Assos says the Mille GT Ultraz Winter Bib Tights take the design of its standard insulated bib tights, with an added protective softshell fabric on the front-facing panels.<\/p>
This two-layer fabric \u2013 called \u2018Neos Ultra\u2019 \u2013 is said to be windproof and breathable, and features a polyurethane membrane to keep water at bay.<\/p>
On the rear-facing panels, the construction is much lighter to promote breathability and flexibility, while the entire leg is lined with brushed fleece.<\/p>
This also takes a two-level approach, with greater thickness (\u2018RX Heavy\u2019) on the more exposed frontal areas, and less on the less exposed sections (\u2018RX Light\u2019).<\/p>
All in, Assos says the tights should function best in a -4 to 8\u00baC window.<\/p>
The fit is claimed to be \u2018regular\u2019, as opposed to Assos’ racier cuts, although it says the Ultraz tights are still designed to offer a good level of compression.<\/p>
The brand says that makes the Mille GT Ultraz Winter Bib Tights ideal for longer winter rides<\/a> and base training<\/a>.<\/p> The panels are shaped to keep seams away from moving joints, while Assos hasn\u2019t included an ankle zip to reduce the chances of rubbing.<\/p> Your undercarriage is taken care of by Assos\u2019 8mm-thick Mille Winter Insert, which features a \u2018Golden Gate\u2019 design \u2013 essentially, the stitching on the sides of the pad is removed to enable it to more easily settle in the best place for the rider.<\/p> The straps are well constructed with tidy seams, sitting flat on the shoulders. The Y-shape is claimed to reduce pressure while avoiding covering the shoulder blades.<\/p> The tights also feature reflective tabs over the calves.<\/p> The Assos Mille GT Ultraz Winter Bib Tights blend weather protection and comfort to an impressive level.<\/p> Compromises are made in the design of even the best bib tights<\/a> \u2013 either they\u2019re light and flexible, but less protective, or they\u2019re thicker and more protective, but at the cost of comfort.<\/p> There\u2019s still a balance struck here, but the drawbacks are far less than one might assume of bib tights aimed at offering the best protection.<\/p> As someone who generally prefers lighter, more flexible bib tights, I\u2019ve been impressed by the sensation of flexibility and balanced compression on my legs.<\/p> Yet, they stand up to showers with almost equal ability, and the technical fabric has come through multiple washes with ordinary detergent well.<\/p> Inside, the fleece fabrics are comfortable against the skin, while the seams are well-positioned and kept away from the areas you don\u2019t want them.<\/p> Unlike the Castelli Sorpasso RoS Wind<\/a> bib tights, for example, there are no seams above and below the knee, while the fabrics used are nicely stretchy over the knee.<\/p> In short, the restriction on knee movement is minimal \u2013 a very good thing.<\/p> The only flaw would appear to be on the reverse of the knee, where even Assos\u2019 carefully produced product page film shows some bunching.<\/p> That said, while I noticed this when I started testing the tights, it didn\u2019t cause discomfort and I\u2019ve since learned to ignore it.<\/p> The centralised Y design of the bibs distributes any tension very well and they don’t over-insulate the back, which helped me avoid overheating on (slightly) milder days.<\/p> Assos\u2019 suggested temperature range seems accurate, having ridden in the tights with varying suitable upper layers. <\/p> I got away with one ride nudging into double figures, while the coldest ambient temperature was 0\u00baC with a far lower windchill factor.<\/p> Overall, the comfort is excellent \u2013 shored up by a well-padded chamois.<\/p> I\u2019m not sure if the Golden Gate open-sided design makes a big difference compared to conventionally stitched bib tights. However, I found the pad ideal for three-hour long rides, and suspect I\u2019d remain comfortable for substantially longer.<\/p> The cost is relatively steep, though \u2013 \u00a3250 ($325 \/ \u20ac290 \/ AU$530) is expensive in anyone\u2019s book, even if Assos makes even more expensive models.<\/p> That said, if any bib tights I\u2019ve tested in 2024<\/a> justify this kind of outlay, the Mille GT Ultraz Winter Bib Tights are the ones.<\/p> The similarly priced, 4-star rated Castelli Sorpasso RoS Wind Bib Tights and Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II<\/a> are both excellent performers, but neither quite get the comfort-protection balance as well-honed as here.<\/p>Assos Mille GT Ultraz Winter Bib Tights performance<\/h2>
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