Test Run: The Castelli Rosso Corsa Donna

There is nothing better as a cyclist than New Kit Day. (Well, except maybe new bike day).

Hours and hours on the saddle probably means that you wore down your other cycling chamois and so stepping into fresh lycra feels like sitting on a cloud. You can put out more watts when you pedal and saddle sores are a non-issue. I LOVE new kit day.

Recently, I celebrated this with a special delivery from Altitude Sports. They sent me the Castelli Rosso Corsa Donna kit to test out and I have had a blast ripping around on long stretches of roads, looking fast and feeling fast.

Firstly, the Rosso Corsa is their high end product line. As they say “every thread and fiber, every curve and contour is obsessed about.” I am a sucker for quality craftmanship and I love the attention to detail on this kit.

Let’s dive into the good, the bad and the beautiful about the kit.

The Climbers Jersey is magic. One of the key things that I loved about it…outside of it being a really good looking jersey is that it regulates temperature really well. It has a double layer so that when you unzip the front, you have another layer of fabric with Castelli branding on an otherwise relatively brand-free jersey. Apparently this is called an “internal bustier”. This helps keep the wind in control when it is chilly but when I wore it for a 4+ hour ride, it held almost no moisture which made it comfortable in hot, humid conditions as well.

The pockets are large which is key for me (there are three in the back) and the cut is really really flattering. (read – slimming). I love how this jersey feels and I love how I look in it.

It fits JUST so – I am a long torsoed girl so any shorter and it would be too short. The key for me is that I combine it with bib shorts or else it would not work as a stand alone cycling top. This jersey has been named one of Castelli’s most technical jerseys ever.

As I said before, the magic of this kit is pairing it with the bib shorts.

I have to say, if I had to pick a favourite part of this kit, the ringer of the set are the bib shorts and are hands down my favourite pair that I own. Castelli is firm in designing their kits for women from the ground up specifically for women but they emphasize that they cast that aside for this pair and focused on RACING. Balancing out aerodynamics and comfort, there is not much to this kit, but if it is good enough for Team Sky, it is good enough for me!

Essentially a seamless kit, it features leg grippers that hold the kit in place but allows the kit to stretch. There is also dimpled fabric on the legs to make it as aerodynamic as possible and the seat pad has withstood mega training rides without causing pain in the netherregions.

The only part of the kit that has left me scratching my head is why there is a cell phone holder (or I would assume) in the back.

I don’t know about you, but when I am racing, I don’t have my phone and if I am doing a training ride, it is in my kit pocket.

This kit has become the first one I grab and has been in a constant cycle of laundry and bike rides since I have been given it to test. If you are looking to invest in a kit, this is a really quality option that goes fast and looks good.

This feature is in partnership with Altitude Sports. Although they keep me going with everything I need for cycling,they have literally everything you need for outdoor adventuring. Right now they have a summer sale with a ton of items at 40% off!