Castelli Climbers Jersey Review

Everyone is excited for Summer 2021. It's going to have to count for two summers. I'm pumped and I'm pretty sure you are too. Summer for cyclists means long rides, salty kits, ice socks, post-ride beers and weird tan lines, to name a few things. Bring on the heat, but make sure you bring a jersey that is built for it.

We're very fortunate to partner with Castelli and my favorite piece of our kit is our climbers jersey. I'm writing this review because I spent my winter months cycling in Puerto Rico and have put this jersey to the test in 90º+ weather and 80-90% humidity repeatedly. So, I have informed opinions on this subject that I wish to share.

Pictures by Scott Rettino unless otherwise noted

Initial impressions

Usually, when you hold a thin jersey like this your first thought is "this isn't going to last more than one wash." I had that thought too, but the Climbers Jersey seemed a little sturdier around the stiching than most, so I was hopeful. I then tried it on and looked in the mirror and oh boy, this thing is quite revealing. It's basically a sleeved base layer with pockets. The fit is very pro, like an "I dont think I deserve to be wearing this, I should train harder" kind of fit.

Testing out the Climbers Jersey in Puerto Rico Credit: Alvaro

Testing Conditions

I rode up and down El Yunque in this jersey maybe half a dozen times, Those rides ranged from 90º+ scorching heat to rains in the high 70ºs. I also rode it on long days in the sun up to _Ciales and back_, and frequent training rides on the Piñones/Loiza route. This jersey has been sweated in, rained on, and pelted with a UV index of up to 13 for multiple hours. It has also had to carry a phone, rapha wallet pouch, multiple gels, 2 sets of keys, a garage beeper, headphones and a cookie at the same time.

Conclusions

The climbers jersey cools you when you want it to, and it cools you when you don't want it to. Make no mistake, go out on the wrong day and you will be cold in this jersey. You might even be cold riding in the shadows on a really hot day. That's the jersey doing it's job, and it's awesome. I love it. I already bought another one.

As someone who rides in the tropics a lot and waits for summertime all year long, this jersey is exactly what I want. I have many options to use it in, which is important because this jersey is unlike others in that it has a lot of conditions where you do NOT want to be riding it. Details in the pros and cons:

Pros

• Sweat disappears in this jersey, and it breathes better than anytihng I've ever worn before. When it does so, it'll cool you down.

• This jersey has seen a lot and it's still perfectly intact, which I am honestly still surprised about

• The pockets hold a bunch of weight without sagging as much as you'd expect considering the material. There is no compromise on storage here

• I haven't had an issue with sleeves riding up, everything stays in it's place.

Cons

• You will get a sunburn on a really hot day. Riding in Puerto Rico with a UV index of 11+, I got sunburned through the jersey and basically had a bib strap tan. It wasn't pretty, but I'm not surprised considering how thin it is.

• That's it that's the only thing wrong with this jersey so put on some sunscreen.