Castelli Men’s Free Protect Race Bibshort – 2021

FREE PROTECT RACE BIBSHORT

THE UNLIMITED TOUR DE FRANCE GRAVEL SHORT
This short was initially made specifically in response to a request from Chris Froome to help protect him through the first dangerous stages of the Tour de France. He wanted something to reduce road rash in case of a crash on those stages when everyone wants to be at the front and crashes are frequent.

We went back to the old trick, familiar to track riders, of wearing two pairs of shorts, knowing that Lycra® sliding on Lycra® is the best way to prevent or reduce road rash on your hip. In this case we’ve used our Vortex fabric from the Free Bibshort on the outside, which we know is already extremely durable in everything from sliding across the pavement to dog bites (yes, really!). Then we added an internal layer of a stretch woven fabric reinforced with a ripstop grid made from Dyneema®, the same miracle yarn used in rock climbing ropes, reinforcement in sails for the America’s Cup, and in bulletproof vests. This will help prevent the inner layer from ripping in many situations.

We put this dual-layer construction over the side panel, which gives generous coverage for the hip and thigh in the event of a crash.

While originally created to help Tour de France riders survive the first few stages of the race better, this short may come in handy when you’re riding on loose gravel or in your local criterium, or even if you just happen to fall off frequently and always slide on your hip like our favorite GCN presenter.

Beyond the protective aspect of this short, we’ve constructed it using the components and construction from our Free Aero Race 4 Bibshort, our top race bibshort that also gives remarkable comfort.

• Double-layer side panels for extra protection in the event of a fall
• A special smooth layer of our Vortex fabric backed by a stretch woven fabric featuring a Dyneema® ripstop grid
• Forza fabric on inner legs with 38% Lycra® content for perfect fit
• Stripe mesh engineered minimalist bib construction to keep you cool
• Giro4 leg gripper elastic for better grip distributed over larger area
• Doppio V construction in front for increased support and comfort
• Flat-lock stitching
• Progetto X2 Air Seamless seat pad is used to protect your skin while providing just the right level of padding for maximum comfort, no matter how long your epic ride is. Perforated viscous padding is added under the highly sensitive ischial and perineum pressure areas. Castelli’s infinitely variable thickness brings the right shape to the right part of the body: thicker under the sit bones and thinner on the sides and under the perinem.
• 15°-32°C / 59°-90°F
• Weight:203 g