Assos

TRAIL TACTICA Liner Bib Shorts HP T3 - Men's

Great fit & love the hip pad protection

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

My only complaint about these are: 1) I wish I would have known there are shorts with hip pads 7 months ago and; 2) I wish the pads & liner were made exclusively for road riding with a more subtle look to them instead of a "liner" for mountain biking. Hey listen up anyone who has had a hip replacement like me: YOU NEED THESE! If you fall on your repaired hip (like I did after getting hit by a car 6 months ago) you will experience much more trauma to your reconstructed hip without pads because metal TRANSFERS stress, meaning the potential damage can/will be much worse! Don't know if I would have avoided a broken hip in 3 places but at least I would have had some protection. I'm 5'8"; 160 lbs. medium fits great.

Pads disappear

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Size Bought:

Large

Very comfortable, purchased two sizes larger than the suggested, because the Smalls were uncomfortably tight

Not sure how they could be better

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

For going under MTB shorts, I've never tried anything better. Very comfortable.

Ever better than gen 1

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

I have several pairs of the gen 1 trail liners and trail liner knickers. They’re better than anything else on the market. These new gen 2 liners are even better. The material is thinner and the pockets easier to get to. I’m not sure the pad changed but the gen 1 pad was perfect so no need to change. I also appreciate that Assos finally started selling the bib liners with the pictured hip protection instead of making you buy this separate. Not sure why some reviewers are complaining about the seams… these are liners meant to be worn under shorts, not as standalone.

Almost perfect,

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Size Bought:

L

Height:

6' 5"

Weight:

180

Fit, comfort and finish of the bids and of the chamois is great , as you would expect if you are familiar with ASSOS (probably from road biking). The very nice airy mesh keeps you cool when wearing liner + baggy shorts. Fantastic padding on the upper thighs (greater trochanter): large coverage, removable, well vented and thin, super flexible and comfortable, but still CE rated impact protection, so you know it will actually do something. This protection pad (HP T3) is much better than the older style used in the ‘plain’ liner shorts/bibs. There is ZERO reason not to wear thigh protection with these. Storage pockets are another near must have for me, since my bike has in frame storage and a toptube bag, so a really don’t need a pack, just a few pockets on the longest days. The one big miss, not unique to Assos, but to all padded shorts/bibs: NO PADDING ON THE HIP BONE (iliac crest) ! Similarly, a protection pad over the sacrum would also be very useful. With a pad this flexible, vented and thin, adding some of that would complete coverage of your mid body, with no downsides. Plus, if you didn’t want it, you could always remove it.

Camel toe

I'm not sure which they put a seam in the front center. I wish they would use the chamois and Koo Koo penthouse from the Cento in these. I do like them, but they could be better.

Top tier Roadie bibs for shredding

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Assos is well known for its road kit. Many people consider them to have the best chamois on the market and they put a huge emphasis on the technical features of their products. Assos poured all of that knowledge and experience into making a liner bib ready for getting rowdy in the dirt and it shows. The fit is a little more relaxed than the typical compression you get from their road bibs and shorts. But the construction and fit do a great job of keeping the chamois in the right spot no matter how much you're moving around on the bike. The chamois feels just like the one used on their Equipe RS bibs. Super breathable, supportive, and keeps you going for long days on the trail. Paired with the mesh construction of the shorts, these liner bibs feel airy underneath my shell shorts. The added pockets on the lower back are nice if you're wearing a Tech-T to give you a place for some nutrition and minimal trail tools. I don't end up using them, but the tabs on the pockets make the openings easy to find if you need them. The last thing I love about these is the added hip protection. The pads aren't felt at all on the ride but are just enough to protect you when taking an unexpected dive into the dirt. I personally *tested* this feature yesterday. :P The leg grippers also work well with helping keep knee pads in place. So, let it be known, Assos is not just for the road set. They knocked it out of the park on these trail liner bibs!