Assos Mille GT Shifter SS Jersey

The Assos Mille GT Shifter jersey is designed for long summer epics and everyday training rides, with a bit more of a relaxed fit to suit. 

As it’s not designed to be at the bleeding edge of performance, where every second counts, the Mille GT Shifter is significantly cheaper than Assos’s race focused jerseys – which make it an easier purchase.

Although, coming from Assos, it’s certainly not short of technical fabrics and the price is still higher than similarly pitched jerseys from some other brands.

Assos Mille GT Shifter: construction

Making up the main body of the jersey is Assos’s 'BIG DUAL Tex' fabric, which is designed to breathable and quick wicking. It’s also designed with a high degree of stretch for a more comfortable fit, while a UPF50+ rating means there’s no need to wear sun cream with this jersey – unlike some other more minimalist designs.

The sleeves are treated to the “Push Pull” fabric, which is shared with Assos’s race jerseys and offers a stretchy and soft feel. The finish is a raw cut, so no bands or hems to dig in here.

There are three generously sized pockets at the rear, although no zipped pocket for valuables. Moving further down, there’s a wide band of strong elastic at the rear featuring five silicone grippers to keep the rear of the jersey from riding up. At the sides and front, the elastic becomes a little thinner, so as not to dig in and constrict breathing.

The ride

Between summer heatwaves and a trip up to the Highlands of Scotland, I’ve ridden in this jersey through 30°C heat in the unrelenting sun and on overcast days with a howling wind coming off the North Sea.

In the heat, the Assos Mille GT Shifter performed pretty well. The fabric is a bit thicker and a tighter weave than what you’d get on an ultralight climbers’ jersey, and so naturally this jersey was never going to be offering quite the pinnacle in breathability.

But with that said, I never got so hot as to cause me any issues and fabric was quick enough wicking that I didn’t feel like a clammy mess as I crested the hills. For the extra durability a thicker fabric provides, I think Assos has got the balance about spot on.

The jersey also proved quite versatile for cooler conditions. Paired with arm warmers and a gilet, I was quite happy down to 14°C with a strong sea breeze – broadening the scope of the jersey to cover a fair amount of spring and autumn riding.

With plenty of space for storing a phone, tools, inner tubes and food, the pockets also resisted sagging and held everything in quite securely. With that said, when clattering over unpaved roads, I was able to elicit a little bit of sway, but not to the extent that anything felt in danger of falling out.

The true durability of a jersey will make itself known after a few seasons, so it is a little early to comment on this aspect just now. But, over the years, we’ve found Assos kit tends to last very well – and so far this jersey has no hint of wear, so no reason to expect anything different here.

Value

At £110, the Assos Mille GT Shifter is quite expensive for an everyday jersey. Endura has the FS260-Pro S/S Jersey II which is similarly designed for heavy milage with a bit more of a relaxed fit – but is almost half the price at £59.99.

Going the other way, for just £90, you could get the highly technical dhb Aeron Lab Short Sleeve Jersey, as used by team Canyon dhb SunGod.

But although there are cheaper options out there, the Assos Mille GT Shifter isn’t outlandish in its pricing – Rapha’s Pro Team Jersey is designed for a similar purpose and costs a little more at £120

Verdict

In all, the Assos Mille GT Shifter jersey is a solid performer, being both robust and versatile for a broad range of conditions. You could get a similarly performing jersey for much less – you could even get a much more technical item for less. But the price isn’t out of line with similar jerseys from other brands, and being from Assos, we expect it to last very well.