The Polare bib tights are a staple of Castelli’s winter-cycling range, but they’ve just been updated, with the Italian brand saying the new version will transform the coldest days “from mere survival into fun”.
Behind this claim is the same high-tech Polartec Aircore fabric that features in the latest Castelli Perfetto jacket, which launched in September.
Castelli developed Aircore in collaboration with Polartec, and it is said to tick “every box when it comes to being lightweight, highly breathable, windproof, and water repellent”.
Aircore achieves this thanks to a nano-fibre membrane, sandwiched between two layers of textile, which is incredibly tight but still allows air to pass through it.
The fabric is also free of PFAs-based chemicals, or ‘forever chemicals’, which are now banned in some parts of the world, and is made with recycled polyester yarns.
Castelli’s global brand manager, Steve Smith, says: “For serious winter cyclists, the difference between a good ride and a miserable one often comes down to the quality of their clothing.
“With Polartec Aircore, we’ve been able to rewrite what high-performance cycling garments can do in cold weather by providing a windproof front that doesn’t sacrifice breathability or stretch.”
The new Polare bib tights use the Aircore fabric on the front panel of the bib tights. At the same time, Castelli’s Thermoflex fleece lines the seat and legs of the tights to deliver warmth, stretch and breathability, in areas where protection from the elements isn’t as necessary.
“By pairing that pioneering fabric with Thermoflex fleece in our Polare Bibtight, we’ve created the perfect blend of warmth, stretch and breathability to make your very cold rides as comfortable as possible,” Smith adds.
Castelli says this also makes the Polare bib tights its “warmest bib tights” for temperatures ranging from -5˚C to 5˚C.
Elsewhere, the new bib tights feature Castelli’s Kiss Air2 seat pad. This has an ‘ultra-soft’ top fabric to reduce friction and the chance of saddle sores, plus a dual-density foam for thickness where you need it and minimal thickness at the perimeter.
To help keep you visible while cycling in low light, the tights have reflective strips above the knee and on the calves. Ankle zippers are said to help make the Polare bib tights easy to pull on and off.
The Polare bib tights cost £230 / $250 in the men’s version and £240 / $250 for the women’s version.
