Castelli Velocissimo IV bib shorts review

You can tell how long the Castelli Velocissimo bib shorts have been in the brand’s catalogue from the fact that they’re now on version four. They’re towards the lower end of the extensive range of Castelli summer bib shorts and £40 cheaper than the Free Aero Race bibs that we’ve recently tested.

Whereas the Free Aero Race get Castelli’s Progetto X2 Air pad, the Castelli Velocissimo bib shorts use the cheaper Kiss Air seat pad. It’s not quite as high tech as the Progetto X2 Air, but it’s not as bulky either. It still comes with plenty of foam padding, a perforated foam core and bacteriostatic cover and is anatomically shaped. Castelli says that it’s used by some of Team Sky’s pros in preference to the Progetto X2 Air.

As tends to be the case with Castelli’s bib shorts, the Castelli Velocissimo bib shorts are quite a close fit and need to be prised on a bit. The straps, which are hemmed rather than being flat edged, feel quite short when standing too. But once on the bike, the Castelli Velocissimo bib shorts just feel really comfortable and supportive.

Castelli has a surprising number of panels in the Velocissimo, with an extra two down the outside of the legs to accommodate a strip of lighter weight fabric bearing a stealth Castelli logo; it's coloured in all but the all-black variant tested. There’s also a seam across the lower waist, with an unseamed upper panel across the stomach to give a bit more stretch.

Castelli has trickled down tech from its higher end shorts into the Velocissimo bib shorts. So you get raw edged, seamless leg grippers. Their long silicone band grippers are arranged vertically, rather than as a ring around the leg, so they’re that bit less constrictive, while still keeping the legs in place well. There are small reflective tabs on the back of the legs and most seams are flatlocked for comfort.

As with other popular Castelli bib shorts, the Velocissimo comes in a range of variants. There are six colour options, distinguished by different contrasting colours on the outside edge of the leg. They also come in six sizes from Small to 3XL.