You would expect a clothing company like Castelli to come up with new Fall and Winter gear heading into the colder months of the year, but that hasn’t stopped the iconic brand from updating a few of their hot weather pieces as well. In addition to the Alpha jacket and jersey designed to swaddle you in warmth and keep you dry, Castelli has redesigned the Climber’s Jersey 2.0 to create one of the lightest jerseys on the market.
If you’re going to ride in the cold, you need at least one performance outer layer. It doesn’t have to be Castelli’s $349 Alpha Jacket, but you probably won’t be disappointed with its performance. Made from 4 way stretch Wind Stopper 150 fabric, the jacket is wind proof and water resistant meaning you should be comfortable with just a base layer underneath – especially since the Alpha has a separate zipper front inside the outer shell to regulate temperature.
Equipped with a rear cape vent, the jacket provides excellent ventilation and moisture management thanks to a separate insulating layer. Using many of the Castelli tricks the Alpha uses raw edge wrist cuffs for a better fit with gloves, YKK flat zippers, Silicone grippers, and offers e rear pockets as well as a front zippered pocket. Available in 4 colors, the jacket is rated from 32 degrees f to 53.6 degrees (o-12 degrees C).
For less aggressive protection from the elements, Castelli offers their Alpha Wind Jersey. Made from the same Wind Stopper 150 fabric but just for the sleeves and jacket front, the dual layer jersey offers light weight wind and rain protection. Like the Alpha Jacket, the jersey features a second zipper front for temperature control while offering the same 3 pockets in the rear and zippered pocket up front.
Basically just a toned down version of the jacket, the Alpha Jersey comes in at $249 in black or hi-viz yellow.
From one end of the spectrum to the other, Castelli was showing off their lightest jersey in the collection – the Climber’s Jersey 2.0. As their attempt to make the lightest jersey possible, the Climbers 2.0 uses a special fabric that is both super light, more aero, and great at controlling moisture as well as offering a UPF rating of 15. These super light jerseys have resulted in some interesting sun burn patterns so Castelli still recommends using sun screen, but the additional sun protection from the jersey should help.
Available in both men’s and women’s, the ladies’ jersey uses a 3/4 zip and features a built in liner that will allow them to unzip without exposing themselves. Both jerseys will sell for $129.
To go along with that Climber’s 2.0 Jersey you’ll need some bibs, like the redesigned Free Aero Race Bibs. Featuring a redesigned Giro Air Mesh leg gripper, the shorts now grip the leg over a wider area for a more comfortable fit. Elsewhere the bibs offer lie flat bib straps, Vortex dimpled aero fabric on the legs, Forza fabric on the inner leg, and an improved Progetto X2 Air chamois for better comfort and increased air flow. The women’s Free Aero Bib sees the same changes with a retail for each at $199.
