Castellimas Competition

Castellimas Competition

It's almost Christmas and there are a few contests to celebrate the season.  Castelli Cafe (a UK Castelli Distributor) is having a competition online for their UK followers.  

Due Date: January 2nd, 2015 4:00 pm

Contest rules: 
"To win this bag of stuff and a few other bits I find laying around show your #CASTELLI fan status by sharing a picture of your #castellimass let's see scorpions in the tree snowy ride pics Turkey carving in skinsuits best one wins post here (Instagram) or on Twitter. Copy us in and use the hashtag #castellimass.  The one I like the best wins and have a great time."

Note: I think the hashtag is meant to be #castellimas 


Prize: 

Festive 500 Competition

For everyone else who doesn't live in the UK, there is another holiday challenge.  A Strava Challenge sponsored by Rapha is called the Festive 500.  Is anyone going to go for this? We're going to spend every second this holiday vacation with family and play sports for exercise.

Due Date: Dec. 31st for miles on Strava and Jan. 14th, 2015 for evidence/stories.

Contest Rules:

Share evidence of your endeavors using the hashtag #festive500. Prizes will be awarded to riders in the following categories: Most Inclement, Best Story, Prix de la Combativité, Best Photography, with a special Grand Prize for Creativity.  In past editions, stories have been shared in the form of photojournals, hand-bound illustrated pamphlets, videos, postcards, letters, blogs, and the old favorite, email. 

Prizes:

Newer Castelli Cycling Nanoflex Warmers Versus Past Thermoflex Warmers

 

The title says it all.  The newest and best warmers to buy are the Castelli Nanoflex warmers that were released approximately 3 years ago (before January 2011).  There is no reason to reinvent the wheel so please check out a great review from CompetitiveCyclist.com (video link below)! 

Positive Notes from Castelli Nanoflex Review:

1) Double sided silicone gripper to keep warmers tight to skin and jersey/jacket

2) Snug

3) Warm

4) Water repellent

Negative Notes from Castelli Nanoflex Review:

1) In dry conditions, shorts over warmers tend to ride up

2) Less water repellent if warmers stretch too much

Click link below for video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAzmy1w-f8U

What is your name buddy?  This fellow gives the warmers, "two enthusiastic thumbs up," although the bloke doesn't smile once during the review.  (FYI--We've had great customer service with CompetitiveCyclist.com)

Older Castelli Thermoflex Warmers

"Fleece lined thermoflex fabric with silicone grippers"

Newer Castelli Nanoflex Warmers

Photos from instagram thanks to @c888, @sallard.meridafactoryracing, @jsprhrmsn, @ratchet_girlie, and @instazellman. 

Added Note: A Castelli Cycling blog talks about how some winter bibshorts come in Nanoflex fabric.  However, there are no Nanoflex jerseys.   Instead, if you want waterproof jerseys, check out the Gabba series.

Photos of Castelli Women's Elegante Dress

Photos of Castelli Women's Elegante Dress 

Summer 2014

Castelli likely released the Castelli Elegante Dress in Summer 2014.  The dress was sold out online to USA customers by the end of Fall 2014.  Once in a while, the dress shows up on Ebay.  I'm curious to see if the dress will be released next year?  Anyone from Castelli Cycling want to email me and let me know?  I'm also curious what colors it might come out in?  Blue? Green?  If Castelli doesn't release another run, this dress could be the new "170 BPM jacket,"--sought after but never found.

Thanks to zoe__wilson, and rosannac7 on instagram for the photos.  You ladies rock the dress!

The shorts come with the dress.  They have a kiss pad.   These shorts are slightly transparent if worn without the Castelli Elegante dress which is likely why Zoe is wearing them in winter for mountain biking.  

The grippers on the shorts also aren't very good and so the shorts tend to slide up or roll.  This is why they look so short.  As you can see from the photo below with wrinkles, the shorts are about twice this long before they ride up.

Review of Castelli Women's Perla Jersey

Review of Castelli Women's Perla Jersey

The Castelli Perla Jersey was not released again this year.  It is still important to review this jersey as

1) it is still available 

2) it looks to be a very good jersey and 

3) it can be compared to the new Winter '14 Castelli jerseys.

Reviewer: 5' 7'', 135 lbs, size small

Total Stars: 3 out of 5

Fit:
Overall:
The fit is good but it isn't long enough in back.
Length: 
When wearing this on the bike with anything in the back pockets, the jersey looks too short.
Collar:
Comfortable/Not too tight
Sleeves: 
Nice and long

Warmth:
This jersey is good in the 40's.  With a wind breaker, this jersey could be used at even lower temperatures.

Look: 
 When not wearing:
The jersey appears nice and long.  Gorgeous looking jersey!
Wearing jersey off the bike/standing:
It is too short in the front.
When on the bike/leaning over one's handlebars:
If I put anything in the back pockets, the jersey looks too short in the back.  But, it is the perfect length in the front. (see photo below found online)

Overall Impression:
This jersey is not what I expected.  I expected a shinier, silkier fabric based on the photos that Castelli released. The jersey is not a soft pink but a loud medium pink color..almost fluoro. One positive is that the jersey arm stretches to twice it's size (it is very flexible fabric).

Best Part:
First, it is warm.  Secondly, the jersey zipper is the best looking part of the jersey.  However, the zipper does not zip the entire way (see picture below, will add soon).  Furthermore, the cuffs and collar are very nicely made.

Product as Expected:
No.  I wish I had bought Winter 14 cold weather jersey instead.

*For winter cycling wear, it'd be nice to have longer cycling tops.  Castelli seems to have fixed this on the Gabba jersey for Winter 14

Cheers!,

#castelliaddict

Photos of Gabba Jersey

Photos of Men's Gabba Jersey

Photos thanks to @kaasie77, @david.purvis, @lookdom, @karlowen77, @mcpriem_a, @swiftcycles, @nsm5000, and @es8381.

Photos of Castelli Women's Illumina Jacket

Photos of Castelli Women's Illumina Jacket

The Castelli Illumina jacket can be bought in coral, lime, or violet.  I love the long sleeves on this jacket.  Information and photos come from the Castelli Website, the Castelli Instagram account (photo of Laura O'Meara) and coloradocyclist.com .

One interesting thing to notice is that in the photos from the Castelli Catalog the Illumina jacket appears longer and more fitted.  On the model at the bottom, we can see the jacket appears shorter than the Catalog photos.  This makes me wonder if Castelli Cycling is putting the jacket on a thin mannequin and pulling the jacket tight around the other side to improve the appearance of the jacket. The Colorado Cyclist website does a brilliant job of showing us what the jacket will actually look like on women.