Before picking up my first pair of Castelli bibs, I mainly wore PZ shorts. The Competizione bibs were a night and day improvement over the PZ chamois and I was never looking back. When I first got the Endurance bibs, I was a little disappointed comparing them to the Competiziones. The material is thinner with no texture and the grippers did not feel as robust. However, the chamois was clearly different so I decided to give them a try. Boy was I wrong with expectations. First off, the chamois is much improved which I did not know was even possible. I literally do not even know the bike is there. Secondly, the grippers and material somehow offer more support while breathing better at the same time. These are my new go to bibs for longer rides and literally cannot wait to put them on.
The quality is excellent, and each part of the fabric is perfectly contoured to fit. The chamois is a step up from the one in my older pair of Castelli bibs. It's super light and minimalist.
Castelli sizing, however, makes no sense. I wear a large in everything, so I ordered an XL, knowing Castelli runs small. My other set of Castelli bibs is XL. I tried these on and could barely squeeze into them, so I had to exchange them for XXL. It's hard to buy Castelli because the sizing isn't consistent.
I already had the Endurance 2 and as far as I can tell the Endurance 3 is the same. Fits perfectly but there's not a lot of padding in the seat. Not really a problem for me - just comparing it to other shorts I have. Workmanship is excellent.
Very nicely made bibs, fabric feels good, and most importantly the chamois is very comfortable for longer rides. My only gripe is the leg grippers can make it hard to adjust the fit if your legs are on the thicker side. Sizing is as expected from Castelli, I ordered 2XL and I am 6'3" 220. Compared to other bibs, this feels a bit tight on the length, but I didn't think 3XL would solve that problem.
