Castelli Espresso 2 Men’s Bibshort

The Castelli Espresso 2 Men’s Bibshort strikes an impressive balance between comfort and performance. The excellent Progetto X2 pad and supportive, compressive fit makes them perfect for long rides and harder training efforts alike.

Castelli’s aim is for these to be your favourite shorts for everything but race days, and I tested them on everything from a local chain gang to all-day gravel rides. To cut a long story about shorts short, they’re great.

The Espresso 2 uses Castelli’s Progetto X2 Air Seamless pad, the same chamois found in its higher-end Free Aero and Premio shorts. It feels a little slimmer and less bulky than some endurance-focused pads – particularly towards the front – but on the road I thought it was superb.

I’ve worn these on a few five-hour rides in warm conditions, and the pad stayed comfortable throughout, never feeling soggy or overly warm. It also dried quickly after harder efforts.

That main Espresso Doppio fabric strikes a good balance between support and comfort. It feels slightly thicker than some lightweight, race-oriented bib shorts, but it’s not overly heavy or warm. Instead, it gives the shorts a premium feel, along with plenty of stretch and stability on the bike.

Breathability is good during warmer rides, and the fabric held its shape well throughout testing, with no sagging around the legs even after repeated washes.

Fit

These are a slim fit with a good level of compression on your legs. They feel supportive during harder efforts without becoming restrictive on longer endurance rides.

The legs are on the longer side, stopping just above my knees (I’m 178cm and wore a size large). They were not so long as to interfere with the backs of my knees, though, and were comfortable on all rides.

The minimalist silicone gripper strikes the perfect balance too, holding the legs in place without sticking to leg hair. I never found myself needing to pull the legs down mid-ride.

The straps are quite thin, and made of a light mesh material. I found them comfortable, but something slightly wider would distribute pressure better and feel more luxurious. At least they didn’t cause discomfort on my nipples, as some other narrow straps have.

The shorts themselves rise a sensible amount at the front, though it’s easy enough to take a quick comfort break. Thankfully, overly-restrictive fronts now seem to be a thing of the past.

There’s a small rear pocket designed for snacks or valuables. I rarely used it, largely because it’s awkward to access while riding, but some may find it useful.

Sizing

The size guide put me between a medium and a large, but these are a slim fit, so if you’re in between sizes I’d definitely recommend the larger size. I often fit medium shorts, but I wouldn’t have wanted to go tighter with these. The large I tested worked well.

Castelli makes these in seven sizes, from XS to 3XL, so you should be able to find a size that suits you. They’re also available in 12 other colours, which must be a record for shorts!

The quality is excellent. I wore and washed these a lot during the test period, and they still look as good as new.

Value

At £185 these aren’t cheap, but the performance is in line with other premium bib shorts – and you can easily spend more.

Josh thought the Velocio Men’s LUXE bib shorts were excellent, and these days they’re £218, while Sam thought the Assos Equipe R Bib Shorts S11 were also excellent. Amazingly they’re cheaper than both the Velocios and these Castellis at £170.

If you’re looking to spend a bit less, the Sportful Pulse Heritage Bib Shorts are £90, and quite similar to the Espresso 2s.

Overall

These are excellent performers across a wide range of riding types. The superb pad and compressive fit make them perfect for longer rides and harder training sessions, while the quality fabric gives them a premium feel throughout.

The thin straps feel slightly less refined than the rest of the shorts – though cause no problems – and the rear pocket adds little in practice, but these are relatively minor criticisms. This is great pair of shorts.