Castelli

Tutto Nano Bib Knicker - Men's

mtn pass cool all year w/gravel & road

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Nanoflex with fuzz covered knees, chill right after sundown, ok for showers & snow, runs small L-fits- M, all year commuter. Bib above waist, ok jersey overlap, I use tall knicker socks until it's hot weather, usually get 2yrs a pair, moderate miles. Castelli fan, new leg bands & fit nice, reflecto behind knees, ymmv

Way Too Small

I'm 5'-11", 165 lbs, 33" waist. I typically wear medium shorts, but ordered large. These bib knickers are so small and tight in the legs, shoulder straps, and particularly the crotch. They are unwearable for me. Hard to believe I should need an XL.

legs creep

When ordered 1 size up it was nice fit. However upon using it on a ride every thing below the knee cap creeps up to the back of the knee. Exposing everything to the top of the socks. I bought this to keep this area warm.

Fit

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

I recommend going a size larger with Castelli. I'm 5.11' 185-190 lbs and my 2xl fits snug.

Pretty Good Winter Knickers

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

I'm on my second pair and wear them commuting an hour each way to work when temps are 30s & 40s... I pair them with over the calf winter wool socks. (I don't like full length winter bibs with ankle zippers.) I find they are not warm enough once temps get down into mid 20s. These are a solid set of comfortable kickers although I wish they'd upgrade the straps. I'm 6'3" tall an wear a XL as I do in just about all Castelli products.

Nice quality but odd seam on backside

In general I'm a fan of Castelli winter bib tights and knickers as I think they provide good bang for the buck. Castelli winter gear is even harder than normal to sort out for fit, but I have found lately going up 2 sizes works for me (size XL instead of my usual M for euro fit cycling gear). Overall I liked the quality build of these knickers. But the deal breaker was a large seam that comes up the back of the thigh, crosses the butt area, and continues down the other thigh. The problem is the seam is quite thick (not flatlock), goes underneath the chamois, and for me just happens to cross right in that area of my sit bones and the business end back there, and I can feel it through the chamois. I've never seen this on any pair of cycling bottoms (and I've ridden on a lot of them).

Very Nice!

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

Small

Height:

5' 5"

Weight:

125

I've had the original Castelli Nanoflex shorts for several years now and they've been perfect for high-50's to mid-60deg days where I might start w/ knee warmers and eventually take them off. These Tutto Nano knickers slot in nicely between my Nanoflex shorts and wind-blocking bib tights since they are definitely warmer and more comfortable in the low to high 50's than my Nanoflex shorts plus knee warmers. Just like my Nanoflex shorts I love the warmth and luxurious 2nd skin feel of Nanoflex lycra. I have a small bicyclist's body (125lbs. & 29" waist) so it's a good thing that I too need to "size up" in Castelli bibs (a "Small" is supposedly for a 31.5" waist and they don't make a size XS which I need in most other brands' bibs). However these fit a bit more loosely around my hips than my other Castelli bibs (including my Nanoflex bib shorts) so I'd call them closer to "true to size" than other Castelli bibs. In particular the Sorpasso 2 bib knickers which I returned definitely have the tighter fit I prefer but the chamois' location was too far back for my sit bones (strange - I've never experienced this in a Castelli bib before). Fortunately the chamois position in this Tutto Nano model is perfect and I find the Kiss Air2 model to be just as comfortable as Castelli's higher-end Progetto ones (and perhaps more long-lasting since I've found that the gel inserts in the Progetto chamois can "pack out" after only one season of riding). Other than the slightly looser fit (which might allow the chamois to move around when the material stretches out a bit more) I'm a bit torn about the Giro3 leg grippers. They do work better and are more comfortable vs. the narrow gripper strips used on the Sorpasso's & most other knickers. However the Giro3's are a 3" tall band of gripper material that provides no insulation, so these knickers expose more of your lower leg to the elements vs. other models. They also don't have some of the Sorpasso's other higher-end features like lay-flat bib straps and (in the latest ROS version) NanoFlex Xtra Dry lycra panels in key areas for added warmth & water-repellency. However I find that the Tutto Nano's seamed bib straps work fine since I always wear them over a medium wt. base layer, I don't ride much in the rain so the added water-repellency of the Xtra Dry lycra isn't a big loss, and if I need more warmth then I'd use my wind-blocking bib tights instead. These are near-perfect bib knickers especially given their price vs. the Sorpasso ROS's and most other brands' knickers (e.g., Assos, Giordana, Rapha...). They are perfect for someone that finds the Sorpasso's fit to be too tight or otherwise not quite right and who wants the superior water-repellency that Nanoflex lycra is known for.