Castelli Espresso Bib Tights

Castelli's Espresso Bib Tights are super comfortable thanks to the stretchy Roubaix-style fabric they are made from and the top-quality chamois. For me, they are perfect down to about 5°C, in the dry, and £170 isn't bad for premium-level bib tights.

> Buy now: Castelli Espresso Bib Tights for £130 from Tredz

These bib tights are made from Thermoflex, a soft, high-stretch fabric. It's fleecy on the inside, and there is no mention of any water or wind resistance in Castelli's marketing; it's about as good at both as any other Roubaix-type fabric.

2025 Castelli Espresso Bib Tights - leg logo.jpg (credit: road.cc)

Temperature ranges for garments are highly subjective. I run on the colder side; on group rides there are quite often a few mates who get by with a layer less than I do. For me, Castelli's temperature rating of 4-15°C for these in dry weather is about bang on. They are a sort of one-garment alternative to winter bib shorts with decent knee or leg warmers. If it's colder out, or it's wet, I'd want something made from a more weather-resistant fabric.

As the fabric is so stretchy, they are super easy to get into, even without zips at the ankles. I prefer a zipless ankle, as there's no chance of chafing which can be exacerbated by shoe covers. These have a raw cut finish at the ankle, too.

2025 Castelli Espresso Bib Tights - ankle cuff.jpg (credit: road.cc)

Up top, they use the same stretchy mesh upper as the Espresso bib shorts, with a high yoke at the back; it does its job well – it's comfortable and hardly noticeable.

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The hem at the waist is folded over and comes up high enough to keep you warm without making comfort stops an issue.

Pad

Castelli's Progetto X2 Air Seamless chamois is made from two layers: a bacteriostatic 'skin care' layer, which is made to adapt to your bum and saddle without folds, and a cushioning layer. This pad works well for me, it kept my nether regions in comfort even on longer rides.

2025 Castelli Espresso Bib Tights - chamois.jpg (credit: road.cc)

In fact, combined with the supersoft luxury fabric, these are about the most comfortable bib tights I've ever used. Castelli's blurb states these are focused on comfort; it's done a good job.

Sizing

In most brands I would normally go for a medium, and that's what the numbers on Castelli's size guide suggest for me, but I expected them to size up small, based on previous experience. I have some older Castelli Sorpasso bib tights where XL was the right size, so I thought L would probably be OK as I'm a tad lighter now.

2025 Castelli Espresso Bib Tights - legs back.jpg (credit: road.cc)

While the large on test fits lovely, given how stretchy the material is I think the size guide is right, and I probably would go for medium if I was buying. In the large, the stretchy fabric feels comfortable rather than supportive; if you like a supportive performance type feel for your riding, maybe go down a size from what Castelli suggests. I like compression in bib shorts, but for off-season riding I'm all about the comfort.

2025 Castelli Espresso Bib Tights - straps front.jpg (credit: road.cc)

Other features

You also get a couple of really quite small reflective details on the back at calf height; I personally wouldn't rely on them to get you seen.

2025 Castelli Espresso Bib Tights - reflective tabs.jpg (credit: road.cc)

Talking of being seen... these bib tights don't only come in boring black but are available in quite a range of trendy colours – Dark Gray, Red Wine, Dark Steel Blue, Space Green, Belgian Blue and Natural Gray.

Value

While £170 is not cheap for bib tights, these are undoubtedly premium level and feel luxurious to wear.

You can easily spend more for similar bib tights: Rapha's Men's Pro Team Lightweight Tights with Pad will set you back £190, and the Assos Equipe R Habu Winter Bib Tights S11 are even more expensive at £265, though they do perform well below zero.

You don't have to spend this much, though. Gorewear's Spinshift Thermo Bib Tights Men's cost £144.99 and Matt gave them a rare five stars, and if you are after something a bit cheaper still, Shaun liked Endura's Xtract Bib Tight which now retail at £84.99, up from £74.99 when he reviewed them in 2023.

Find more options in our guide to the best winter bib tights.

Conclusion

Castelli's Espresso Bib Tights feel luxurious on the skin, and the stretchy fabric and Progetto X2 pad make for comfort on any length ride. While £170 isn't cheap, they undercut some premium rivals, and the 4-15°C temperature range should cover quite a lot of riding days if you're in the UK so they should see plenty of use.

> Buy now: Castelli Espresso Bib Tights for £130 from Tredz

Verdict

Supremely comfortable fabric with a great chamois, perfect in dry 4-15°C weather