Assos F13 S5 bibs:

I had been holding out on getting these as I have several of the S3 that are right under 3 years old and look/feel just like new despite using each at least once a week. The S5 are more expensive than the S3 ever were, even when you get them from the UK or the german guy on ebay. I had also read several reviews stating the pad was significantly thinner and not as comfortable as the S3. For me the main beauty of the Assos bibs has not been the pad but rather the compression and fit. The new S5 feel as if they have the same fit, and I did not feel much of a difference in comfort from the different pad. At first the pad fell the same thickness, but after a few minutes on the bike one can tell it is certainly thinner. Not worse or better, just thinner.

The material the panels and the straps are made out of is completely different to the S3, which seems to have pretty much the same material throughout. The straps fell a bit softer and looser than the S3, but fit nicely.

My biggest let down and disappointment with the S5 come from the compression. Although it has a significant amount, more so than most bibs on the market, it is nowhere near as what the S3 had. These feel almost like something between the previous generation Unos bibs and the S3. Very very poor in my opinion. Having said that, they do have a small benefit. The front area where the genitals would be against has a bit more room, so my jewels don't fit so constricted and tightly caged. Again, this is due to the same degree of compression as the previous generation S3.

I'll have to take a few more rides in these to have a final judgement on the comfort level of the pad/compression. The previous opinion is based on a single 42 mile ride.