Assos' new Superléger kit takes cool to the next level

Why would you need a specific cycling kit to ride on your turbo trainer? Fair question. But try to rephrase it: Do you usually use a different kit if you're cycling in the winter and the summer? Now you get the difference.

And if you're riding a lot indoors — unless it's in a gloomy and dark garage — the chances are that those sessions will be the hottest ones you'll ever ride (even if you use a good fan).

Related – How to train in high temperature: Rouleur Performance

That's why a kit designed for indoor cycling, as well as for hot conditions, has its rightful place in the modern cycling world — even if it does, without fail, bring out those few social media naysayers who insist indoor cycling kit represents the end-times of traditional cycling. For our part, we love a turbo session, and if we can do it in more comfort all the better.

When Swiss brand and masters of technical road cycling kit Assos invests in the idea, launching its first kit designed for this purpose, we can be sure that the concept is more than just buzz. So here we have Assos' Superléger collection, the brand's "lightest and most breathable equipment yet engineered."

The collection is conceived for the high-intensity efforts performed in the hottest conditions, both indoors and outdoors. So, as per a proper collection, there's not only a pair of bib shorts and a jersey to it: the Superléger also includes a pair of socks and a sweat blocker.

And what the heck is a sweat blocker? Imagine a short sleeve you can wear around your wrists. Their purpose is to keep your hands dry and your grip firm when you're cycling indoors (the alternative being covering your handlebars with a towel and holding on to them). The good news is that they're the cheapest piece of the Superléger, at an £11 price tag. 

The rest comes in at a slightly higher price tag — befitting Assos' reputation for longevity and quality — the Equipe RSR Bib Shorts S9 comes at £220, the SS Skin Layer at £75, and the RS Socks at £20.

The bib shorts and the base layer are made of hyperlight textiles for enhanced breathability, moisture absorption, and comfort. The bib shorts weight is claimed to be only 120 grams, while the jersey (see-through only around the shoulders) a minimalist 59 grams.  They are the core of the collection, of course, and they have both a pretty interesting and futuristic design. They also leave relatively little to the imagination... The shorts have a transparent mesh side-panel but still exploit Assos' full technical mastery around the pad — which can be even more critical on long-indoor sessions without the dynamic movement of outdoor riding.

The bibs are a composition of a one-piece panel in direct contact with the skin, on top of which a front and a rear panel are layered for a more compressive hold. Within that they use Assos' butterfly rear straps which attach directly to the chamois — offering more stability and comfort at the pad. Finally, the perforated straps are also conceived to shed grams and improve breathability.

The jersey is made of a tubular knit construction free of seams in the lower part, while the upper mesh (the perforated and see-through one) is composed of a shoulder and a sleeve part sewn into the armhole.

Then there are the socks, which are also Assos' lightest ever made (apparently 15 grams each). It's probably a good idea to reduce the indoor fan power during sock fitment, as there’s a genuine risk they’ll be blown away.

Shop the collection here