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Castelli Bicycle Fashion Video, Wind Tunnel Results

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Keep your volume normal, it goes from silent to “test screech” before getting rolling.

Castelli shared their recent wind tunnel testing results with us, claiming their new fabrics and cuts can shave up to 58 seconds from a 40K ride while reducing the amount of power used at a given speed.

castelli-team-jerseyTwo-Thirds of aerodynamic resistance is created by the rider and only 1/3 from the bike. So even small gains here can make a big difference. In fact, testing from the San Diego windtunnel shows that the Cervélo Aero Race Team Jersey saves 10 watts when riding with your hands on the hoods at 40 km/h. That translates into about 40 seconds saved every hour compared to a standard cycling jersey.

The Cervélo Aero Race Team Jersey was designed with the Castelli Velocity fabric and no extra fabric flapping in the riding position. The cut is small and stretched tightly over the body, with extra-long sleeves that point up and forward. To getting the air to flow efficiently over the rider’s body, the front surfaces of the jersey were made as smooth as possible, with all seams placed outside the air flow; folds and flapping fabric were minimized.

Read “more” to see the rest of the new 2009 Castelli Cervelo Test Team clothing…

Click images to enlarge.

The Cervélo Aero Race Bibshort features a cutaway front, narrower straps to eliminate the feeling of the straps altogether, no inner leg seams and extra-breathable fabrics. The reduced fabric over the stomach area improves moisture management in a high-sweat area while increasing the ability to breathe deeper from the stomach muscles.

castelli-team-shoecoverWith the bike and wheels being so aerodynamic, the air hitting the feet and lower legs is very “clean” and therefore a lot of drag is generated in this area. So we engineered these Cervélo Aero Race Shoecovers to smooth the airflow over the shoe and around the front of the leg, then to smoothly separate from the leg with the structured “golf ball dimple”fabric. These have been shown in the wind tunnel to save 3 watts at 40 km/h, so we strongly recommend the pros to use them in all road race situations except on extremely hot days.

The 2009 Split Due Jersey (below) continues Castelli’s commitment to aerodynamic perfection, finding new ways to eliminate wrinkles, cut away fabric, and make this jersey nearly invisible to aero resistance. TheSplit Due reduces rider effort by 16 watts in a zero cross-wind environment. And across various cross-wind measurements, the average savings was still 13.8 watts.

castelli-splitjersey castelli-splitjersey2 castelli-splitjersey3

The Split Due is constructed with Castelli Velocity fabric with Prosecco treatment for a body hugging, wind-cheating fit. BLC dimpled panels also aids air flow. Other key features include a 35cm hidden zipper, rear pocket flaps that smooth air flow, and reflective flags. Available in: White/Red, Black/White, and Yellow Fluo/Black.

For the spring classics, we have created the Cervélo Thermal Bibshort that is identical to the Aero Race Bibshort, but made with our nice thick warm and fleecy Thermoflex fabric. When racing or training in the cold, these shorts become fundamental. The body spends a lot of energy just keeping itself warm, so using these covers a good part of the body where you can lose a lot of heat if you’re not covered. The riders can pair up these shorts with the Thermoflex Leg or Knee warmers to stay warm and comfortable.

castelli-corso-gloveThe thickly padded RossoCorsa glove (left) when hand protection is paramount. The palm of the glove features 3 gel pads that absorb shocks from the uncomfortable cobblestones, but allow full breathability because they’re perforated. The rest of the glove is in a lightweight soft mesh for breathability and to make you almost forget you have it on.

castelli-winter-gloveThe new Diluvio Gloves (right) are made for cold and/or wet conditions. The Japanese neoprene is some of the highest quality available and this is what makes it so stretchy, comfortable and warm. The seams are constructed using the same technique as a wetsuit: the stitching is only on the outside, while the inside is thermo welded to make it smoth and completely waterproof.

While the waterproofness is an obvious benefit in the rain, what’s not so obvious is how good this glove is in the cold. It keeps your hands warm with the same function as a wetsuit for divers. It is completely non breathable, so your hand sweats but that moisture is immediately warmed to body temperature and stays warm. We figure it’s better to have hands warm and wet than dry and cold, or worse yet wet and cold!

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