Once you strip back Assos’ excessive marketing terminology and look past the undeniably high price tag, the Swiss brand’s LL.habuTights_s7 really are rather brilliant. In fact, they are near-faultless – if you want an exceptionally comfortable set of bib tights and have £250 to spend, then these should be right at the top of your wish list.
The tights are primarily cut from an ‘RX Medium’ fabric, placing the LL.habuTights_s7 in Assos’ early winter range. The more expensive (£320) and fantastically-named LL.bonkaTights_s7 use the thicker ‘RX Heavy’ fabric but I’ve worn the habuTights right down to freezing and stayed toasty. For typical UK conditions (that is to say, variable), these provide plenty of warmth, without being limited to the coldest days.
Unlike most tights with a conventional brushed lining, RX Medium has a waffle-like texture on the inside – take a look at the photo below. It’s reasonably thick and sits comfortably next to the skin, while still providing an obvious escape route for excess heat and moisture. The fabric has also been exposed to a water repellent treatment, so light rain and road spray beads up on the surface. Anything much heavier or persistent and the tights are quickly saturated.