It happens when we least expect it: The sting of cold air on our thighs, crotch, and glutes cuts into us on the road, distracting us from the race at hand. It marks the beginning of when our summer bibs are no longer warm enough, but we’re not quite ready to reach for our knickers. Enter the EQUIPE RS Spring Fall Bib Shorts S9—tuned for cool fall and spring racing conditions where shorts are still in order, but now with a dose of thigh-warming comfort and protection.
Based on the EQUIPE RS S9, these shorts include our A-Lock Engineering framework to brace the shorts and ensure they remain stabilized in the toughest racing environments. The shorts’ thigh panels are constructed with our brushed-back Osmos Heavy textile, which adds to this stable platform. This is the latest member to join our brushed family of fabrics, and its technical two-in-one composition provides us with several advantages.
The first is that the brushed interior is highly insulating, breathable, and super soft against our skin. The warp-knit outer acts as the “shell” of the shorts, further supporting your leg muscles with its compressive structure. Together, these two components of the textile create a nice compressive hold on our legs, encouraging positive circulation and uniform warmth throughout. Knowing that the wind-facing front panel takes the brunt of the elements, we applied our Sphere Ultra textile in our double-layer twinDeck construction to lock out the icy cold air around the crotch, while still remaining breathable.
For the insert, we incorporated the race-proven EQUIPE RS Insert—minus the kraterCooler ventilation holes—in our signature basalt colorway, equipped with superAir microShock foam, 3D waffle topsheet, along with the ASSOS-exclusive goldenGate technology and horizontal stabilizer in the rear.
A-Lock Engineering: S9 system of textiles and technologies working in harmony to stabilize the shorts and secure the insert in place.
Osmos Heavy: This warp-knit is the main bib short textile and the heaviest in our brushed Osmos family (290g/m2), featuring asymmetrical stretch and a soft, durable construction. High levels of insulation are derived from the brushed skin-facing side.
Sphere Ultra: Applied in our twinDeck double-layer construction on the front crotch panel for added thermal insulation. A patented 2L windproof, waterproof, and highly breathable softshell constructed with a PU bonded membrane for added water-repellency—maximizing insulation while minimizing bulk. Weight: 150g/m2; Elasticity: Bistretch.
rollBar: A patented bracing design that mimics a race car’s anti-sway bar by using the bib straps to stabilize the insert and lock it in place as your weight transfers from left to right while cornering.
ergoBox: A square pattern construction that effectively frames the insert in the back, boxing it in for added stability.
Butterfly Pattern: The primary textile panel fully wrapping the lower back and legs, coming together in the rear. Fewer seams leads to a more uniform hold, less weight, and greater comfort.
Carbon Xbib: A single section of elastic material—folded over on itself—forming a supportive A-frame that delivers limited vertical stretch in the rear. Above the “X” junction, a more flexible material is employed, incorporating an antibacterial carbon weave, to wick moisture and lay flat in the front.
Ultralight Leg Grippers: New Lycra leg band structure naturally grips the thigh—free of silicon treatment—to deliver a smooth, ultralight hold.
EQUIPE RS Insert (no krater): Race-spec elastic interface insert in 3D basalt colorway, minus the kraterCooler ventilation holes in the front.
superAir microShock foam: A lightweight open cell foam with a shock absorbing composition that returns to its original position, filling the gap every time pedaling position is changed in the saddle through the shift of weight.
3D waffle: A patented, three-layer perforated foam that increases breathability and eliminates excess weight.
goldenGate: A patented technology that interrupts the stitching along both of the insert’s side panels, allowing a more three-dimensional freedom of movement in this sensitive, rotational area.
Horizontal Stabilizer: A patented central stitch that secures the rear of the insert to the outer textile, eliminating shifting while pedaling out of the saddle.
Composition: 59%PA 24%PL 17%EA
