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cannondale, cervelo test team, cycling, foul weather, gabba, Gabba 2, milan sanremo, pro, Product talk, ride argyle, team, windstopper -

The Gabba – The professional’s foul-weather friend

Story by Andy McGrath | rouleur.cc We visit the Castelli factory in late November – well, it’d be remiss to gab about the Gabba at the height of summer. If you’re wondering how a rainwear revolution could happen in sunny Italy, abandon all weather stereotypes ye who enter their home town, Fonzaso. The Dolomites rear up and the temperature drops as we drive through the north-eastern Italian countryside, past wood stacks and through early morning mist. Apparently, this place gets twice as much rain as London. We meet Castelli brand manager Steve Smith and Race Performance Director, Andrea Peron, who takes us for a morning espresso (well, this is Italy). We stroll down the main artery, which is dominated by a big glass window, looking out over a floor of 40 sewing machines and their attendant stitchers, busy working on samples for the summer 2016 line. Notice a common denominator? They’re all from cruddy-weather countries. “We spent the first 45 minutes talking about traditional rain jackets, incremental improvements on the Pocket Liner,” Smith says. “We’d actually already made a first-round sample of it. Gabriel Rasch disappeared up to his room and came back down, talking about fit… Gabriel is quiet, ...

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castelli, cycling, foul weather, gabba, jersey, nano flex, nanoflex, Product talk, windstopper -

Gabba 2 Long-Sleeve: lightweight and protective

GABBA 2 is phenomenal because it keeps out the elements while offering excellent breathability and stretch combined with a perfect fit. Pro riders appreciate this product for racing in foul conditions but what does it represent for everyone else? You probably love it in any weather that doesn’t involve sunshine. This jersey keeps you warm and dry and provides protection from wind and light rain. But the real question is: why does Castelli offer a long sleeve version? Standard long sleeve jerseys are good to be worn as part of a layering system, but are they really suitable as an outer layer over a base layer? They can be used for summer evenings to take the chill off and for spring, autumn and winter months when the temperature is not too low. And what about rain and wind? Cyclists who are wearing a thermal long sleeve jersey probably also own a wind and water proof jacket to put on top when needed, increasing weight and “killing” performances, we are almost sure. So far, so good, but why not a product which is lightweight and aerodynamic like a jersey and protects almost like a jacket? GABBA 2 LONG SLEEVE JERSEY is a protective wind and waterproof jersey ...

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2016, bibshort, innovation, Mondiale, Product talk, spring, summer -

Mondiale Bibshort, Unlike Anything You’ve Ever Felt

With the Mondiale Bibshort we simply set out to design the most comfortable, luxurious bibshort we could make. Everything we do in some way goes back to speed, and in this case the Mondiale short is made for your longest training rides to make you faster for race day in your Free Aero Race Bibshorts, or those rides where you’re just out enjoying your race fitness. Either way, this short is obscenely comfortable with its new 220g Cinquanta fabric with a full 50% Lycra® content that coddles you unlike any short you’ve ever worn. The construction builds on the comfort we developed with our Body Paint shorts, but the new higher-rebound fabric provides greater support with improved freedom of movement. Laser-cut ventilation on the back and no-sew bonded seams complete the feeling that we held absolutely nothing back in making the most comfortable short you’ve ever used. SECRET TRAINING STEALTH LOOK We call this the Secret Training look. Black, understated, quietly confident. Every bike racer knows that feeling of when you go into Secret Training mode, when your focus turns inward, when you’re concentrated on getting everything just right. You don’t want to draw attention to yourself as your entire ...

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gabba, nano flex, Nano Flex Pro Bibtight, nanoflex, Product talk, rain jacket, Tempesta, Tempesta Glove, Tempesta Race Jacket, Tempesta Shoe Cover -

PEZ review: Tempesta and Nano Flex wet weather gear

Castelli’s new Tempesta line promises 100% waterproof protection with lightweight, extreme weather gear made from new fabrics from eVent & OutDry – here’s a closer look. By Richard Pestes, PezCyclingNews.com I talked to Castelli’s top product dawg Steve Smith while he was driving to his home in Bassano del Grappa on the same road where Fausto Coppi lost the 1950 Giro after touching wheels with another rider caused him to crash and break his hip. Living in Europe & Italy for many years has allowed Steve enviable exposure to road cycling in the sport’s heartland. It’s also given him easy access to the best textile mills and makers of technical fabrics, and daily access to the factory where he can oversee production of new items. It boils down to ‘zero-loss’ from concept to design to production. And that’s a big reason why Castelli has become so successful in the category. Another reason is that they just keep on pushing the envelope and setting new boundaries for performance cycling apparel. The newest wet weather line in stores now for winter, is the Tempesta line. The Tempesta jacket, Nano Flex Pro Bibtight, Tempesta gloves and shoecovers. I shot this with a flash, ...

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bikeboard, castelli, customized, cycling, design, individual, News, personalized, Product talk, servizio corse, triathlon -

Servizio Corse – Customized cycling and triathlon clothing

Our friends at bikeboard.cc came by the office to visit our European Servizio Corse Custom team division in Fonzaso, Italy. A sneak peek behind the scenes of the Castelli Servizio Corse Custom Team Division and followed the production process of our own custom-design clothing. Individually printed, functional clothing is still very popular among hobby and amateur cyclists. Castelli is considered to be the inventor of sublimation printing, a very common process of manufacturing these days. We went to Manifattura Valcismon SpA, headquarters of the brands Castelli and Sportful, located in Fonzaso (Veneto) and glimpsed behind the scenes. 25 years ago, the main production of Castelli and Sportful was run in Italy. Today, the headquarters is only production plants for samples, prototypes, smaller custom team orders and the whole clothing for sponsored professional teams and athletes. The majority of the inline collection production and custom team clothing are outsources to different factories in Europe. At its headquarters, Manifattura Valcismon SpA employs approximately 120 staff for research & development, design, marketing, sales and storage. R&D and small series production Developing and testing is key for Castelli and Sportful. That’s why prototypes are tested by employees during daily lunch rides or at weekends under various ...

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