With their introduction of the new-for-2008 S5 bib short line, Assos has discontinued the F.I. Mille A.360 bib. Alongside the Assos F.I. 13 S-2, the A.360 has been our best selling bib short for over 4 years. When we got word of the discontinuation, we bought the entire stock of A.360 bibs remaining in Assos' US warehouse. If you love the A.360, you need to stockpile them NOW. Once we're sold out, they'll be gone for good. Not just here, but everywhere.

The Assos F.I. 13 S-2 bib seems to be the single best-loved garment in the cycling industry . The F.I. Mille A.360 variation is a twist on the S-2 design. Assos thinks of the A.360 as their premium "long-distance" short. It has just a hint of extra padding in comparison to their other shorts, with a slightly less restrictive, anatomic A.E.P.D. (Assos Ergonomic Pattern Design) cut. The A.360 uses the same Elastic Interface Technology built into the chamois as the S-2. The chamois will perfectly follow your skin as it moves with every pedal stroke, which eliminates the friction that can cause irritation or rashes. The chamois is layered in 2 pieces, providing increased relief in high-pressure zones and greater support. Raised channels at the front of the short allow increased blood flow while the foam lower layer of the chamois absorbs shock and has a memory foam chassis to contour the short to your shape and make them feel "broken in".

The fabric stitching to the F.I. insert is all-but-seamless, and the DuPont-manufactured ACFX Spandex is built to provide the same muscle compression used by world-class weight lifters to maximize muscular power and endurance while minimizing fatigue. The A.360 is unique in the fact that it features a new denser, more durable lycra, meaning you'll get even more mileage out of it than you would out of the first generation F.I. Mille. And like all Assos bibs, the panels in the lower stomach and upper inner thighs feature a design that eliminates excessive material when you're in the hoods or drops. The result? Less bunching up of fabric, less fabric, an overall more comfortable fit.

One final note about comparing the F.I. Mille A.360 to Assos' other top-of-the-line bib short, the S-2. The main difference between them is well known: It's the chamois itself -- the S-2 is a bit thinner, the A.360 is a bit thicker. One other critical (and often overlooked) difference is the leg length of the short itself. The S-2 has a leg length roughly 4cm longer than the A.360. The upside to the longer leg length is that the S-2 more securely holds Assos knee warmers in place. Assos knee warmers are one size fits all. Many folks with long or thick legs who wear A.360's with Assos knee warmers experience the headache of having their knee warmers slide down their leg to the point where the upper elastic of the knee warmer falls below the leg elastic of the short itself, thereby exposing a band of skin to the cold. If you wear Assos knee warmers on a regular basis, the S-2 is preferable to the A.360. (FYI: since Assos leg warmers come in two sizes, this problem rarely manifests itself with A.360's and leg warmers).

Why would you choose the A.360 over the S-2? Other than the obvious reason that some folks simply prefer the A.360 chamois, we most often see three instances where the A.360 is the bib short of choice: (1) Amongst riders who rarely wear knee warmers, (2) Amongst riders who prefer knee warmers made in multiple sizes -- allowing for longer length knee warmers that stay in place above the the leg elastic of the short, (3) And most common is the sizeable group of riders who find the shorter leg length more comfortable in the hotter rides of the summer.