Men's Apparel

Excellent bib shorts from Castelli! Chamois is good for longer rides. Material is thin for my hot climate, and seems to breathe pretty well. I'm 6'0" 157#, slender & typical (skinny!) cyclist's build, this short fits snugly - not quite compressive, but definitely "race fit" and form-fitting. I've seen product descriptions from others stating that muscular "support" is important, and I'd venture that these seem to do that, I guess from the mild compression. I have two other bib shorts from Castelli, they're all excellent, and several jerseys: Castelli quality is unparalleled.

Recently picked these up and took them on multiple 3+ hour road / gravel rides. Just incredibly supportive and comfortable. There's a lot of thought put into these. Assos takes the cake as far as bib shorts goes - the cut and the chamois system is unmatched by other manufacturers. These and Mission Workshop's Pro bibs are the best money can buy in my book. Spent the last decade or so buying mostly Rapha Pro Team bibs, and sadly their quality has been declining. Assos bibs are without question all I can wear now and I don't know why took me so long to switch! Worth every penny.

My old thermal tights did not have a pad. I chose them that way so they could be removed mid ride if it got too warm. But I found that if it was cold enough to use the tights in the first place, I never took them off mid ride, and they were too bulky to carry in a jersey pocket, anyway. The Assos have a very nice pad, and I like the minimalist shoulder straps that help keep the pad in place. Tight compression in the legs, but more compliant material at the front waist panel for easy bathroom access. Warm but not too warm when used in low 50 degree weather. But I am a wimp in cold weather, so others may find them too warm as it gets into the 60's.

I've only used them on two consecutive cold days so far. My one complaint is that my knees felt bruised afterward, which could only have been a result of constriction or rubbing of the top of my patella (knee cap) from the tights during the rides. I don't have knee issues otherwise, and it all cleared up the next day. This may become less of a problem as the material stretches with use. My old tights have a more stretchable articulated knee area.

I am 6'2", 165 lbs, 34" waist. I tried the fit of the large, but preferred and kept the size medium.

As pointed out in other reviews, this vest runs small, very small. I am 5'9" tall, 161 pounds, wear 34/32 pants in casual clothing and medium in the Pearl Izumi and Louis Garneau apparel I own. I ordered the large and can just barely zip it while sucking it in and holding my breath - no way could I ride with this on. Besides, I'd blow out a seam or the zipper in no time. I cannot imagine one size up, an XL, would be much improvement so I'd be in an XXL? How long would that vest be? The material is quite thin but the vest seems to very well made and is designed for packing and light weight. I understand the vest is designed to be form fitting to avoid billowing in the wind but I cannot imagine who this is sized to fit. The L marking is prominent on the garment so I spent some time trying to discern if this was a child's L. WesternBikeWorks return policy seems fair EXCEPT for shipping costs - I paid $3.68 to have it sent to me but returning the item will cost me $9.95 -??- Bad form, WBW!

P.S. I was required to submit a star rating. I have no idea how the vest would perform but I don't want to be unfair to Castelli - seems well made and likely works well for someone who can fit in it.