Castelli Espresso bib shorts review

Castelli’s Espresso bib shorts are a new model for 2024, designed with the emphasis on comfort and performance.

The brand boldly proclaims the Espresso bibs will become “your go-to for just about any ride”.

That proved to be the case in testing, with their excellent fit, outstanding chamois and luxurious feel against the skin impressing.

Castelli Espresso bib shorts construction

Castelli designed the Espresso bib shorts as general all-rounders suitable for all types of road riding.

The shorts use Castelli’s soft and stretchy Espresso Doppio fabric that the brand claims “feels amazing on the skin”. It has been cut to move with the body, without being tight or constrictive.

The shorts use Castelli’s highly regarded Progetto X2 Air seat pad, which is found on all of its high-end shorts.

It’s a proven performer – I rated it highly on the Castelli Free Aero RC and senior technical editor Ashley Quinlan found it a highlight of the Castelli Sorpasso RoS Wind bib tights.

The mesh bib straps have lots of small ventilation holes for warmer days and the Castelli logo has been integrated cleverly into the vent holes on the right strap.

There’s a silicone gripper at the legs, composed of minimalist vertical strips.

Reflective strips on the back of each leg and a rear pocket at the back of the shorts, underneath where the bib straps finish, round off the package.

Castelli recommends a 15 to 35°C temperature range for the shorts.

The brand ranks both the breathability and lightness at 4 out of 5 on its arbitrary scale.

The shorts are available in seven sizes, from XS to 3XL, and a whopping eight colours, so there’s no excuse for not matching them to your jersey.

Castelli Espresso bib shorts performance

I tested a pair of size-large shorts, on both road and gravel rides of varying distances.

The bib shorts were tested on five saddles – a Specialized Power Pro Elaston, a Fabric Scoop, a Van Rysel R300, a Syncros Tofino and a Fizik Argo Tempo R1.

I was worried the shorts would be more baggy, given Castelli has slightly relaxed its garments to better suit more riders, but thankfully the fit seems to be that of old.

The Espresso bib shorts fit near-perfectly, with a close, form-fitting feel. I have plenty of experience wearing other Castelli bib shorts and found the sizing and fit to be identical.

The only criticism I can level at the Espresso bibs is I wish the front of the pad came up a little higher.

True to Castelli’s word, the Espresso Doppio fabric feels very soft against the skin, while offering a good amount of compression.

It’s a sensation very similar to the Velocio Luxe bib shorts (among my favourite long-distance shorts), although the Luxe feels slightly softer still (but costs a heady £279 / $279 / €251 / AU$335).

The fabric also feels better ventilated than the Forza 2 fabric found on the Castelli Free Aero RC, which has an identical temperature range rating.

I started to get warm in those shorts at 23°C, but the Espressos were well-suited to the 25°C heat I tested them in.

I couldn’t feel the seams when riding, a problem that plagues the Endura Pro SL EGM and Rapha Pro Team Training bib shorts – and to a lesser extent the Q36.5 Gregarius Pro.

The Progetto X2 Air seat pad is a known performer and was just as comfortable on the Espressos as it is on the brand’s other shorts.

I was happy wearing these shorts on five-hour rides through testing and I wouldn’t have second thoughts about using them for my longer audax rides, given the pad has kept me comfortable on longer escapades many a time.

The bib straps are excellent and better than many rival bib shorts. They’re nice and airy with their open-panel design, while keeping the shorts firmly in place and distributing tension evenly across the shoulders.

Another area where Castelli leads the pack is with the minimalist silicone gripper, which felt akin to not having a gripper at all.

It gently keeps the shorts glued to your skin, without leaving any unwanted marks, and works well with knee warmers.

I have two reservations about the Espresso bib shorts. The first is that, on hotter rides, the front panel started to saturate because the pad doesn’t extend up high enough.

While it wasn’t a major issue at 25°C, it might be a different story in warmer temperatures.

The second is with the rear storage pocket, which I feel is unnecessary. While it might potentially be a useful place to store soft goods, such as energy bars or gels, I felt some discomfort using it given the contents were directly in contact with my lower spine.

Castelli Espresso bib shorts bottom line

Castelli’s Espresso bib shorts are a great new option from the brand and are comfortably the best bib shorts I have tested at this price point.

In fact, I wouldn’t feel short-changed paying £200 for these.

The performance is at least the equal of its rivals and is well in keeping with shorts costing up to the £250 mark.

True to Castelli’s claims, these are a great option for a wide variety of rides, where even greater long-distance comfort or aerodynamics aren’t a priority.

If the pad sat a little higher up the front and the storage pocket was removed, they would score full marks.