Castelli rolled out the red carpet for us to show off their 2014 apparel collection last week in Portland, OR. We received a tour of their headquarters in addition to the line showing and snapped a few pics for you to check out. We also squeezed in some epic rides during our trip including an excursion up Mount St. Helens in Washington. The cold, soggy conditions proved to be the perfect testing ground for Castelli’s weather-proof gear.
Castelli’s offices are located just a few minutes from downtown Portland and everyone was quite friendly and welcoming.
Much of the innovation in Castelli’s lineup is driven from the brand’s partnership with the Garmin Sharp team, which also features prominently in their marketing efforts. 
One of the coolest and most unique pieces in the new lineup is the Active Cooling Baselayer. The ultra lightweight material actually cools your skin thanks to a topical treatment. Just like the rockies on the side of a Coors Light can, the print fades away when you’re hot to let you know it’s working. We tried it out and sure enough, the fabric changed after just a few minutes.
Another interesting new product is the Velocissimo Sanremo Suit (right), which features the same one-piece design as the Sanremo 3.0 Speed Suit (left) at about half the price. This suit features Castelli’s Kiss chamois with Velocity Dry fabric on the jersey to create an affordable speed suit at $200. The Sanremo 3.0 Speed Suit will go for $380.
The Aero Race 5.0 Jersey is a nice update to the Aero Race 4.0. Wind tunnel tests showed a 12 watt improvement, making this the fastest jersey Castelli has ever made. We aren’t too crazy about this slate color, but it will also be available in White/Red and Black/Lime.
Castelli has greatly increased the number of women’s jersey offerings and we believe the jersey on the left is a game changer. The Gustosa Jersey uses a dual layer construction so it is essentially a jersey and a base layer in one. We only had a chance to see the women’s version, but if applied properly, this technology could be an amazingly functional feature.
Here’s a shot from our rainy ride to the top of Mount St. Helens. We started in the tiny town of Toutle and made our way east. It was one of the most spectacularly beautiful rides I’ve ever done despite the clouds and rain.
