Castelli Castelli Climber's Jersey - Men's
Riders hit the lower switchbacks, and we edge to the fronts of our seats, turning up the TV. The pack shuffles as the big boys move to the front. Sweat drips off the riders' noses, helmets tip back, and jerseys unzip, flapping like superheroes' colorful capes behind their backs. Extra bottles are tossed to the side of the road, eliminating all excess weight as the road gets steeper. We feel for these Tour riders because we know that they're in the red, digging into what's left of their reserves. We've all been there, and this is where having the lightest possible clothing can make all of the difference. If there's a jersey out there built solely for these brutal climbs, it's Castelli's Climber's Jersey. The Climber's Jersey answers Garmin-Barracuda team riders' requests for a super lightweight, highly breathable jersey for the mountain stages of the Giro and the Tour. Castelli listened and came up with its new Strada Light 3D Mesh fabric. Strada Light 3D Mesh is a polyester multi-denier material that has, as the name implies, an airy, three-dimensional structure. This new fabric is not only incredibly lightweight, but it also holds the surface off of the skin, reducing cling and speeding moisture evaporation. This means that the fabric absorbs less sweat, which in turn keeps the jersey close to its weight of 91 grams (Large) throughout your ride. And because the fabric's primary purpose is to evacuate moisture from your skin, Strada Light is much too thin to protect your skin from the sun. For this reason, Castelli strongly recommends that you apply sunscreen underneath the jersey. Aside from the jersey's Strada mesh front and back panels, Castelli uses its sleek, stretch-fit Velocity Mesh on the shoulders and yoke to provide a smooth, drag-resistant cut. And speaking of aerodynamics, compared to the Aero Race Jersey, the Climber's Jersey saves just three fewer watts at 40 km/h in Castelli's wind tunnel tests -- around nine watts in all.