Desire: Assos S9 bibshorts

Cycling friends are different. They see us at our best and our worst and they’re always willing to lend a hand – or heckle – at our time of need; usually on the side of the road trying to get a tyre back on after an untimely puncture.

Cycling friends are always willing to give their advice. Once, one of the group informed us that if a cyclist rides hard enough in a crosswind, it would act like a tailwind. It’s a notion that many of us are still trying to fathom. Answers on a postcard to the Rouleur address.

One thing cyclists tend to share, besides meteorological anomalies, is our opinion on kit we’ve bought. One such product over the years has been the  Assos bib shorts. Although always highly regarded, they’ve just been bettered.

The Assos S9 bib short isn’t just a revamp of the now superseded S7. The textile lab went back to the drawing board with these to produce something entirely new, albeit wholly familiar in terms of quality.

Fabian’s new threads: Gore Wear’s C7 bibs and insulated Shakedry rain jacket

These shorts have new, key elements, which include something they refer to as A-Lock Engineering. The thought behind it is that the insert in any pair of bib shorts is only as good as the fabric and cut that support it.

A-Lock Engineering is a framework that stabilises the shorts, so they don’t shift during a ride. There’s a host of other new developments that are designed to improve this aspect that ensures rider comfort.

But you’re still trying to work out how a crosswind becomes a tailwind, aren’t you? Thought so.

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