Castelli Free Aero Race Bib Short - Men's - 2010 BCS

First bib shorts for me. Love 'em, so long as I have a jersey on.

For the record: I'm a 6ft male, 32in waist, average arm/leg/torso proportions, have "normal thighs" (not fat, as I used to run a lot, but also not tree trunks either - new to cycling) and I ordered a large. It's definitely a snugfit , but not so much in regards to the shorts area (I mean, it's Lycra), but with the bib straps. I can tell I'm stretching them to get them over my shoulders. However, wore it for the first time today and barely noticed it at all by the end of the ride. I'm sure that it'll stretch to accomodate very comfortably within a week.

Honestly, even if it was marginally tight on the shoulders throughout its life, these are still worth it for the padding/chamois. Oh. My. Comfortable. Yeah they'll wear in and break down and blah blah blah. But seriously. So awesome.

Also, it is true that they are a smidge shorter than some others I've seen/have. Maybe by .5-.75 inches. But I live in Phoenix, so no complaints here.

Solid (but pricey) shorts.

I bought these for riding in hot weather. They are good, not great, but good.

The good: quality breathable materials, excellent low cut to front bib section keeps things cool, very tight compressive fit, giro leg grippers are great
The bad: the front inner seam is not flat locked and chafes my inner thigh, I find the chamois too big and bulky for my small size (might be better for bigger riders), excessive Castelli branding and scorpion logos

I already have a pair of Castelli Body Paint bibs which I love, and wanted to give the Areo Race a try as well. After a few rides in the Aero Race I like them as much as the Body Paint. The only real difference from my perception is the Aero Race are more compressive in the legs. For me that is neither good nor bad, just a difference. But if your someone who likes more/less compression this might help. Also, I've read quite a few suggestions to size up with Castelli. However, I've stuck with the size I normally wear which was fine...definitely snug, but who wants lose bike shorts. I've ridden Pearl Izumi's, Sugoi, 2XU, Zoot, and Louis Garneau bike short but Castelli are my favorite.

I love everything about these shorts except the chamois. It is very comfortable but doesn't stay in the right spot. I always find it higher up towards my stomach rather than guarding my sit bones. At first I thought I ordered the wrong size and returned them for a smaller size. I have the same problem with a smaller size and there is no way I could go any smaller - they are snug! I have several other pair of Castelli bibs and have never had this problem - I am thinking it might be a unique problem to this bib. I wouldn't recommend these unless you want to keep standing on your pedals and readjusting yourself every so often.

I have bought 2 pair of Castelli bibs so far (Endurance and Free Aero Race bibs) and am buying a third. I recommend trying them on first, if possible, to be sure they fit to your liking. I'm 6"1", 205 and normally wear an XL in most brands. With the Castelli I found the XXL to be too small and exchanged for a XXXL! Hurt my ego a little, but the size change made the difference as the chamois fit better, the shoulder straps much more comfortable, the front came up to a respectable level and the necessary room for my garbage was now acceptable. The legs fit so light you can barely feel them. I kept thinking the leg bands had rolled up, but there was no movement whatsoever. My only complaint, while minor, is the chamois. It's adequate in terms of padding and comfort, but just adequate. They seem low in technology (and padding) compared to Assos Mille for instance, but the Free Race is good short/bib for the price.

These are hands down the best shorts I've ever slipped on. I bought the Tour de France special light grey bibs from another site but use RealCyclist a lot so I'll post my review here. These bibs do fit very tight and run small so I use a large even though I wear a medium in Pearls. They say if you forget about the shorts you're wearing they are good but I actually notice mine while riding because they just feel great, especially the muscle compression and totally in-offensive elastic leg grippers. NO silicone here and not too much of a band like others.

Incredibly uncomfortable (I should say painful). They create the same problems you would have from a pair of shorts 10 times cheaper. And it's all about the pad. The layer that covers the pad is itchy especially after you sweat. And also the pad itself more precisely the frontal part makes the sensitive parts of your body scream with pain. Pro: the sit bones are now really happy because even after 100 miles you feel no pain.

Just picked these up recently at a local NYC shop. Put a century ride and a 60-miler on them over the past two weekends. So far, performance is great. The shorts are comfortable and look good. I'm a bigger guy at 6'2" 205lbs and the XL works out nicely. Snagged the Aero Race Jersey as well - and it's a pretty official setup.