The Castelli Endurance Pro 2 Jersey is a very impressive hot-weather jersey that offers great breathability, wicking and fit.
Our best summer cycling jerseys buyer's guide covers our choices for warm weather, with our best cheap cycling jerseys buyer's guide rounding up top tops from just £21.
I was lucky enough to get this jersey right at the end of the particularly hot June, which considering July was a write-off proved very fortunate indeed – as this is very much a jersey that has been designed with hot weather in mind.
This is clear from the materials used, the jersey featuring mesh pretty much throughout, with a slightly thicker mesh on the body sections and a tighter mesh on the arms.
Mesh jerseys have come in for a fair amount of criticism since a single Instagram picture of Chris Froome back in 2014 that showed him with an incredibly sunburnt – and painful-looking – upper back and shoulders. This won't be the case these days, as Castelli has included a multifilament fabric on the back of the Endurance Pro 2 jersey that is claimed to block 94% of UV rays. I wore this jersey on several very sunny days – remember those? – and suffered no sunburn at all, so that suggests it is effective.
The jersey fit tends towards the aero, with longer arms and a figure-hugging design. One thing I like about the Endurance Pro 2 compared with some other mesh jerseys is that the material has a fair amount of stretch to it. This means you can wear it comfortably even if you don't have the physique of a yellow jersey contender – ie most of us! – as it moulds around your various lumps and bumps well.
Castelli has also ensured that the Pro 2 is as comfortable as possible by identifying some of the areas of mesh jerseys that can become irritating. So the collar is doubled up with softer material around the neck, and there's soft and stretchy material under the arms to prevent chafing and to allow you a greater freedom of movement.
I was able to test this jersey during rides in which the temperature hit the mid 30s and I have to say I found its wicking and breathability excellent. The more recent variable spell meant I was also able to test it through its full claimed 16-35°C temperature range. I found it consistently comfortable, and during the hottest rides it performed as well as any hot-weather jersey I've ever worn.
The jersey's breathability is complemented by a full-length zip, with a pleasingly large tab, which allows you to cool yourself down even more. In practice I found the jersey's breathability was so good that I rarely needed to do so, except when the thermometer rose into the 30s.
The Endurance Pro 2 has all the features you'd expect in a modern high-end cycling jersey. This includes effective silicone grippers around the hem, which kept everything in place and stopped any bunching even when the jersey pockets were empty.
It has the familiar three rear pockets and a separate zipped security pocket on the right-hand side.
These were big enough to carry everything I needed and with enough elasticity to keep everything in place while riding.
Value
The Castelli's £115 RRP is a good price for what is a very impressive jersey, and it compares well with others we've tested.
The Sportful Bomber Jersey is a fiver dearer at £120 and Bryn liked pretty much everything about it – the ventilation, fit and quality – except the price.
The Pas Normal Studios Men's Mechanism Jersey was £150 when we tested it last year and is now £160. Jamie found the ventilation impressive though he was not so keen on the jersey's short cut… or the high price.
For under £100 there's the option of the Aeron Lab Ultralight SS Jersey that's ultra-light and so transparent that Iwein said it left nothing to the imagination…
Conclusion
The Endurance Pro 2 is comfortable, impressive in the heat, and has all the features you want to see in a modern jersey too. It might not be cheap, but it isn't the most expensive we have seen by a long shot.
Verdict
A well-designed hot-weather jersey that works well in summer even when the temperature is over 30°C
Make and model: Castelli Endurance Pro 2 Jersey
Tell us what the product is for
The ideal all-around jersey for endurance rides, offering comfort and convenience features, excellent moisture management, and Castelli's aerodynamic wizardry.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Endurance and all-around jersey combining aerodynamics, comfort, and convenience
Velocity dimpled fabric on front and shoulders for faster drying
Air Mesh sleeves with raw-cut sleeve ending
Multifilament fabric on back blocks 94% of UV rays
Nervato fabric at armholes for improved aerodynamics
Full-length YKK® Vislon® zipper with neck protector
Silicone gripper elastic at waist
Zippered security pocket
Drop-pocket design for optimal pocket placement
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Well made with interesting use of different mesh densities to combine comfort and ventilation.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Impressive ventilation, a comfortable fit and good material choices result in a jersey that's great for long and hot rides.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Although this is a mesh construction it doesn't feel at all flimsy and it feels like it should last for years.
Rate the product for fit:
8/10
Despite being mesh it has a fair amount of stretch, which allows the aero fit to wrap around all of the lumps and bumps that most of us have!
Rate the product for sizing:
8/10
The large size I reviewed fitted as I would have expected from an Italian brand.
Rate the product for weight:
7/10
Not the lightest weight for a summer jersey but still light enough for me not to notice it.
Rate the product for comfort:
9/10
The combination of material, ventilation and wicking results in an extremely comfortable jersey.
Rate the product for value:
6/10
There is no doubt that anything above £100 for a jersey is always going to be considered expensive, but in reality its quality compares pretty favourably with more expensive jerseys.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Simple – popped it in at 30 degrees without any issues.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well, it kept me ventilated and comfortable on hot rides while still retaining a nice aero fit.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The little details such as the different material under the arms, which prevents the mesh pinch that you can sometimes get.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The Sportful Bomber Jersey that Bryn tested comes in at £120 and offers broadly the same ventilation, fit, and quality.
The Pas Normal Studios Men's Mechanism Jersey now costs £160 and is also impressively ventilated, though the cut is shorter than the Castelli.
At under £100 there's the dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight SS Jersey, which is so light that it verges on the transparent, so perhaps not for everyone…
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
An impressive summer jersey with well-thought-out elements, different material placements and a comfort-focused design. It is great for long rides in hot weather.
Age: 35 Height: 6 ft Weight:
I usually ride: CAAD13 My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
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