ASSOS cycling winter jacket — is it worth the money?
I’m an avid road cyclist, riding anywhere between 2500 km to 3000 km each year. Over the years I’ve realized that good equipment, starting with the bike, all the way to bib shorts and jerseys, can make the difference between an enjoyable experience and a nightmare on the road.
Since I’m not a professional cyclist, I don’t have to go out and ride my bike if I don’t want to. But having the right equipment and apparel is what makes it so easy to pick up my bike and go for a ride.
I ride all year long, winter including as long as the ground is dry and clear of snow. Now, as far as apparel for summer rides all you need is a bib and a jersey and you’re set to go. When it comes to riding in winter/cold weather, good apparel is essential to keep you warm: a pair of bib shorts with wind protection and appropriate for low temperatures, a good baselayer, a good jacket, headwear, gloves, and shoe covers.
I live in Southern Ontario, Canada, and cold weather can be anywhere between 2 to 5 months a year, so quite a significant part of the riding calendar. During winter time, I usually ride as long as the temperature is above freezing (0C)
Here is my clothing choice for those cold days.
Bib shorts: Castelli Tutto Nano
Shoes: Specialized S-Works Torch
Shoe covers: Castelli Estremo
Baselayer: Craft Core Dry Active Comfort
Now, for years I’ve had this Adidas winter jacket which wasn’t particularly bad, but it is 10 years old so the style is outdated, and the fabric technology has changed so much that I decided to invest in a newer jacket.
I’ve done some research and my shortlist was Castelli Alpha RoS 2 and Assos Mille GT Ultraz. Both jackets had good reviews and claim to perform well in deep winter weather. I’ve finally decided to go with the Assos since it was in stock at the time (BTW, what is going on with your stock Castelli? Some items are not available for the entire year!?!)
Anyway, I’ve pulled the trigger and bought the Assos Mille GT Ultraz winter jacket for C$315, on sale (the regular price is C$450). C$315 is not cheap for a cycling garment, but a decent price for a premium winter jacket.
One thing to mention about Assos is the sizing process. Assos doesn’t post any sort of information about their product measurements. They have a sizing calculator where you input the height, weight, age, waist, and chest measurements and they recommend the size.
This is quite a bit different from my experience with Castelli for example where you have access to the product’s measurements.
The shipping was fast and the package arrived quickly from Assos’s headquarters in Switzerland. The first thing I noticed was the box containing the jacket was showing signs of having been previously opened (see the pictures attached below)
The box containing the jacket was shipped inside a much more robust cardboard box. So, I think it’s impossible for a brand-new box to get this kind of damage on a 3-day trip from Switzerland inside this more robust package. I’ve emailed Assos customer service with the pictures just to make sure they didn’t sell me a previously worn product. I’m still waiting to hear from them.
The jacket had all the tags attached and looked new, but to be completely honest most of the cycling apparel I own it’s hard to tell whether is new even after wearing it a few times. Here are some pictures of the jacket upon arrival.
The material looks a bit different from the product pictures on the website. It’s a 3 layer system, with the outer yellow layer being very soft at touch, and not as rigid as it looks in the pictures. It’s also very stretchy, but a little bit more on that later. The jacket has a base layer integrated into it, so overall it has a certain weight to it. I like that part!
On the inside there is a baselayer incorporated into the jacket and the back of the jacket (the part with the Assos logo) is quite breathable.
Finally, the fit: this jacket fits very tight! The size L it was recommended for me was supposed to be ‘slightly loose at chest’. Well, it’s very tight on my chest and waist. This is where the stretchy material helps, but I’m concerned stretching the material reduces its waterproofness and insulation! I was tempted to return it and order a size XL, but checking the website no XL or L sizes were available anymore. I decided to keep the jacket and give it a try as is.
I’ve done 2 rides so far in this jacket: one ride at around 8C–9C with a bit of sun and almost no wind and another ride at 1C feels like -7C with windchill. On the first ride, I was very warm in the jacket, and after about 30min I decided to open the zipper to avoid excessive sweating. On the 2nd ride, I felt really good, just a little bit cold with the powerful wind gusts, but otherwise no sweating or cold felt throughout the ride; the jacket provided all the insulation and warmth I was expecting.
I’ll provide an update once I do a few more rides, the weather should be around 0C for the next month so perfect for further testing this jacket.
Overall, so far I think this jacket is worth the money if you purchase it on sale, however, I wouldn’t pay the full regular price for it. Also, I want to see how it fares in time; I’m concerned the stretchy material will lose its properties in time. Also, the zipper is very small, I hope it holds well over time and it doesn’t break. The Castelli garments have a larger better zipper which I’ve always thought was the best in all cycling garments.
I’m still bummed about getting a used/previously worn item without the price adjustment required in these cases, but I guess Assos are taking advantage of the cycling apparel shortage in the market and being sneaky about these kinds of things.
