Assos has a whole new range of race-focused aero gear, developed in part through the brand’s previous partnership with Tudor Pro Cycling and now with EF Education-EasyPost WorldTour teams. Topping the range is the RSR Bolide lineup, with this jersey as the item of choice for fast, warm days of racing.
You can see that when standing upright off the bike, the fabric pulls tight across the shoulders and chest. This is because it’s designed to throw you into an aggressive cycling position.
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
Design details
The latest Eagle-01 textile is designed to provide an aerodynamic foundation for the jersey. It’s a textured, ribbed material that transitions from the arms to the shoulders to improve airflow around both areas as well as down the back. This is a new addition for 2026, while the Hawk-01 diamond-patterned body fabric was first used on the brand’s Rapidfire Chronosuit. Again it aims to improve breathability, fit, and aerodynamics.
The rear of the jersey uses an open mesh structure, which makes sense given this is a key area for expelling heat from the rider.
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All these fabrics come under the new AeroScience design methodology, where every panel and seam is tailored to improve aerodynamic performance. This includes external taping of the seams so they don’t impair airflow, racingFit AEPD fitting to reduce material bunching, and zero-seam pockets.
As for those pockets, they are fairly standard, with three large ones at the rear, but feature no external seams and a fold-over top structure to prevent items from sticking out of the top. Meanwhile, the neckline has been lowered to improve breathability, with the jersey featuring other practical elements such as a zip guard to protect bib shorts from abrasion.
The White Series range is the only colour at present, which works well for hot weather riding. Sizes run from XS to 2XL, but the fit is very tight.
This is certainly a tight race fit jersey, but I didn’t find any need to size up compared to other items.
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
Performance
Once on it’s clear this is a garment designed for racing and for riding fast. The jersey’s fit means that when you stand upright, it tugs and pulls across and under the shoulders in an uncomfortable way. Hop on the bike, however, and this quickly makes sense.
The AEPD fit Assos uses means there is less material at the front of the jersey, and the shoulders pull in; when you get on the bike, there is no excess material at the front or bunching around the shoulders. It’s designed for a more aggressive riding position, and it feels good when you assume said position. Just don’t expect it to be as comfortable if your riding style is more relaxed and upright.
The ribbed material extends all the way over the shoulders while the central rear panel is highly breathable. Note the taped seems to reduce their impact on airflow.
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
The jersey’s main flex comes from the mesh panel across the back. It also dissipates heat very effectively, which, when it hots up, makes it comfortable to wear. The fabric on the front and the sleeves is not quite as breathable, but the design relies on you travelling at higher speeds where the mesh rear acts like an exhaust to expel excess body heat.
I also appreciate that the jersey comes in white rather than the traditional black series colourway that Assos has often championed in the top of the range models within the Equipe line. With the sun beating down on you, it helps reduce heat buildup. The only non-white area is the pocket. This is a slightly odd design choice as this is an area where I find heat does build up quite a lot anyway, especially with the pocket stuffed with various spares and nutrition products. The pockets themselves, however, are quite effective. They aren’t massively deep, so a large smartphone struggles to stay fully submerged, but they are wide enough to hold a range of sports gels and bars or smaller items of clothing, such as one of the best cycling gilets.
In terms of aerodynamic performance, it is nearly impossible to quantify while riding out on the road. I tend to use MyWindSock and my ever-reliable 4iiii power meter to detect some degree of the coefficient of drag, but many external factors can affect it. The jersey certainly uses plenty of sound design principles that have been shown to perform well at reducing drag.
My only small gripe is that some seams aren’t flatlock, so they often leave impressions against your skin due to the jersey’s tight fit. It’s a small detail, but personally I would’ve liked to see flatlock seams used. However, this isn’t always possible on certain fabrics and design structures, so I should give Assos the benefit of the doubt.
Even moving my arm up to take this picture, you can see that the jersey bunches around the shoulders. However, once back in a fairly race focused position on the bike, it fits like a dream.
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
Value
That brings us to the elephant in the room: the price of this jersey. It’s just over £300 (£305 / $380), which puts it in the same territory as many bib shorts, let alone jerseys. For reference, it wasn’t that long ago that a jersey reaching or just exceeding the £200 / $250 mark was considered excessively high-priced. This is certainly the most expensive cycling jersey I have ever tested.
The problem is that many other highly effective, aero-focused race jerseys significantly undercut the Bolide’s price. The Rapha Pro Team Aero jersey is £190 / $245, while the incredibly breathable Castelli Aero Race 8S is £175 / $200 and one that I rate very highly.
Even if you go for another tried-and-tested, extensively wind-tunnel-tested option such as the Rule28 One jersey, it is still only £180. It can get a little bit warmer, but for over £100 cheaper it offers significantly better value.
The problem is that, as much as I like this jersey for performance, it is still too expensive to represent good value. The fact of the matter is that you can get a jersey that is probably very close when it comes to aerodynamic performance, and possibly even better when it comes to breathability, for a significantly lower price. This may be the fastest jersey available, but even then, it will probably still be single-digit watt differences at 45km/h.
Tech specs
- Price: £305 / $380
- Pockets: 3
- Fit: Race aero
- Type: Short sleeve
- Colours: White
- Sizes: XS to 2XL
