We finally found the perfect day to really test the Gabba WS Jersey in ridiculous conditions. Andrew Reed was over from the States for our Castelli global creative conference and he really wanted to ride the Mortirolo. The forecast was for driving rain, but we couldn’t really let that stop us, could we?

Sure enough, the climb was tough but the fun came along when the skies just opened up on us about 2km from the top. Fortunately we had our Gabba jackets that use a new 4-way stretch Windstopper to provide stretchy breathable protection from wind and cold, but as a short sleeve cut that prevents heat build-up when riding hard.

When used with Castelli Nanoflex water-repellent arm warmers you have an incredible system to keep you warm and protected, yet light, fast and aero without over heating.

The descent of the Mortirolo is 13km on some extremely steep and tight roads, and to add to the fun there were a bunch of cars and even two busses to pass. It’s an amazingly tight descent that turned into possibly the most technical descent I’ve ever done considering the slippery roads, Zipp carbon wheels with ZeroGravity brakes (were astoundingly affective in the wet) and some mud washing over the road.

With only 9°C/48°F at the top and the driving rain I though it might be too much for the Gabba WS Jersey. My legs got a bit cold, but between the jacket and armwarmers along with Diluvio neoprene gloves and Nano waterproof shoecovers, I was set. I think the special Thor Hushovd world champ cycling cap was the secret piece that kept me adequately protected and turned what could have been a brutal fight to survive the descent into 13km of nonstop adrenaline.

Notice the difference between the dread at the top and look of having just ridden the most fun descent of my life at the bottom of the descent.

By the way, the Gabba got its name from it’s ideator, Garmin team rider Gabriel Rasch. The guy is a font of clothing ideas who is working tirelessly behind the scenes to help us make better clothing just like he works hard on the front of the peloton long before the TV cameras turn on.

Text and photos: Smitty and Reed.

My first taste of European bicycle racing came to me in the form of beautiful, color photos taken by Graham Watson and printed in the pages of Winning Magazine in America.

I still recall one of the story headlines: The Master is an American, which recounted the story of the World Championship road race.

For the life of me, I cannot remember the words, just the fact that Greg LeMond had won the World Championships. Further in the pages of that magazine, I caught my first glimpse of Lo Scorpione.

It was an amazingly simple, yet spellbinding logo that I had never seen before. I knew instantly that it was Greg’s team’s clothing brand, and, as I went on to discover, was the same brand being worn by many other greats in the sport of professional cycling of the day.

“Only the great teams had clothing
emblazoned with the Scorpion”

Less than three years later, I signed my very first contract to become a professional cyclist. Unfortunately, my team’s clothing brand, although Italian, did not bear the Scorpion logo. At first it did not matter; I was getting paid to do exactly what I came to Europe to do, and racing in events that I had only read about in the pages of my magazines. But as time moved forward and I became more schooled in the ways of the professional peloton and more particular, I noticed that only the great teams that had clothing emblazoned with the Scorpion.

As a second year pro, when I began to ride with more confidence and intelligence, I often found myself following closely behind one or another rider from the Belgian Hitachi team that housed two-time world champion Claude Criquielion. Riding for sometimes hours at a time behind the Hitachi riders, I got to know the neon yellow version of the Scorpion logo almost intimately. And when the Hitachi team performed well, I lusted after their Castelli clothing even more so.

After a career as a cyclist, I finally found myself wearing Castelli clothing when I went to work for Castelli USA in 1998. It didn’t take long before I learned that I hadn’t been alone in my desire to wear the best cycling clothing in the world. More than one famous cyclist, including grand tour champions walked through our doors and walked out with their very own Scorpion adorned cycling wear.

Simply stated, Castelli is the best cycling wear in the world – it was the best when Maurizio Castelli fashioned the first bibshort, when Greg LeMond won the World Championship in 1983, and it continues to be the best today, worn proudly on the backs of the Cervélo TestTeam. I guarantee you, that somewhere in Europe, a neo-pro is staring at Cervélo’s team kit and wondering when he’ll get to wear his own Scorpion.

Follow Joe Parkin online: www.6yearsinaraincape.com - www.twitter.com/joeparkin

Get your Gabba WS Rain Jersey, take me to the product page >>

The Castelli Body Paint bibshorts are partially the result of feedback from the race team, and up close there’s no denying this is a high-end performance piece. They’re a warm weather garment with a very low cut front and a nice airy mesh in back between the straps.

The main body of the shorts is cut from a single piece of lycra, which is stretchy enough to conform to most bodies and eliminates the need for multi-panels and added seams that can chafe or unravel. It also makes for a smoother fit, which any aerodynamisist worth his weight in smoke trails will confirm creates less airflow turbulence and therefore less drag. (Which should make you faster).

The fabric is also different from most Lycras in that it’s made with monofilament fibers, which has quite a different feel. Castelli reports the big advantage is the yarns are made of a single fiber instead of multiple fibers, and the moisture absorption goes down significantly.

The chamois is seamless where it counts.

The chamois is different from most multi-density crotch savers I’ve seen. Instead of a bunch of raised ridges settling against your skin, the skin-side surface of the chamois is one smooth piece. The multi-density cushion of the chamois is on the other side of the foam – and created by carving away sections of a single block of uncompressed foam to create the different sections of cushion. While we’re used to seeing chamois foam that is stamped in a certain pattern to create variable densities, Castelli says their method makes a more comfy seat.

The chamois also features 3 gel inserts – two for the sit bones and 1 right behind your junk. They’re called a ‘viscous comfort zone’ and are so thin, I could not tell they were even there, which says a lot about how well they integrate with the pad. Placement of these ‘zones’ has been chosen to fit “90% of saddles” –and I’ll attest they worked fine for me on a San Marco Zoncolan.

These nicely integrated leg grippers are impressive.

This integrated and minimalist approach is continued in the leg bands, which eschew a fused, glued, or sewn in band to hold the legs in place. Instead, the Body Paint bibs feature a 2 inch wide gripper of 43% lycra that is seamlessly milled into the legband – very unobtrusive, but very functional (ie: it works well.)

The shoulder straps are satin-like in their feel.

The shoulder straps have a real ‘skinsuit’ feel in that they appear to be sewn without any seam at the edge. Very close inspection however, reveals that the 2 inch wide band of lycra has been ‘finished’ by Castelli’s mill in Italy. I’m told this was no easy task, but the end result is very thin and very smooth. The only issue I had was that in spite of my best efforts to keep ‘em flat, they did the same thing most straps do, and folded over when I was riding. Thus wasn’t really an issue over top of a base layer, and since we’re all shaped differently, I suspect they’ll find their own level on you too.

The fit and chamois felt great on my initial 1 hour test ride, and priced at US$249.99, they’re top tier for sure - I suspect Castelli will sell as many as they make.

More information:
Body Paint Bibshort, click here >>

After being diagnosed with a malignant bone tumor in his left knee at age 13, he had to have the leg amputated at age 16 but this hasn’t affected his grit and determination. He has assembled a remarkable team around him to help him meticulously prepare for the time trial and individual pursuit events at the London Paralympics. He spent the entire day testing equipment and positioning, and Castelli tested 11 different prototypes to identify what works best for his unique position and needs.

We found some additional speed for Fabrizio that hopefully will help him at the world track championships next month. Then we’ll be back in the tunnel with some further developments for London.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video 2: Chris Vande Velde – beautiful scenery and motivational training.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The 2012 team jersey and shorts retain the distinctive Garmin logo while adding the Barracuda logo, and the signature Slipstream Sports argyle is prominently displayed. Cervélo will continue as a key partner and the official bicycle supplier of the team.

The team will race in the 2012 kit for the first time at the Tour Down Under, starting on Sunday, January 15.

The changes to the 2012 kit are more than cosmetic. The Castelli Speed Research Unit has done its part to make sure the riders have the most comfortable and technically advanced clothing for racing in extreme conditions, from the cold spring classics to the heat of France in July.

Team Garmin-Barracuda already has the most comfortable shorts and the fastest jersey in the pro peloton, but Castelli continues to pursue its goal of creating the world’s fastest and most protective race clothing.

Aero dimples to maintain laminar airflow over the moving leg.

In addition to the innovative cobblestone-conquering SanRemo Speedsuit, Aero Race jersey, and Gabba rain jacket, Castelli has improved the Body Paint shorts (also known as The Best Short Ever by the team riders).

The new single-piece knit construction includes aero dimples engineered right into the fabric on the leg and the back of the short to induce flow separation and reduce aerodynamic drag. The structure is knit right into the fabric, so there’s nothing to chafe or wear out. It all makes the rider go faster.

The Progetto X2 Air seat pad has also received a few small tweaks after another million kilometers of pro testing last year, including perforation for improved airflow and faster drying.

There are some surprises in development that fans will see as the season progresses. The Team Garmin-Barracuda replica pieces will be available beginning in February

For additional information, please visit www.slipstreamsports.com or get a closer look at the new kit here >>

Four years later, Castelli purchased the company from Gianni, and the story kicks into gear. Armando supplied the cycling hero’s of Coppy, Bartali, Bobet, Van Looy, and Anquetil, and along the way expanded that effort into supplying a handful of professional teams.

It wouldn’t be until the birth of Armando’s son, Maurizio, that Castelli as we know it today, would soon take shape. The youngster came up in cycling, and it was only logical that he would end up in the business, however, the extent of his passion and desire for innovation would soon cause a parting of ways with his father and the founding of the Castelli brand in 1974. The firsts began to roll out with regularity soon after.

For three decades, Castelli created apparel that defined modern cycling. Eddy Merckx carried a refined version of a Castelli body suit to the world record in the one-hour. Bernard Hinault wore a Castelli windproof jersey to win the Fleche Wallone classic. Perhaps most importantly, Maurizio pioneered the sublimation dye process, an advance that allowed colors, logos, and his signature aesthetic flair to be added to even the most technical fabric. Cycling – and sponsorships – would never be the same.

9 November 1979. Castelli was crowned with the prestigious Corriere dello Sport Discobolo award. The presentation letter says, “Castelli… has, in a truly futuristic way, revolutionized clothing for cyclists.” Maurizio also demonstrated a flamboyant flair for publicity.

At the 1981 Giro, for instance, he outfitted a handful of riders with turquoise Lycra shorts – at a time when only black shorts were allowed. The riders came to the start line wearing wool leggings that concealed the banned burst of color. Moments before the start, the riders yanked off the leggings.

A media frenzy followed, including day-long television coverage of the turquoise– and scorpion–clad riders crossing the Italian countryside. Race officials fined Castelli for the stunt. No matter. The publicity was worth every life.

In 1995, Maurizio’s life was cut short at age 47 when he died of a heart attack riding up the Cipressa hill, the legendary ascent on the Milan-San Remo course. It would be difficult to overstate Maurizio Castelli’s contribution to the sport and business of cycling. Maurizio’s guiding philosophy was to combine technology with innovative style and design.

The focus on innovation at Castelli is not a slogan, it’s a mantra of sorts. The passion and desire of Maurizio Castelli to create enhancing performance clothing is just as evident today as it was in 1974. Each and every day we set out to create tomorrow’s revolutionary futuristic clothing.

Castelli has been at the forefront of essentially every breakthrough in cycling clothing since making the wool shorts obsolete.

INNOVATED CONTINUOUSLY
1977 FIRST AERODYNAMIC LYCRA® SHORT
1981 FIRST COLORED LYCRA® SHORT
1983 FIRST SUBLIMATION PRINTING OF JERSEYS

1984 FIRST FUNCTIONAL THERMAL WINTER CLOTHING (THERMODRESS)
1996 FIRST FULLY AERODYNAMIC SKINSUIT
1998 FIRST MODERN BIB SHORT, INTRODUCING THE Y-CUT SEATPAD (PROGETTO Y)

1998 FIRST WICKING FABRIC TREATMENT (PROSECCO)
2008 FIRST RADIATING INSULATION (RADIATION)
2010 BODY PAINT FUTURISTIC BIBSHORT

For more information and historic images, click here >>

SUPER NANO Glove. This one’s designed for cool-but-not cold temps, but is a really light-weight full fingered glove, and I’ve found them really well suited to 7-10C degree (45-50F) temperature days.

Performance • I like this glove for cool Spring & Fall days where you need full fingers. They do tend to run warm – and kept me toastier than any other glove I have in this weight category. Overall they’re very comfortable. The light and stretchy cuff seals snugly and softly around the wrist, and tucks in neatly under a jacket or jersey sleeve.

Construction • The glove backs are made of Strato lite fabric which has membrane to block the wind and cold – and repel rain, while the whole palm is a gripper – made from Pittards real lamb skin leather, the debossed (indented) pattern adds tackiness for non-slip. Pittards is the very established British leather goods maker most known for their gloves. The company started in 1826, and has supplied gloves for the military (RAF fighter pilots), and more recently prominent sports brands like Footjoy, Puma and Spalding. And fear not – Pittards was an early pioneer of washable leathers – so getting this glove wet, and throwing it in the wash to keep it clean, is no sweat. Ahem.

That palm is the real Pittards deal – washable, soft, and grippy lamb skin.

Performance • I like this glove for cool Spring & Fall days where you need full fingers. They do tend to run warm – and kept me toastier than any other glove I have in this weight category. Overall they’re very comfortable. The light and stretchy cuff seals snugly and softly around the wrist, and tucks in neatly under a jacket or jersey sleeve.

Pioggia 2 Shoecover: To me, another mark that Castelli are really serious about top-line road gear is their selection of shoe covers & booties – I count 8 different models for North America – 4 of them specifically for cold and/or wet conditions. This Pioggia 2 a real deal shoe cover for the rain – ‘Pioggia’ means ‘rain’ in Italian.

The top is polyurethane coated fabric that completely blocks water. The only way water is getting in here is either at the seams, ankle tops, or from the cleat opening underneath – and Castelli has 2 of those 3 covered. The main seam down the front of the cover is taped from the outside, so water is kept clear of the seam itself.

There’s almost no worse feeling to riding in the rain than feeling that first cold trickle of water as it soaks past the tops of your booties and through your socks. These feature an ankle enclosure to stop water from getting in - it feels like stretchy rubber, and is lined with a silicon strip to further block water. But if it’s really nasty out, I’m tucking these under my Pave bib tights or leg warmers, to add another layer for the water to penetrate before it even gets to the ankle tops.

I didn’t yet get a chance to ride these in a downpour, but did ride them on wet and splashy roads. My feet stayed dry, and I really liked the wind blocking of the uppers, and warmth of the lining. They’re not for really cold winter days – I’d go with the Narcisista or Diluvio covers – but these will get use all year when it’s raining.

Colors: white, black

The zip is easy to use with gloved hands, and note the silicon strip inside the ankle band – designed to better block water from sneaking in from the top.

The zipper has a really tight enclosure that’s keep a lot of moisture at bay, and the big Velcro fastener lets you really snug ‘em against your ankle.

The bottom is a really tough-feeling, textured hard plastic-like material that should hold up when walking, but it’s not stretchy.

Overall a nice rain booty – not made for extreme winter conditions, but ideal for the other 3 months of the year.

By Richard Pestes - PEZcycling.com

Go to SUPER NANO GLOVE product page, click here >>

Go to PIOGGIA 2 SHOE-COVER product page, click here >>