Tech Gallery – A visit to the Assos clothing factory in Lugano, Switzerland
- By Zack Vestal
- Published Sep. 12, 2010
- Updated Jan. 28, 2011 at 5:04 PM EDT
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
The lower level of Assos's manga.Yio showroom presents an idealized version of Assos clothing on display.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
In addition to offering the complete array of Assos clothing for customers to peruse and purchase, the showroom demonstrates to retailers ways to artfully display clothing.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
The range of Assos clothing is segmented into pieces for different temperatures.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Every single item from Assos is on show at the manga.Yio store.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Assos's DB collection of post-ride leisure wear comes in a rainbow of colors.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
In order to make retail stocking a bit easier, Assos clothing is boxed.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
A little espresso to improve the browsing experience.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Even the cups and chocolates are Assos branded.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
The Assos manga.Yio retail shop is immaculately and consistently styled.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Assos pieces are always available in primary colors white, black, yellow, red, and blue.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Behind hidden mirrored doors, fitting rooms wait for customers.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Behind another hidden door, the shop stockroom holds every size and color you could hope for.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Boxing the shorts keeps them tidy.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Outside the lower level of the manga.Yio shop, there's a photo mural on an exterior wall. Swiss cyclist Urs Freuler signed his photo.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
The photo mural shows Assos history in pictures.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Everywhere you look Assos bits are on display.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
On the main level, the Assos manga.Yio showroom acts as a concept store.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Upstairs, a small retreat and conference room overlooks Lake Lugano.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
From the main level as well, Lake Lugano is visible (and lovely).
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Everything is positioned just so, not unlike an Apple store.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
This special bike built in collaboration with Time Sport commemorates Assos's 30 year anniversary.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Meant more for display than for browsing, the special edition jerseys on show in the Assos home shop look like artwork.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Assos makes a point of building clothing to fit the cycling position.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Assos's home showroom is a stone's throw from beautiful Lake Lugano.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
Assos' manga.Yio showroon in Lugano
Situated on the lower level of an impressively modern office and loft complex in Lugano, the Assos concept store fits right in.
After spending three frantic days on the Eurobike show floor in Germany, my VeloNews cohorts and I drove south and spent a day riding in Italy before returning north for departure. Along the way we stopped in Lugano, Switzerland, to visit Assos’s new clothing concept showroom. Located in downtown Lugano right on the lake, their marketing material calls it “The Assos Experience Superstore.” Once you’ve stepped inside, it’s hard to disagree.
The store is called “manga.Yio,” which is a made-up word that means nothing in any language. But in Assos-speak, it refers to Level 13, “the ultimate dimension of inner balance.” The Assos catalogue refers to birth as level zero, knowledge as level four, wisdom as five, and so on up to level 13. Manga.Yio is like nirvana for cyclists, a state of being in which a perfect ride melds with life to create a sort of ultimate fulfillment in pedaling.
Sure, it’s Assos shamelessly self-aggrandizing. And it’s a little laughable with the pseudo-mystical enlightenment concept, but Assos as a company is nothing if not bold. Founder Tony Maier takes credit (rightfully, as far as we know) for building the first carbon fiber bike in Europe and pioneering the use of Lycra in cycling clothing. Since then his Swiss company has built a brand around ultra-premium, highly tailored cycling clothing with distinctively Spartan but timeless styling.
The problem is that manga.Yio works. The rooms are spacious, clean, well-lit, and angular, with Assos logos and design themes everywhere. It’s not unlike an Apple store, if not an art gallery, in execution. All the clothing is displayed so attractively and artfully that before you know it, you’ve swallowed gallons of Kool-Aid. Suddenly $360 for a pair of bib shorts sounds perfectly reasonable, even a bargain.
It’s not a bargain, far from it. In the cold light of day, Assos clothing is among the most expensive on Earth. On the other hand, it feels very fine to wear. I’d even go so far as to call it exquisite. I’m not going to lie — I couldn’t afford wearing Assos on a regular basis. But I bought (yes, with my own cash money) one outfit on sale because I was there. It’s really sweet.
Back in the September 2009 issue of VeloNews magazine, we covered the history of Assos and its modern operation. There’s no need to revisit the topic. However the store itself was fun to explore and we thought you might like a photographic tour.
In a few days, look for part two: a virtual tour of their design and prototyping studio located about 15 minutes from downtown Lugano.
FILED UNDER: Bikes and Tech / Gallery TAGS: Gallery / tech-gallery
