Castelli Espresso: Long Term Review

Gear

Sep 16

In Spring 2024, Castelli launched the new Espresso product line. Several of TBD riders have now put long miles in many of the new pieces, and James Reeder has shot some incredible photos of the kit. James reviews the Espresso bibs and Hannah Camhi chimes in with her thoughts on the jerseys.

Shorts

If you’re looking for a single pair of black bibs, the Espresso bib can cover pretty much any weather condition with its versatility and quality material. In normal summer conditions, the Espresso is my preferred black bib, pairing well with any jersey. With the team favorite Seamless leg warmers for cooler temps, the temperature range of the bib easily reaches down into the forties.

The shorts have quickly become my go-to black bib indoors, as well – the chamois placement and sweat wicking makes it an incredibly high quality short with great fit for the static demands of indoor riding. I also appreciate the mild but firm leg grippers that are snug but not uncomfortable for less-groomed winter legs.

The Espresso bibs are truly a real all-day kit, versatile, and smart with updated fabric. Don’t just take it from me, popular Escape Collective author Ronan McLaughlin also chose the Espresso bib shorts as his favorite.

Full length bibs

The Espresso material shines even brighter in the form of bib tights. Compared to the full length Aero RC tights, the stretch and fabric quality gives them more warmth and comfort for longer days. I wore these full length bibs over both shoulder seasons and through winter, they have become my go-to warmest tight.

They’re also not too warm, their fleece lining is on the lighter side and I don’t sweat as heavily in them as I do when wearing some of my heavier fleece lined pieces from Castelli. I choose them for easier days when temperatures are still mild, but when the temperatures are close to freezing, they work well for both endurance paced rides and intervals. These bib tights feel comfortable enough until the temperatures drop towards the low twenties, which is when most opt for the trainer.

Also, these full length tights have one key feature that makes all the difference to me – no zippers. Castelli delicately balances the warmth of a full length tight with the compression necessary to not require zippers at the ankles. To me, this is the mark of a truly high quality bib tight.

Espresso bibs became James’ go-to indoors over the winter.

Espresso bib tights for easier days on the mountain bike in the winter.

Chamois and Fit

As someone who has tested these pieces in all weather and put lots of miles in, I’ve been impressed with how Castelli’s chamois hold up. Both full length and short length bibs use the same Progetto X2 Air Seamless chamois. Our TBD custom bibs and skinsuits also use this chamois, so I’ve had the chance to test across product lines. After several seasons’ worth of weekday training rides, five to six hour days on the weekends, races, winter, summer, I can claim that Castelli’s Progetto chamois itself is one of the best across all cycling kit I’ve worn. Mine hold up well over the course of a full year of regular riding, and after then they may get relegated to shorter rides. With the Espresso bibs’ versatile fabric, I’m pleased with how durable this kit is shaping up to be.

Combined with such a quality chamois, the Espresso line runs understandably roomier than the Aero RC bibs and San Remo skinsuits. I find the Aero RC bibs are slightly snug in my usual size small but the Espresso bibs fit smartly true. You likely want to keep your size if you have found other well-fitting Castelli pieces in the past. You also may want to size down in the jerseys if you like your jerseys snug.

Women’s Short Sleeve & Long Sleeve Jersey BY HANNAH CAMHI

In short, I’d describe these jerseys like a perfectly broken in T-shirt. Sure, I have other T-shirts that are nice but this is the one I keep coming back to because it’s so darn comfortable.

The jersey fabric is the standout feature on the short sleeve and long sleeve jerseys. The fabric is soft, while still feeling lightweight. Additionally, the fabric is perforated, making both breathable and a great option for warmer days.

I found the fit to be more relaxed than a race jersey while still looking polished and fitted — even though it’s not branded as a ‘race’ jersey there is nothing that would stop me from racing in this jersey. The long sleeved version is versatile for layering to make it a shoulder season piece of kit or using it as a warm weather jersey if you want to keep your arms covered from the sun. I wore the short sleeve jersey for a 200 mile race in Quebec and felt extremely comfortable in the jersey all day.

The colorways are nice and provide a good base for mixing and matching with different pieces of kit. My one nit is that the jersey pockets on the Women’s LS are a little high and can be tricky to reach.

Thanks for reading! Special additional thanks to our sponsors Kask and Koo for keeping our heads and eyes safe.

All photos by James Reeder.