Terminology

ASSOS (from ancient Greek 'Assos = ace)
adj: of the highest quality; "an ace reporter"; "a crack shot"; "a super party"; "an athlete in tiptop condition"; "she is absolutely tops"
[syn: A-one, crack, first-rate, super, tiptop, topnotch, tops(p)]
[syn: one, {1}, {I}, single, unity] 1: someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
[syn: adept, champion, sensation, maven, mavin, virtuoso, genius, hotshot, star, superstar, whiz, whizz, wizard, wiz]
Ace 2: a serve that the receiver is unable to reach
v 1: succeed at easily;
2: score an ace against; "He aced his opponents"
3: play (a hole) in one stroke
4: serve an ace against (someone)

A Mod. dep.
All ASSOS products are engineered and manufactured by ASSOS of Switzerland. Most models, pattern designs and functionality solutions are protected by a trademark, design and/or patent registration. Copying ASSOS products or part of their design might result in legal action.

ASSOS Series
The technical cycling apparel collection produced by ASSOS since 1976.

A.DB
The after-bike wear collection developed by ASSOS for the cycling community.

AEPD Advanced Ergonomic Pattern Design
The company's know-how, experience and philosophy on how a garment should be tailored to function in the cyclist's position. ASSOS garments are designed to perfectly fit and adhere to the body, in other words, to respect the anatomy of the cycling body. High-tech fabrics are pointless if cut "wrong"!

ALS Assos Layering System
Less is more. The entire ASSOS collection is conceptualized around this technology.
ASSOS apparel is engineered with minimum volume, taking advantage of the body's natural heating/cooling capacities by insulating intelligently through pro-active layering.
Both fabrics and garments have chain functions and are cut to complement each other. Everything fits like a puzzle; technically as well as aesthetically. It is up to each cyclist to follow the climate range guidelines and to experiment with the different ASSOS garments in order to find the perfect personal outfit for each specific riding season.

ABC-M ASSOS Bib Closure-Mechanism (Mod. dep.)
Thanks to this construction, opening, adjusting or closing a bib is easier than ever. The ABC-M Bib Closure-Mechanism is used on all Lady's Shorts and Tights.

Choose your Color
ASSOS products are not only designed to fit each other technically, but aesthetically as well. The collection features 5 main colors. ASSOS products and the ASSOS look do not change seasonally. This allows the ASSOS rider to create a personal cycling wardrobe over various seasons. New equipment will always fit the existing wardrobe; ASSOS is created to be a "long-term" partner.

Choose your Comfort
Comfortable shorts are the essence of cycling. ASSOS therefore offers 3 different + 1 specific "lady" cycling shorts. The most expensive is not necessarily the best solution. Anatomy, riding style and preferences are an individual matter. This is why the ASSOS cycling shorts collection features specific solutions, covering different needs.
"The shorts' name is normally preceded by the letter T or H.
T designates bib-shorts, H designates half-shorts."

• FI.Uno_S5
  All-around training and racing shorts
• FI.Mille_S5
  Long-distance comfort shorts
• FI.13_S5
  The world's technological leader
• FI.13 Lady_S5
  The world's technological leader for ladies
  

The passionate cyclist owns several pairs of shorts. This facilitates daily riding and extends the shorts' lifespan.

Cycling Body R&D
Is the ASSOS department that works day-in day-out to ensure the cyclist's total comfort. The company's main focus is the cyclist's body.

Elastic Interface Technology
A quarter of a century after the invention of the very first Lycra cycling shorts (ASSOS 1976), the Elastic Interface technology –the first elastic cycling short insert– marks the second, true revolution in making cycling shorts more comfortable. Invented by ASSOS in close collaboration with its engineering partner CyTech.
Due to the significance of this innovation, ASSOS and CyTech have decided to make the technology available to other manufacturers, this in an effort to allow the largest possible number of cyclists to experience the improvement.
Beware of imitations! Only choose cycling shorts with approved, original, Elastic Interface Technology inside.

The Elastic Interface trademark and logo belong to ASSOS of Switzerland SA and are licensed to CyTech Srl.

Engineered in Switzerland
All ASSOS products are exclusively designed and developed in the Southern part of Switzerland at the ASSOS headquarters in San Pietro di Stabio. It is there, just outside Lugano, that each ASSOS product is invented, researched and, finally, brought to life.

A typical Swiss work-mentality governs the way things are done at ASSOS. Discipline, care for detail, method, drive to improve, respect and pride for well-done work are only a few of the characteristics of the highly specialized ASSOS staff.

Production processes and Quality Control procedures are defined in-house and executed by a squad of highly specialized technicians. The physical assembly of ASSOS products takes place partly in-house at the Swiss ASSOS headquarters and partly at 4 partner-laboratories in Europe. These labs operate under ASSOS certification and strictly adhere to ASSOS production guidelines and techniques.

Etno
It's a small, limited, collection of jerseys which emphasize the company's Swiss heritage, tradition and culture.

FI.SL
An ASSOS prototype short which features a totally seamless, but yet anatomical, pattern design. ASSOS started to work on this R&D project in the mid '90's. The short and its technology are not available to the public as ASSOS is not yet convinced of the real advantages for the cyclist.

Have a good ride!
What every single ASSOS product is about. With ASSOS you will!

Knickers
A ¾-length short with ends just below the knee

Lady
For certain key products, ASSOS designs equipment specifically for the female rider thereby taking anatomy, body mechanics, riding style and women's preferences into account.

LL
Abbreviation for ASSOS tights

Luxury Body
Money buys many things but not a "luxury body"! Real luxury is to dedicate time to ourselves, to our body, to our passion: Cycling.

Project Starbust
"For the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the Swiss Cycling Federation approached ASSOS with the request to develop the fastest track cycling bodysuit possible. The ASSOS Lab went to work; no expenses were spared, several air-resistance tests were conducted in a wind channel of the Zurich Polytechnic Institute, assisted by a variety of engineers and technicians from all different fields. A specific surface structured fabric was developed to minimize air-resistance. During the 2 years of R&D, over 80 prototypes incorporating aerodynamic data and advanced AEPD technology were manufactured.

Result: 5 final Starbust bodysuits were produced and brought to the Olympic Games. 3 of them were actually used and they made the podium on 3 occasions!

Starbust is not for sale.

S Series powered by ASSOS
S Series products are intended for those who are new to the sport of cycling and/or to the ASSOS world. Being an R&D company, ASSOS constantly moves forward and pushes the boundaries further with the result that, eventually, an ASSOS product is replaced by a better, more technological, one. By simplifying the so far existing product, optimizing manufacturing costs and no longer bearing R&D costs, the price of the product can be lowered. This allows newcomers to the sport of cycling to benefit from a proven technology. Welcome to the world of S Series powered by ASSOS!

T
Abbreviation for ASSOS shorts featuring bibs

Team ASSOS
It's the factory cycling team composed of ASSOS employees and other qualified cyclists. Combined, Team ASSOS rides over a quarter million kilometers per year. This in the most diverse conditions. The Team ASSOS riders train and race while testing pre-production garment prototypes, fabrics, accessories and pattern technology. It allows the company' to benefit from a "real world" laboratory and to accumulate essential data.

_S5
The new generation of ASSOS cycling shorts.
Starting 2008, all ASSOS shorts are of the _S5 generation and fulfill the new, even higher, ASSOS comfort and quality standards.

Welcome to Ticino, Switzerland: Land of Cycling, Home of ASSOS
In life, all things have an origin, a place where they naturally belong. Companies are influenced by their geographical location and it is certainly no coincidence that Ticino, Switzerland, is the home of ASSOS, manufacturer of cutting edge cycling apparel.

Ticino is the most southern district of the Swiss Confederation. Apart from its natural beauty, the region is strategically positioned at the cultural, geographical and historical cross-roads between northern and southern Europe.

In Ticino, the textile industry dates back to the 12th century. The region has a strong heritage of apparel craftsmanship and a longstanding tradition in textile engineering.

Cycling has deep roots in Ticino where, since decades, the sport enjoys huge popularity. As the environment is perfectly suited for cycling, many top riders live in the region. Thanks to the Alps, which protect the territory from Nordic climatic influences, and the presence of many lakes, the climate is pleasantly Mediterranean. Training profiles are wide-ranging; from flat on the lakesides to a steep 1 500 meters on the local mountains.

The topographical and the associated climatic variety of Ticino, together with the presence of numerous cyclists, provide ASSOS with the natural laboratory for research and development.

Ticino; where cycling enthusiasm and textile intelligence melt into advanced technology. Ticino – Home of ASSOS.

Ticino links:
Ticino Turismo www.ticino.ch
GP Chiasso www.vcchiasso.ch
GP di Lugano www.veloclublugano.ch
Giro del Lago Maggiore "GP Knorr" www.veloclubbrissago.ch
Giro del Mendrisiotto www.vcmendrisio.ch
Monte Generoso Bike Marathon www.montegenerosobikemarathon.ch
Monte Tamaro www.montetamaro.ch
2009 UCI Road Cycling World Championships www.mendrisio09.ch
Ticino MTB Tourenlist www.bike-gps.com/TL_Tessin