Castelli Sanremo 3.0 speedsuit

Castelli's Sanremo 3.0 Speedsuit is an excellent one-piece aero option that offers a ton of comfort.

Our man Dave reviewed the previous model, the Sanremo 2.0,  last year and loved it while Stu heaped a lot of praise on the cheaper (£160) Velocissimo version a few weeks ago. Castelli really have hit upon a winning formula here.

Essentially, the Sanremo 3.0 combines Castelli's new Aero Race 5.0 jersey with their Body Paint shorts. The uppers and lowers are stitched together around the back and the sides, but they're kept separate at the front so you get an overlapping opening. This is excellent if you want to open the top up for loads of ventilation on the climbs, and for making things easy when nature calls.

So, what has changed from last year's 2.0? Castelli have updated the Aero Race jersey (£100) and carried the changes over to the Sanremo.

As we reported earlier in the year, Castelli say, 'In terms of aerodynamics, version 5.0 of our Aero Race Jersey showed wind tunnel results a full 12 watts faster than the 2013 industry-leading model.'

How come? According to Castelli, the section at the top of the back, behind your neck, is a key area. Any folds that form there are bad news in terms of airflow, so they have produced a close-fitting collar that's very stretchy so that it sits flat around the back.

All of the Aero Race jersey's other panels and seams are similarly intended to improve airflow. It is cut slim so it doesn't flap and a compression band around the waist is designed to keep the pockets in place.

These features make it over to the Sanremo 3.0, the most noticeable difference from before being the neck, which sits lower than previously and right against your skin. When you're not wearing the Speedsuit, you can see that the neck is positioned towards the front of the jersey section rather than centrally, which helps keep it smooth when you're in an aggressive riding position. Being so low slung, it initially feels odd for a cycling garment, but you get used to that in no time.

The Sanremo 3.0 is made from a whole bunch of different fabrics – five, if we're counting. The front of the upper is made from a lightweight, stretchy polyester while the back is almost a mesh. It's certainly very textured and it doesn't tend to stick to your skin when you sweat.

The black band around the middle – the bottom of the torso and the three pockets – is a very stretchy nylon/Lycra fabric. The idea is that it holds the jersey against your body even if you have a lot of stuff in the pockets, and it does this very successfully. An elasticated band at the top of the pockets stops them from gaping open and catching air.

The lowers feature Castelli's Progetto X2 Air seatpad which we're always praising to the skies. It's up to 12mm thick with a top layer that can move independently of the main cushioning. It works incredibly well whatever the length of your ride, and perforations add to the breathability.

There's only one seam in the lowers so it's virtually impossible for you to get any chafing as you pedal, and the wide leg grippers are super-comfortable. I'm not convinced the 'aero dimples' on the legs add to the performance, but they look pretty good.

In terms of sizing, I'm usually a large but the XL fitted me better here. Check out Castelli's sizing guide to get it right. Even then, I found the shoulders quite tight (they're supposed to sit close, of course) and I'm not the chunkiest cyclist ever. Try before you buy if at all possible.

At £230, the Sanremo 3.0 is the same price as last year's 2.0. When you consider that the Aero Race 5.0 jersey costs £100 and the Body Paint shorts are £175, that seems reasonable, though nobody is going to claim the Speedsuit is cheap.

Castelli's speedsuit concept – an all-in-one upper and lower that's separate at the front – is excellent and I'm surprised more manufacturers haven't jumped on the idea. Okay, it might not be an option if you take a different sized jersey to your shorts, and it would be a pain if the lowers wore out before the upper (or vice versa) but there really is no flapping fabric here and the comfort is second to none. Get on board with the speed onesie and you won't regret it.

Verdict

Excellent one-piece aero option that's very comfortable