# Sugoi RS Pro - 3 generations (long read)



## Peanya (Jun 12, 2008)

Not too long ago, I got my 5th pair of Sugoi RS Pro shorts. Two were of an older generation; two were from the last generation; and the newest pair are from the current.

My first pair was the first "real" cycling shorts I purchased. I got cheap ones from Academy and Nashbar beforehand. I absolutely loved these up until I got a saddle that actually worked for me, and got some Desoto shorts. The chamois in the old pair was massive and very thick. 
Although these were relegated to "all my other gear is dirty" duty, there was one thing I truly liked about these: the fit! The waistband was every bit as comfortable as bibs, and the fabric stretched over me well. One other concern about these shorts was the potential of the dreaded "rear window". 

I never thought I'd buy Sugoi shorts again until I came across them in August of 2015, an expo at the Hotter N Hell Hundred. The feeling of their Formula FX chamois was impressive, and not only did I buy them, I did something crazy: I rode them the next day on that century ride! The good news is, that my crazy idea of doing something like that without testing it worked well. I wasn't sore at all. 
My only real gripe about these was my typical one: those darn silicone leg grippers! These newer style grippers were on the front half, and thinner than the previous generation. On the old ones, I'd flip them outward to solve this. With the new version, this was not as easily accomplished. That being said, these are still my first choice over all my others: Castelli, Desoto, Assos, Specialized, Santini, and Voler.

The current generation, I'd consider this as one step forward, three steps backwards. I requested these for a Christmas gift, and my first ride was at the beginning of the year. The chamois was redesigned, and to be honest, the jury is still out because I can't say it's too stiff after just two rides. The shape is very similar to the last generation, but the padding where the sit bones are is a little bit thicker and stiffer. The second step is the waistband. The old one was amazingly comfortable. Sugoi told me that the new band was for improved comfort. Maybe so, for a very thin rider. I, however, am a fat cyclist - I weigh just shy of 200lbs. The newer band folds over when you are riding, thus yielding less comfort. 
The leg grippers were greatly modified. They now have less grippy silicone dots in a compression style sleeve similar to high-end Castellis. That's the good part, but I feel Sugoi missed the mark here too, as the gripper fits very loose. Maybe if my legs had the girth of Mark Cavendish? The fit is also so-so in comparison to their first generation.

My first pairs of these are dying, the elastic is dead although the chamois is still fine. The good news is that I got about 8 years out of them, so I have roughly 5 on my favorites to find a new go-to short/bib. 

TLDR: If you can find any of the last generation of Sugoi RS Pro shorts, buy them!


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