Categories: Accessories and Gear

Study of a Toolbag: The Assos Guy

Until I started wearing the sacred threads of the V-Kit, I believed firmly that Assos produced the finest clothes in cycling.  Their winter clothes are toasty-warm and lack the bulk of most winter garb, while no epidermal cell has ever been lost to chaffing while wearing a pair of FI.13 bibs.

For a company who has such a stellar reputation in the construction of cycling clothing, I can’t understand why they have hired a sullen-faced body-builder who would look less out of place delivering lines like, “Hello, I understand your pipes need to be checked” than he does modeling cycling clothes.  That said, it does appear he has a talent for flexing every muscle in his body simultaneously – including those in his toes, and I suppose I can admire that.

That talent aside, take the photo in this article, which I found on The Google. I assume he’s demonstrating how to ride the Batcycle projectile, but  that’s not really a bicycle and is also fictional; as such I can’t see the relevance of wearing a pair of bibshorts while pretending to ride one.  Besides, everyone knows you need a cape to ride any of Batman’s gear. It’s protocol.

I also don’t understand why a company like Assoss would hire a guy with a shirt allergy to model their clothes. After all, since I am to understand Assos also sells jerseys, I would have thought it a sound business decision to find a candidate who, in addition to pulling off an excellent Blue Steel, should also be able to occasionally drape a garment over his chiseled abs.  But, as they say, hind-sight is 20-20, and since I wasn’t there, I shouldn’t pass judgement on their decisions.  Besides, they seem to have repeated the decision when choosing the model for their womens line, so maybe it’s part of their strategy.

In any case, for a company who makes the worlds second-best cycling kit, I recommend they shift to a marketing scheme that involves using people who occasionally ride bicycles to model their clothes.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

View Comments

  • @ frank: I agree, no doubt as any red blooded American heterosexual, that lady up there would make me buy darn near anything, minus alimony and for me I would much rather see Fabian, the swiss hardman sell their duds. It seems a natural fit. But I am simply saying Assos may well like getting a rise out of people 'who don't get it', because us cyclists are just appealing to that nuance. Thats all I am saying.

    The real question has nipple-slipped by however. My question is how the chicken painted perfectly those titties on his Assos base layer. Perfectly placed, level, proportionate. Kudo's to the chickain'.

  • Nice, amusing write-up. I too have always found the Assos Guy an odd one. Certainly doesn't make me want to buy their gear. Has anyone else noticed in the Assos catalogues that come with their bibs have faint pictures in the background, some of them being shower scenes? Also kind of odd.

    Oh wow, I didn't realize Assos was now #2. I guess I better get with it and place an order for the Velominati gear...

  • Have a ride with the "ASSOS Guy" and check his results on The Iron Man of Hawai 2011. And after that you might have a second opinion on being an athlete, cyclist or whatever....

  • @Yves
    Welcome Yves, oh no, are the Velominati going to have to retract the terrible things we have said about him? If he qualified for the World Championships in Kona he must be a good cyclists. For him to qualify in his age group means he can ride faster for 210km than any of us. Damn. I assumed, wrongly and with no evidence, that he was a crazy male model who maybe rode a stationary bike in the gym.

    Chapeau to him then. He still looks a little crazy in the Assos ads but maybe that is the art director making him. Seriously, I'd like to go on a ride with the "Assos Girl."

  • I was just going to paste in the same article. Sure we were a little harsh with him. And yes, Cyclops did ruin our brains forever. Do Not scroll up!

    And Assos guy has never even met Assos girl! Crazy.

  • @Gianni

    I was just going to paste in the same article. Sure we were a little harsh with him. And yes, Cyclops did ruin our brains forever. Do Not scroll up!

    And Assos guy has never even met Assos girl! Crazy.

    Shame really, imagine the progeny !!!!!

  • @Barracuda

    @Gianni

    I was just going to paste in the same article. Sure we were a little harsh with him. And yes, Cyclops did ruin our brains forever. Do Not scroll up!

    And Assos guy has never even met Assos girl! Crazy.

    Shame really, imagine the progeny !!!!!

    We need to do something to facilitate an introduction.

  • @Nate

    @Barracuda

    @Gianni

    I was just going to paste in the same article. Sure we were a little harsh with him. And yes, Cyclops did ruin our brains forever. Do Not scroll up!

    And Assos guy has never even met Assos girl! Crazy.

    Shame really, imagine the progeny !!!!!

    We need to do something to facilitate an introduction.

    Seems to work well in the equine industry.

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