Assos’ new Dyora women’s collection ditches the boob-splitter

Assos has finally done it. Last week the Swiss brand announced the launch of its new race fit women’s Dyora RS S9 collection, which includes a redesigned women’s bib with a traditional two-shoulder strap design, replacing the original monobib closure.

Assos products have some interesting and sometimes hard-to-pronounce names, like T.laaLalai_S7. And they also have some technical terms I never thought I would write about in a bib shorts review. The Dyora S9, for instance, features an “A-lock bracing system”, an “ergoBox”, an “external rollBar”, “goldenGate technology”, and “superAir microShock foam”.

All of these features play an important part in making these bibs what they are. And while you might not understand what goldenGate technology is (I’ll tell you a little further down), the good thing is these bibs speak for themselves.

The Dyora RS S9 women’s summer bib shorts do have a high price tag of US$260 / AU$386 / €200 / £175. They’re accompanied in the range by the Dyora RS summer jersey, cap, and socks, which are available in two colour options: black and violet.

Dyora RS S9 collection pricing

– Dyora RS Summer Bib Shorts S9: US$260 / AU$386 / €200 / £175
– Dyora RS Cap: US$28 / AU$48 / €25 / £22
– Dyora RS Socks: US$20 / AU$37 / €19 / £18
– Dyora RS Summer SS Jersey: US$189 / AU$298 / €170 / £145

I tested the T.laaLalai_S7 bibs over the winter and while they were one of, if not the highest quality of the bibs I tested, I struggled to get onboard with the monobib and buckle combo, as well as the dual fabric on the leg bands. Fast forward a few months and the S9 women’s bibs arrived, delivering features we have been wanting from Assos for years. I haven’t quite put them through the wringer yet, but first impressions are favorable, which also justifies that price tag.

First Impressions

It’s all about stabilization. Assos took the traditional bib strap design and put their own engineering twist on it to focus on that stabilization. Features such as A-lock engineering, a rollBar, the ergoBox, etc. are meant to ensure that the bibs feel like a second skin; moving with you in and out of the saddle.

The straps are wide, very stretchy, and incredibly comfortable, using Assos’ rollBar bracing design which uses the bib straps to stabilize the insert. The straps then give an x-junction at the back for even more stability. Given the overall design of the straps, and the bibs being more of a race fit, you’re not going to see a drop-tail feature for nature breaks.

While comfortable and incredibly moisture-wicking, I did find that during an indoor Zwift session the straps held onto a bit of moisture and much more than the rest of the bib itself. This was less of an issue on my outdoor adventures, but something to consider when layering or if you’re going to be sweating a lot.

I have only had a few rides in these bibs but I am happy to report that Assos nailed the new women’s strap design. It’s something I would love to have seen earlier.

Assos has also changed up the leg bands for the S9 bibs, now using a single-fabric, ultralight leg gripper which makes for a more seamless transition from bibs to skin. The S7 bibs utilize two separate fabric components, including an external elastic material, which I felt to be a little clunky. While minimal compared to those on its predecessor, the S9’s leg bands stayed in place the entire ride and never pinched or needed adjustments.

With the absence of the monobib and magnetic buckle in this iteration, Assos had a gap to fill at the midsection. They went with a raw cut waist that falls just below my belly button.

Assos has always delivered a quality product, especially when it comes to the chamois, and they haven’t stopped here. Using their goldenGate technology — think of a suspension bridge swaying side to side — the Elastic Interface chamois is sewn in to float and move with your body. Plus, it doesn’t feel bulky when off the bike.

The bibs utilize a butterfly pattern for minimal seams, they include some reflective detailing, and they use a smooth, moisture-wicking fabric called type.441. They weigh in at 163 g (size medium).

The price tag might scare you away, but having ridden a few times in the S9 bibs these are the ones that you will always be grabbing for, and they look built to last a long while.