Castelli Body Paint Bib-Short

Castelli Body Paint Bibshort

Castelli devoted 3 and a half years developing their Body Paint concept. To quote Castelli, they named this bibshort because ‘it covers the bottom of the rider’s body as if it was painted on’.

The lower section (i.e. the short) is made from a single piece of engineered Power Lycra. This makes for a smoother fit, which reduces airflow turbulence and hence drag.

The short’s sewn-in leg grippers do their job without restricting blood flow to the muscles.

Even the chamois was 2 years in the making. Castelli’s Progetto X2 chamois is made from 10 individual pieces and takes 12 steps to manufacture. The goal being to create a chamois that ‘disappears’, so you are barely aware of either its padding, or the saddle.

The shoulder straps curve from the outside of the hips and around the chest rather than rising vertically from the waist. This makes the shorts less restrictive. It also makes them cooler, which is a good thing once you warm up and get up to speed as you no doubt will when you ride in Body Paint.

Castelli Sizing Guide.

‘A technological wonder: the fit of an 8-panel short, with only one panel. Leg grippers integrated right into the fabric. Straps without any stitching to bind or annoy you. Every detail has been engineered to simplify this bibshort in the interest of speed and comfort.’
Castelli.

Castelli
Instantly recognisable for its scorpion logo, Castelli is a great cycle clothing company. Perhaps the greatest. The company was founded by Maurizio Castelli in 1974. His early innovations include Lycra shorts, the anatomic chamois and the sublimated-print jersey. Each of these innovations became (and remain) a ubiquitous emblem of road cycling.

Even before the company was founded, the Castelli family was feted by the tifosi. Maurizio’s father owned the famous Milanese sportswear company Vittore Gianni. Papa Castelli tailored Fausto Coppi’s racing wardrobe, from his silk skin suits to his woolen jerseys, throughout the Campionissimo’s reign in the 1940s & ‘50s.

Today, when you read about Castelli’s near-seamless Body Paint range or you recognise the scorpion logo on Team Garmin-Cervélo’s professional race kit, you will appreciate that Castelli, once again, are at the top of their game.

Bibs are not just for babies
If you have never experienced the perfect fit of bib cycling shorts, longs or 3/4s, you're missing out. The benefits of bibs are legendary in cycling circles. Why do you think the majority of pros wear bib shorts - even when riding at temperatures of 30 or 40 degrees Celsius during mid-summer Tours?

• No need for a potentially constricting waist band to keep them in place.
• Full lower back coverage to prevent the risk of chilled kidneys.No chance of them riding down one millimetre when the waistband gets senile.
• With the garment thus kept perfectly in place, no chance of the saddle nose hooking up the front of your shorts or longs as you manoeuvre on or off your bike seat.
• And remember when tradesmen all wore dungarees? No chance of revealing 'builder's crack'.

Castelli