The Assos Equipe RS Johdah Ultraz Winter Bib Tights S11 are the brand’s top-of-the-range winter bib tight offering in Assos’ Equipe range of high paced race focussed garments. As with all things Assos, the naming convention takes a bit of getting used to. Equipe refers to the race line, and RS the top range of that outside of the RSR summer race kit. Johdah is the brand’s top end model within the Equipe winter range, while Ultraz refers to the deep winter capabilities of these tights. Meanwhile S11 is the model number, although the last model was S9 so S10 was skipped.
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
Construction
Star of the show are the DIAMOND fabrics. DIAMOND Ultra is used across the front of the bibs and the upper legs, while internally is the OSMOS Light brushed fleece material. These are arranged in twinDeck, meaning the two are not bonded and are separate layers. DIAMOND Ultra is a new Assos 2L (2 layer) membrane creation, it’s more elastic, lighter weight, and more water resistant and breathable. Above the chamois at the front though is a low friction and more breathable panel of material aimed to reduce overheating of sensitive areas and improve comfort along with reduced pressure.
At the rear is DIAMOND Medium, a 3 layer membrane which uses a diamond structured internal fleece and water resistant and insulating layer to protect against road spray. Then on the lower legs is yet another mix of proprietary materials. OSMO Heavy is used on the rear of the legs for insulation and breathability but reduced water resistance. At the front, Waterskin is used, the same material used in the brand’s Aftersnow Booties. This is waterproof and resembles neoprene in feel.
The chamois is home to plenty of technology. It’s the RS 11 insert, which has been designed in conjunction with chamois experts Elastic Interface. Firstly, there is the catchily named Shock-Absorb Dampening System Mono 9. This is a 9mm foam designed to be lightweight and shock absorbing. This is then topped with a three-layer 3D Waffle which adds comfort, reduces friction, and enhances breathability with perforations across the waffle, known as the kraterCoolers. The main padding doesn’t extend too far along the pad so as to reduce pressure on soft tissue when in a more aggressive riding position.
All of this is wrapped up in the AEPD 11 racingFit. Using World Tour feedback Assos has designed the geometry of the kit to prioritise compression and maintain an aerodynamic racing position without being restrictive or uncomfortable.
For the straps, the X-Frame returns where the straps cross over at the back to help keep support and structure consistent across the body and shoulders. These are specifically lightweight to ensure breathability during higher intensity efforts.
Sizes start at XS and go up to 2XL, while just blackSeries colourway is available.
The X strap is an Assos staple, while rear reflective details are present
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
The Ride
The Assos Equipe RS Johdah Ultraz Tights S11, to give them their full name, have been designed to be a properly deep winter tight offering. Putting them on though, the first thing that is noticeable is just how supple and flexible the material is. Other deep winter tights I have tested, the PNS Mechanism Deep Winter, Rapha Pro Team Winter III, POC Thermal Cargo and Endura Pro SL, tend to be highly weather resistant and warm, but the material offers less stretch and is not as pliable.
The Johdah however buck this trend by being as flexible and easy to move around in as a pair of tights designed for spring/autumn. This is likely the combination of the DIAMOND and OSMO materials used which provide the weather proofing externally and the fleeced inner respectively. They are also not bonded, so are separate layers, leading to a small amount of air between them but also a degree of flexibility that means neither rubs against the skin and instead travel against each other, resulting in a zero friction fit. It also does wonders for the weather proofing; in showers, or while covered with plenty of oily and salty road spray, the tights kept the elements at bay.
There is a different arrangement of the DIAMOND material at the rear of the tights, featuring the same diamond insulation pattern as on the Johdah jacket. This promotes a degree of airflow to help with temperature regulation, while also being weather resistant against road spray from the rear wheel. Meanwhile at the front of the tights is a lighter weight and less bulky orange brushed material. This is designed to be low bulk and low friction against more sensitive areas and frankly does work very well. It does not come up that high but this hasn’t been a problem. Impressively, this mix of high insulation on exposed panels paired with breathability features means these tights are usable from around 0˚C / 32 ˚F all the way up to the mid-teens or mid 50s in ˚F.
The lower section does a great job at stopping water from getting to your socks
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
The chamois is the same RS 11 insert found in the RSR bib shorts. Again it is lower volume at the front to allow for holding a more tucked over aerodynamic position without added pressure against sensitive areas. The large ventilation holes do a great job at stopping things getting too stuffy, while the foam padding is exceptionally good against road vibrations. These tights have been plenty comfortable for 5-hour plus rides. Although part of the Equipe line of racing gear, that does not prevent these tights from being exceptionally good for a more relaxed pace, yet still long day in the saddle.
Another reason for this comfort are the X-frame bib straps. Crossing over at the back keeps the position far better across the shoulders, preventing them from sliding slightly to the sides. I prefer this to the standard arrangement of bib straps, as seen on most Assos tights and also the Rapha Pro Team Ghost shorts.
One of the highlights of the tights are the lower legs. They are quite tricky to get on, with the dual-layer design being a bit more fiddly to pull up, but they feature the Waterskin material used on the deep winter overshoes from Assos. All too often, even with highly effective overshoes, water still makes its way into shoes. Often water ingresses into the fabric of the tights and drips down to the socks and into the shoes, bypassing the overshoes. With the Waterskin material, which are also slightly compressive, the water does not make its way down the shin, and instead ends up travelling externally. Paired with the overshoes worn underneath the Johdah tights and there is virtually no water ingress even when riding in fairly heavy rain. It’s a neat feature that some other brands have done similar version of, but not paired with quite as comfortable an overall package.
I do have to bemoan the lack of visibility features or colour options other than black. Yes traditionally tights and shorts are black, but I like a bit of colour. I’d class the reflective detailing on the tights as fine, but not exceptional.
The rear fleecing is warmth but breathable, while the pad is impressive
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
Value and Conclusion
Being top of the range Assos gear does mean that the Johdah tights are on the more expensive end of the pricing spectrum. At £380 / $500, they are one of the most expensive bib tight offerings that I’ve tested. Considering the shift towards bib shorts that exceed £300 / $400, that does make these tights somewhat appear better value given the greater number of tech ologies used and fabrics.
However, given that the Rapha Pro Team III tights are £275, the PNS Mechanism Winter tights are £280 / $380, while MAAP’s Apex Deep winter are £295 / $390, even the other premium offerings are significantly cheaper. Only the Q36.5 Dottore Termico tights come close at £330 / $440.
Meanwhile there are of course far better value options such as the Sportful Fiandre for £150 / $210. These offer a great level of comfort, but lack the weatherproofing or deep winter insulation.
When you look at the Johdah even against other premium offerings though, they are exceptionally expensive. Not quite as bad as the Johdah jacket, but still. They are unquestionable very good, but that still doesn’t necessarily make them good value
The front of the pad is less padded to allow for an aggressive riding position, while the front orange panel is soft again sensitive areas
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
The Assos Equipe RS Johdah Ultraz Tights S11 are a truly superb winter bib tight offering. A brilliant balance of insulation, breathability, and weather resistance makes these fantastic across pretty much all winter conditions you should expect to encounter. The chamois is another hit, while the Waterskin lower legs and X-frame straps boost practicality and comfort.
The one blotch on the impressive resume is the all black offering and limited visibility, plus that glaringly high price. Even in a climate where everything is going up in price, it still feels excessive, even if the performance is possibly the best in class. As with most halo items like this, it doesn’t really represent good value for money. But for those wanting the best and performance at all costs, these are well worth the consideration.
