseam has been extended for increased comfort. The liners feature a mountain bike specific padded insert, optimised with extra padding towards the rear, for the more upright position mountain bikers pedal in. When the trail gets rowdy, you have the option of adding impactPads (not included) for hip protection.

ASSOS TRAIL SS Jersey Details

Assos trail clothing
  • Ultrasoft fabric, with an open structure for maximum ventilation
  • New waist construction to remove any pressure on your abdomen
  • Patented insert, with padding optimised for a more upright mountain bike pedalling position
  • Two secure pockets for storage
  • Removable impactPads (not included) for extra protection
  • Black Series
  • £130.00

ASSOS TRAIL FF Gloves

Price: £55.00
From: ASSOS.com

Assos trail clothing
ASSOS TRAIL FF Gloves

Continuing the understated and classy theme of the ASSOS TRAIL collection, these gloves are available in black or black. Don’t let the subtle look fool you though, there is plenty of tech hidden in these black beauties. Firstly, the gloves are designed with a 3d structure, so they fit perfectly when gripping the bars with no unwanted creases or wrinkles. Continuing the minimalist theme of the rest of the range, the gloves do away with velcro closure, relying on a low profile, flexible cuff. Finally, there’s lightweight, perforated padding at key contact points, silicone grippers on the index and middle fingers, and a highly absorbent Terry panel on the thumb.

ASSOS TRAIL FF Gloves Details

Assos trail clothing
  • Unisex design
  • 3D Mesh promotes breathability
  • Perforated synthetic leather
  • Strategically position palm padding
  • Grippers on index and middle fingertips for braking control
  • Anatomic cut eliminates wrinkles
  • Highly absorbent Terry panel on the thumb
  • Black Series
  • £55.00

ASSOS TRAIL Socks

Price: £25.00
From: ASSOS.com

Assos trail clothing
ASSOS TRAIL Socks

Designed like the rest of the TRAIL range to provide unfussy styling with clever detailing, the TRAIL socks feature an 18cm cuff for maximum ankle coverage and a seam free design for maximum comfort. The shieldKnit yarn found in the cuff, heel and toe areas is super soft and breathable, yet is manufactured with abrasion resistant polymer fibres for durability. Like the TRAIL FF Gloves, The TRAIL socks are a unisex design.

ASSOS TRAIL Socks Details

  • Unisex design
  • Seamless construction
  • 18cm cuff height
  • Reinforced on the cuff, heel and toe
  • £25.00

Women’s 2020 Collection

Assos trail clothing

ASSOS TRAIL Women’s SS Jersey

Price: £80.00
From: ASSOS.com

Assos trail clothing
ASSOS TRAIL Women’s SS Jersey

As per the men’s jersey, the Women’s SS (short sleeve) jersey has a perfect cut for trail riding. No tight fitting XC lycra here, just a nice slim cut, with plenty of room for movement in all the right places. The fabric is light, flexible and tough, offering UPF35 and plenty of breathability. To aid ventilation, ASSOS have used a bi-stretch mesh under the arms.

ASSOS TRAIL Women’s SS Jersey Details

Assos trail clothing
  • Ultrasoft fabric with UPF35
  • Bi-stretch 3-Mesh panels under arms for ventilation and flexibility
  • Comfortable, versatile fit and a drop hem
  • Black Series / Twilight Blue / Pan Green / Cactus Purple
  • £80.00

ASSOS TRAIL Women’s Cargo Shorts

Price: £105.00
From: ASSOS.com

Assos trail clothing
ASSOS TRAIL Women’s Cargo Short

The TRAIL Women’s Cargo Short follows a similar design philosophy to the men’s short, but features a women’s specific cut – narrower in the waist, broader in the hips and a slightly longer inseam. They share the same closure free, elasticated waistband to reduce pressure points and excess material, twin zippered pockets and bi-stretch fabric with DWR treatment. The cut at the top of the legs is relatively close fitting, so there’s no excess material to snag on your saddle when moving around on the bike and the inseam is 12.5″ so the shorts look great with or without pads.

ASSOS TRAIL Women’s Cargo Short Details

Assos trail clothing
  • Minimal design and elasticated waistband eliminates need for waist fastening
  • High density, abrasion resistant, bi-stretch fabric
  • Fast drying with a DWR treatment
  • UPF50+
  • 2 zippered pockets
  • 12.5″ inseam
  • Black Series / Torpedo Grey
  • £105.00

To see more from ASSOS, including the TRAIL Women’s Rain Jacket or the Men’s TRAIL LS Jersey, head on over to ASSOS.com

Having ridden bikes for as long as he can remember, James takes a certain twisted pleasure in carrying his bike to the most inaccessible locations he can find, before attempting to ride back down again, preferably with both feet on the pedals. After seeing the light on a recent road trip to Austria, James walked away from the stresses of running a design agency, picked up a camera and is several years deep into a mid life crisis that shows no sign of abating. As a photographer, he enjoys nothing more than climbing trees and asking others to follow his sketchy lines while expecting them to make it look as natural and stylish as possible. He has come to realise this is infinitely more fun than being tied to a desk, and is in no hurry to go back.

More posts from James

Comments (4)

    No wonder he’s got full Ohlins on his Santa Cruz charging prices like that

    ioksane7 August 24, 2020 at 3:01 pm
    “No wonder he’s got full Ohlins on his Santa Cruz charging prices like that”

    Yes but the fabric is lightweight (thin ) and flexible (of course, its not chain mail is it ?)
    So obviously worth the money

    £80 for a nylon T shirt? Or is that a typo and it’s still over priced at £8?

    Just seen the £105 shorts have an elasticated waistband, dread to think how much a fastening with fly version would be! There’s a reason bib shorts are more comfortable that elasticated waist Lycra shirts & it’s the same one that makes those elasticated baggies such a pointless idea.

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