Castelli's Prologo Jersey has now moved on to its sixth edition and it continues its theme of being a top that sits somewhere between a race jersey and one that's slightly more relaxed. It offers decent performance and quality, as do others at lower prices.
- Pros: Breathable fabric, fit not restricted to ultra-lean racers
- Cons: Up against some tough competition at this price
When George tested the previous version of the Prologo he was impressed, especially with the breathability which at the time Castelli rated 4/5 in its own scoring system. This version uses the new Punto fabric which Castelli only gives a 3/5. Maybe its top end fabrics are becoming even more impressive, stretching the benchmark or it's being a bit more ruthless with the scoring. Either way, the latest Prologo offers plenty of ventilation thanks to its mesh-like construction, great when the temperature ramps up into the mid-20s.
> Find your nearest dealer here
The fit is surprisingly loose for Castelli but in a good way. The cut is still pretty close and if you stick to the sizing guide you aren't going to find lots of loose fabric flapping about in the wind, but if your racing days are behind you and you are going for comfort over speed these days, you won't need to feel conscious when rocking up on the club run.
I quite like the bold styling, though to my mind it's a shame that the red banner doesn't travel all the way around the jersey, not for a visibility reason, purely to give it a more complete look.
If black isn't for you there are plenty of other options if you take a look at Castelli's website.
The Prologo comes with a decent length dropped tail so when you fancy hunkering down in the drops your lower back remains covered, and it's held in place by a silicone gripper.
You get three pockets in a traditional setup across the rear and they do a pretty decent job, although I did find the material a little lacking in tightness when the pockets were loaded.
When riding I carry a Sticky Pod with various essentials to get me home when things go wrong so that I can make the school run. It's not massively heavy, but other jerseys cope with the load with a little less bounce and sag than the Prologo.
Money-wise, the Prologo VI's £85 price tag is a little overpriced when you look at other very good jerseys out there. Lusso's Dash will only set you back 65 quid, and Sweet Protection's Crossfire jersey, a similar traditional design, is just £69.99.
> Buyer's Guide: 17 of the best summer cycling jerseys
Castelli's Prologo VI is a good jersey, but while it has only crept up a fiver in the last couple of years there are a lot of tops delivering the same for less.
Verdict
Great looks and breathability and the relaxed fit will appeal to many, but there are other brands doing it cheaper
Make and model: Castelli Prologo VI Short Sleeve Jersey
Tell us what the product is for
Castelli says, "The Prologo name is Italian for "prologue," the opening salvo in a Grand Tour. But many of our customers pronounce it like "Pro Logo." And we don't mind at all.The Prologo Jersey, now in its sixth generation, does feature a big logo, but more than that it brings a lot of tech directly from our experience with pro racing. The fabric is remarkably soft yet stretchy and features bioceramic nanoparticles added to the fused polymer, which reflect far infrared light to both protect you from hot sun and help the body keep itself warm.The construction also borrows a lot of cues from pro racing: the same drop-tail construction that helps the jersey sit right around the waist while allowing generous pockets that sit lower on the back, the wraparound side panels that ventilate the back without letting in too much air from the front, and the easy-sliding YKK® Vislon® zipper."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Castelli lists:
New Punto fabric is light and breathable
Horizontal stretch for great fit, with limited vertical stretch to support pockets
Covered YKK® Vislon® zipper
Castelli shadow logo sublimation overprint on dyed base fabric
Drop tail with 3 rear pockets and internal silicone waist elastic on back
Reflective piping
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
7/10
Rate the product for fit:
8/10
Rate the product for sizing:
8/10
True to Castelli's size chart, but a little more relaxed than most of its products.
Rate the product for weight:
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
8/10
Rate the product for value:
4/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Following Castelli's care instructions brought up no issues.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
A good jersey that will work in a large temperature range with a cut that'll suit many.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Well made.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Price-wise you can do better.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
For what is quite a basic jersey there are plenty of options where you can save money.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? It looks great but there are cheaper options.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
An all-round decent jersey but there is very little here to really make it stand out against the opposition.
Age: 40 Height: 180cm Weight: 76kg
I usually ride: This month's test bike My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed
“The saddles are too high and the handlebars too low. As a result, riders’ arms are too straight and they can no longer bend their elbows when it...
Also I wish manufacturers would stop using the phrase "aerospace-grade" - as in "aerospace-grade titanium" - it turns me off their product straight...
It is.
"....you ain't got no alibi!", as the song says.
Have to disagree on the category "Anything made from an old bike part". I have a wallet and a phone case made from old tubes by Velo Culture, and...
Exactly! With the added bonus of the manhole cover as scrap.
Funny how the BBC reports money for roads being spent on AT, but never reports that money for AT is spent on roads....
Yeah. Racing for GC isn't the best for him - in fact it's a waste of his talents. He needs to focus on one dayers, and MTB World Cups in the summer...
We have record numbers of police in Kentish Town (according to the local freesheet) but no one knows what they are doing. They cannot operate a...
Now on Bluesky but have kept my Twitter account to stop someone taking it.