Castelli Velocissimo Cycling Bibshort - Men's - 2009 BCS

Bought these because I have a few Castelli Jerseys which I really like. At 5'10.5"/190LB, The sizing chart put me in between a large and an XL and I wound up going with the XL.

The bibs fit well for the most part aside from the straps being a bit looser than I like on my shoulders but they are comfortable overall. When it comes to quality and durability, however, these bibs fail miserably. After only a few months of use, the stitching in the legs and on the chamois pad is coming undone and will likely fail completely in less than a year at this rate. While I do machine wash these bibs on delicate after every ride, I don't put them in the dryer. I have 2 other sets of bibs (Giordana and Pearl Izumi) and one pair of shorts (Pearl Izumi) I rotate through and wash in the same fasion. Despite the Castellis being newer than all but one pair of bibs, they look the worst for wear. I likely will not be purchasing Castelli bibs again (though I will purchase their jerseys) and I would recommend that potential buyers look elsewhere.

The only problem I found was the white is pretty sheer and semi see through. I could see my body hair through it. Was very comfortable.

Overall these shorts are comfortable ant stylish. However , the seams gave in the front not once but one TWO pair after just one use each time.

While the shorts were comfortable, I ordered the black whith white panels. BEWARE! There is NO WAY you could wear these in public as you can see right through the white fabric! Nothing is left to the imagination and you'd likely get arrested.

I think I had last year's version of these bibs. They were mighty comfortable and had a nice, long inseam, but the stitching on the chamois is coming completely undone after moderate use (they were my backup pair). I am sticking with Craft Pro Race and Giordana Forma Red bibs from now on.

I really like Castelli's stuff. The construction is nice, and the chamois is top notch. As everyone says, size runs small. Its kinda ridiculous that a 30inch waist, 150lb rider requires a large, but it is what it is. If you size up one, you'll be good.

Instead of typical leg grippers, it has some very stretch material in its place which is very nice for longer rides (no super constricting stuff around your legs). Much like higher end Louis Garneau Stuff. They do have some silicone grippers on the outside bottom cuff which makes them nice for throwing them under a pair of tights in the winter. Another plus is the big patches of reflective material on each leg. Great if you do any night riding.

Now the explanation to the title. The length of the shorts, are well...short. Once I put them on, I checked the tag to see if someone screwed up and sent me womens. Nope, just short. I have a 30 inch inseam, and they are about half way down my thighs. I have a pair of Castelli Dome Due Bib Short which are much more traditional length. If these were the length of those, these bibs would be perfect.

My first pair of bibs. They fit so much better than any of the shorts I've owned (mostly Pearl Izumi's). I did order a size larger than normal and they fit pretty well. (I'm 6'2" and 165lbs and got an XL). Chamois is very comfy and not too thick. Only complaint is the length is a little shorter than I like. Haven't washed them yet so I don't know how they'll hold up.

I've worn Castelli bibshorts for years and picked up the Velocissimo at an attractive discount. The construction is ok - time will tell on durability. The fit is true to other Castelli bibs I've owned. Leg grippers work well and the shoulder straps are reasonably comfortable. Chamois is adequate for a 30-60 minute commute or ride, but I wouldn't pick these for longer times in the saddle: I don't think the chamois has strong design and structure, when compared to comparable products from Sugoi, PI and Giordana.

I can not believe the comments on sizing. I am 6'2" and 170-175 and I wear a medium and they are fine. They are a very nice pair of bibs. Straps are great and they are not restrictive at all (like the Endurance shorts). I can not say much on durability yet. The wicked shorts from last year gave me no problems with durability.

The white is not concealing at all :) I would not order the white.

By far one of the nicest cuts on the market, but they're terrible shorts. First, absolutely...

DO NOT BUY THEM IN WHITE

If you're about to, here's what you should do instead. Strip naked. Go into your kitchen and get some wax paper. Tear off a few feet, wrap it around your waist, and clip it so it stays in place. Then go stand in front of a mirror, spouse, or housemate. Keep this moment of pure terror and shame fresh in your mind when you return to make your purchase here.

The chamois is great, typical Castelli quality. So I bought 3pr in black instead. The problem is the chamois is the only thing they have going for them, and it is barely held in place. The seams break. The elastic is so loose you shouldn't expect any compression or support. Basically they are a nicely cut vessel for holding a chamois in place, and even then, barely.

I've since turned these into my commuting bibs, and would recommend the Castelli Free for any recreational riding/training/etc.

I love the bibs. They are slick and have the seams in the correct places. The first pair that was sent had a hole in the crotch but they sent me a new pair and a postage paid return ups label. Bibs and Realcyclist are great.

so far most comfortable shorts i've tried. don't know about durablity yet. been wearing these for a month. i'm in between sizes(america size). small is a bit to small and medium seems a bit too small. these really fits me perfect (medium)

These are great bibs for the price. My favorite bibs are the Free bibs from Castelli; but at half the price, the Velocissimos are hard to beat! I tried on the white version at the LBS and echo that they don't leave much to the imagination. I came home and bought the anthracite version online.
With regard to the fit of Castelli gear: yes, I've found their jerseys and bibs have a more slim cut when compared to a number of other companies. If it's your gig than you can't go wrong with Castelli kit, if not maybe look elsewhere.
One negative on all Castelli kit I've owned: their stuff doesn't stand up too well to the abuse of my top loading clothes washer. I wash them using the gentle cycle or wash my kit by hand. It's worth the effort, to me, because I really like the fit of their gear more than that of any other brand I've tried (PI, Sugoi, Fox, Descente).

for the money, the best shorts out there

I have had these for a short while, but they are the same as Castelli's Wicked shorts from last year. The fit is the same as the Wicked. I also have the white color. You can see through the white but the black is strategically placed so that you are not getting that much of an eyeful. You do not need to get these wet for their transparency to reveal itself :)

You have to be looking to see through and you would have to be fairly close. Unless you have to have white, I might opt for the grey. The red from last year is see through also, but not as much as the white.

The straps are very comfortable and the chamois is also nice.