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Shorts & 3/4s
Castelli Free Aero bibshort Castelli Free Aero bibshort Castelli Free Aero bibshort Castelli Free Aero bibshort Castelli Free Aero bibshort Castelli Free Aero bibshort
Castelli Free Aero bib shorts

Castelli Free Aero bibshort

9
by Mat Brett
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Jun 13, 2010

10
£130.00

VERDICT:

9
10
Cool and comfy bib shorts with a superb all-round performance – but you have to pay a premium price
Weight: 
186g
Contact: 
www.saddleback.co.uk
How we test

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Excellent shorts – these are really comfortable and very well made. Yes, the Castelli Free Aero bibs are expensive, but there’s a whole lot of performance engineered in here.

You get three different kinds of fabric in the lower section – a durable Lycra-esque material through the seat area, extra-stretchy ribbed sides, and slightly more breathable front panels. It’s all flat-stiched together and there are no seams on the inner thigh so you don’t get any chafing whatsoever as you rack up the big miles.

The two layer Progetto X2 pad is high quality too, giving you plenty of comfort without too much bulk. The thickness varies from 3mm around the edges to 12mm underneath your sit bones, and there's a seamless layer next to your body that both wicks sweat well and dries out fast to keep humidity to a minimum.

More and more brands are going for single-layer leg-grippers these days and Castelli’s Giro++ version is a fine example. It‘s really thin and lightweight, but we had no worries at all with the legs riding up, while a couple of subtle reflectives around the back improve visibility. As for the mesh bib section, it’s highly breathable and it doesn't cover up too much of your torso so you stay cool.

On the down side… well, to be honest, we’ve used these tons lately and we’ve got no particular gripes. The build quality is high and they look great too. We know the all-black version is the sensible choice for typical UK conditions – wet and white isn’t attractive, if you know what we’re saying – but we can’t help feeling strangely attracted to our colour option.

Okay, you can get some really good shorts for half the price, but these are right up there among the best.

Verdict

Cool and comfy bib shorts with a superb all-round performance – but you have to pay a premium price

road.cc test report

Make and model: Castelli Free Aero bibshort

Size tested: white/black

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes, they're excellent

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, if I had the cash

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 184cm  Weight: 74kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

Cycle clothing
Castelli Free Aero bibshort
Castelli
Bib shorts
Mat Brett

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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10 comments

Avatar
Matt_S | 13 years ago
0 likes

Hmm. I think Saddleback may be towing the party line on this one. I just managed to try Velocissimo and Presto side by side and the Presto large are very slightly tighter than the Velocissimo medium.

I'm now utterly befuddled. 7

Avatar
Matt_S | 13 years ago
0 likes

Great, Thanks. Best get the plastic out...

Avatar
Mat Brett | 13 years ago
0 likes

Castelli: word from Saddleback is, "All the Castelli shorts and now the jerseys are the same size across the board. If you a large Free Aero, you are a large Velocissimo. Simples."

Avatar
Matt_S | 13 years ago
0 likes

Awesome. Thanks. 16

Avatar
Mat Brett | 13 years ago
0 likes

I'll drop a mail to Castelli's UK distributor, Saddleback, and see if they have any advice on that.

Avatar
Matt_S | 13 years ago
0 likes

Thanks, Mat.

I just found some Castelli Velocissimo bibs in Evans. Tried s/m/l and medium was definitely the winner. S->M seemed like a bigger jump than M->L.

I have quite long legs (relatively that is - I think long legs are a given at 189!) so maybe my average size torso fitted the mediums ok.

That said, I see in some people say the Velocissimo's come up bigger than Castelli's other bibs, and also that the Free Aero and Body Paint ones come up a bit smaller. ('flatter the masses' vs. 'pro fit' maybe?)

I think their jersey sizing differs by product, too. The Podio jersey is much closer fitting than the Prologo one for the same size.

Decisions, decisions...

Maybe just get 'em from Wiggle so I can return for free with Collect+ if need be.

Thanks again. 1

Avatar
Mat Brett | 13 years ago
0 likes

Hi Matt_S, you're about the same size as me. Not sure why I've been relegated to 184cm on this review - I'm 189 or 190cm and 75kg.

I also take a medium Castelli jersey, but the shorts I have are large and they're definitely the right size for me. So I'd suggest large; I can't see them being too big for you. Good luck

Avatar
Matt_S | 13 years ago
0 likes

More specifically, I'm 189 and 75kg. My measurements are very close to the Castelli Medium sizing chart (chest/waist/hips). I tried on a Castelli Prologo jersey in Medium and it fits well. Unfortunately I can't find anywhere that sells the shorts to try.

Avatar
Matt_S | 13 years ago
0 likes

What size did you test? Currently it says "Size tested: white/black"!

On your other tests you're listed as 190cm 74Kg. If that's the case, what's the fit/sizing like?

Thanks, Matt. 1

Avatar
Mynydd.Mawr | 14 years ago
0 likes

So by "Free", they actually meant "Equivalent to two days after tax earnings for someone on the average national wage"?? I'm sure there must be a breach of the description of goods laws there somewhere.

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