snug, reassuring fit for late winter-early spring rides from low-30s to mid-50s F. Just enough fleece and Wind protection in front half of chest, arms, and shoulders to feel comfortable at the start of a long ride in below-40 temps but with enough breathability in back half of arms and chest to dissipate heat later in the ride. I mostly use this on 25-35-mile road rides here in Eastern WA. Sylish cut, comfortable for sitting in an outdoor pub for an after-ride brew. Loses one star due to unimaginative 3-pocket system on back and no chest pocket.
Very comfortable shorts. I'm 6'3" 180lbs, Large fits me great. The materials are top quality, slight compression on the legs, but very comfortable. Straps have enough stretch to keep things in place without feeling restrictive. I'm slightly taller than Assos recommend for Large, but have not had any issues. I've got an older pair of Assos bibs with the S7 pad which I'm a big fan of. The pad in these feels slightly denser, which I found more comfortable on the sit bones. Like the S9 pad, I'd still prefer slightly less material in the groin area. Best thing about Assos shorts is the pouch up front for your junk...keeps things nicely in place.
I've been looking at this jersey for a while now and finally decided to pull the trigger. I couldn't be happier. It's not really a jersey, and it's not really a jacket, or maybe it's both. It doesn't matter what it is, only that it does what it was designed to do perfectly. I hate riding in jackets with any amount of flap, so the RoS jersey is perfect. The jersey is very windproof, which makes it exceptionally warm for its weight. With a thin long-sleeve base layer underneath, it has been very comfortable down to the low 40's. There are vents on the side that are functional, but I'm not sure they would be enough it warms up. I got the blackout color which is nice and stealthy with its use of logos. The sizing is, well, it's Castelli. I am 6' 2" and just a hair under 170lbs most days and got a size large. I like the fit, and it's snug. I only wear one thin base layer underneath, like a jersey. That is the fit that I wanted. I probably could have gone with an XL as well if I wanted more of a jacket fit. The bottom line is that it is an excellent jersey for cold, wet weather. You need to make sure you get the right fit for you.
This is the second pair of Sportful bib shorts. My first was the Giara.
Firstly, the good. The shorts have good compression and the chamois is comfy for longer rides. I like the feel overall for shorter rides.
The things that I feel can be improved on are a deeper thigh pocket. It's fairly shallow, and struggles to keep my phone secure when vertically positioned. The big drawback for me are that the straps are like cheese graters for your nipples. They're very short as well. Bibs at this price have no excuse for cheap, overly thin and tight straps.
I'm a size large in every other brand I've owned, and learned quickly to ignore the sportful sizing and size up. Even in an XL, these straps feel like they're inches too short, with too little stretch making for a fairly uncomfortable fit on the shoulders and as previously mentioned, my poor nipples. I'm trying to figure out how to permanently stretch the straps out, but to no avail, yet.
If you have a shorter torso, I'd imagine this won't be a problem. I'm 6'4" 185lbs. I'm tall, but pretty damn thin. I'm figuring out that Sportful may just not be the best fit for me.
