The Sorpasso RoS Wind Bibtight sits proper on the high of Castelli’s long-legged choices, each by way of price and claimed heat. These aren’t ‘Shall I put on leg heaters or tights at the moment?’ type of bibs, however extra the ‘Can I get to the bike shed via the snow drifts?’ type of bibs. The RoS within the title stands for ‘Rain or Shine’, however I positively wouldn’t need an excessive amount of of the ‘Shine’ when carrying these except it was of the freezing alpine type as they’re fairly heat.
They’re designed for riders who exit regardless of the climate, be they dedicated commuters, devoted trainers or simply hardcore cyclists preferring to keep away from the turbo coach in any respect prices. Castelli charges them to be used all the way down to -5°C, though I think about they’d nonetheless work in temperatures beneath that. The higher suggestion is for +8°C, and that appears honest, though at that temperature you wouldn’t have to be working very exhausting to be fairly heat certainly. At the moment solely accessible as a part of the lads’s vary in black, sizes S to 3XL.
The Sorpasso RoS Wind Bibtight employs a number of materials and supplies throughout a multiple-panel design to mix safety, flexibility and heat within the worst climate. Gore-Tex Infinium Windstopper with a fleece backing retains the entrance of thighs, knees and crotch toasty with Castrelli’s personal Nano Flex 3G on the rear thighs, bottom, decrease again and decrease legs. Nano Flex has a brushed again and water-repellent therapy however doesn’t have a membrane; this allows it to be extremely versatile and supplies good freedom of motion whereas the Infinium Windstopper is far much less stretchy because of its multi-layer development.
Windproof Infinium and Nano Flex 3G panels
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
The seat pad is a Progetto X2 Air Seamless, Castelli’s premium chamois for optimum in-saddle consolation. This has three elements to it; a breathable skincare layer, a variable thickness, multi-density foam layer that places extra padding the place it’s most wanted and fewer the place it isn’t, and there may be additionally further ‘viscous padding’ below the fragile ishial and perineum areas. Lengthy 18cm zips on the ankles assist when placing them on and a equally sized strip of reflective materials by the zips aids low-light visibility.
The Journey
Placing the Sorpasso RoS Wind Bibtight on feels slightly like donning a go well with of armour, there’s a distinctly burly, impregnable really feel to them that dares the climate gods to do their worst. I’m often a dimension massive in Castelli shorts, however the much less forgiving nature of the Infinium Windstopper panels necessitated an ego-crushing dimension XL to really feel comfy. Nonetheless, the panelled design and articulated knees allowed an inexpensive vary of movement. Paired with a superb pair of winter boots and a heat jacket, you possibly can tackle nearly any chilly climate.
At 186cm tall, even the XL dimension left the bib tights barely wanting my ankle bone – not an excessive amount of of a problem when you put on them with lengthy overshoes, however they didn’t fairly meet the highest of my NorthWave winter boots, leaving a spot for chilly air and even colder water to penetrate. I’ve not had this challenge earlier than with Castelli bib tights, however I feel that with the much less versatile Windstopper thigh panels, I felt the necessity to pull them up a bit extra to cut back drag on my knees via the pedal stroke, therefore leaving them a bit quick on the backside.
I’ve used Castelli’s Progetto X2 Air Seamless seat pad in quite a few shorts and tights and have by no means had a problem with it – a bit like saddles, pads is usually a private factor, however the Progetto is an excellent choice for many riders. The one destructive is that the burly material of the tights would not permit the pad to, erm, cup issues fairly in addition to stretchy Lycra does, so there was slightly little bit of on-the-go rearranging crucial often, particularly after a spell out of the saddle. Presumably much less of a problem within the frigid temperatures that these tights had been designed for…
Windproof Infinium and Nano Flex 3G panels used for the Castelli Soprasso RoS Wind Bibtight
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
As you’d think about, out on the street the Sorpassos had been very cosy, with a ‘battened down’ really feel and a way that you just not wanted to bother your self with the most recent climate forecast – no matter it mentioned, you had been nicely ready.
There was a slight however perceptible quantity of drag across the knee when pedalling; though the articulation helped, it couldn’t solely masks the dearth of stretch within the Infinium material, however this isn’t a bit of clothes for racing or high-intensity efforts, fairly for base miles and unavoidable rides in chilly and/or moist circumstances. As such, I feel that the trade-off between safety and suppleness may be very honest.
Very best for chilly winter rides, particularly when paired with the Espresso Air jacket
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
The choice to make use of Nano Flex on the shin space fairly than a extra water resistant materials is an attention-grabbing one. This is likely one of the most weak areas when using in inclement climate – street spray can in a short time soak the toes and decrease leg, even when it’s not raining, and regardless of Nano Flex’s many glorious properties, it isn’t waterproof. I think about that the designers couldn’t use Infinium all the way in which down the leg because of its lack of stretch, and so selected to make use of it to guard the massive muscle tissues of the thigh and the uncovered knee as an alternative. Personally, I feel that perhaps Infinium on the shin and thigh with Nano Flex (or perhaps a double layer of Nano Flex) across the knee might need been a greater resolution for the damp roads of the UK.
Worth and conclusion
If you need one of many warmest, most protecting bib tights accessible, then look no additional than the Castelli Sorpasso Wind Bibtight. Only a few different tights present the identical degree of climate safety and though £240 is a good chunk of money for bib tights, it’s commensurate with (or lower than) the value of its rivals. The mix of heat, windproofing and Castelli’s premium seat pad makes these an excellent selection for epic rides in winter circumstances, simply test that the sizing and match works for you.
