{"id":36838,"date":"2025-07-31T12:27:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T12:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/36838\/"},"modified":"2025-07-31T12:27:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T12:27:08","slug":"castelli-aero-pro-8s-cycling-jersey-review-can-this-ultra-aero-jersey-turn-watts-into-speed-without-dialling-down-on-comfort-triathlon-gear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/36838\/","title":{"rendered":"Castelli Aero Pro 8S cycling jersey review: can this ultra-aero jersey turn watts into speed without dialling down on comfort? – Triathlon Gear"},"content":{"rendered":"

Given that Castelli are the cycling and tri suit atelier of choice for one of the fastest women in triathlon right now (Laura Philipp<\/a>) you\u2019ve got to assume this is a brand who know a thing or two about aerodynamics. And their new Aero Pro 8S cycling kit range (they say the S stands for \u201cspeed\u201d) comes as the result of a decade\u2019s worth of research and innovation on reducing drag and dropping watts. Claiming up to a 6% CdA<\/a> saving over previous aero jerseys, the Castelli Aero Pro 8S has the potential to bring speedsuit performance to your everyday cycling kit.<\/p>\n

But will that come at the cost of comfort? I\u2019ve been testing out the Aero Pro 8S women\u2019s cycling jersey during my long training rides as I get stuck into my key Kona training block to find out!<\/p>\n

Key features<\/p>\n

\"Castelli[Photo: Castelli]<\/p>\n

Race fit Lightweight fabric ideal for hot conditionsBonded sleeve endingsEngineered aero shoulder fabric \u2013 up to 6% CdA saving3 rear cargo-style pocketsElasticated waist with silicone gripper at the backYKK\u00ae Vislon\u00ae zipper \u2013 easy to adjust on the moveColours: Black, Belgian Blue, Silver Grey, Multicolor PurpleSizes: XS-XL RRP: \u00a3175 GBP \/ ~$230 USD \/ ~\u20ac200 EUR<\/p>\n

Summary: The TL;DR overview<\/p>\n

Ultra-aero and super comfortable often don\u2019t go hand in hand. But this is a cycling jersey where almost every detail has been considered. Aero features like the ribbed shoulder material and a second skin fit gives it that race day feel \u2013 whenever I wear this jersey it\u2019s like it flips a switch mentally that has me wanting to go hard even when I\u2019m supposed to be riding easy! But finer details, like soft-touch lightweight fabric, bonded seams and a waist elastic that stays put mean that need for speed doesn\u2019t leave you wanting on the comfort front. And where other race jerseys forego practicality, the three rear pockets give you plenty of storage to keep all the essentials handy.<\/p>\n

The verdict: it\u2019s giving \u2018pretend I\u2019m in the Tour de France Femmes\u2019 performance, with Ned Flanders \u2018it\u2019s like I\u2019m wearing nothing at all\u2019 comfort, and I\u2019m here for it.<\/p>\n

best for\u2026<\/p>\n

Hard efforts and hot weather cycling. Ideal for when the heat is on and you want to ride fast!<\/p>\n

Castelli AERO PRO 8S CYCLING JERSEY \u2013 TRIED & TESTED BY TRI247<\/p>\n

Note: When you purchase through some links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission<\/p>\n

First impressions<\/p>\n

Fresh out of the box, the first thing that struck me about this cycling jersey is just how soft and lightweight the material is. The sleeves are a slightly more rigid fabric with aero ribbed detailing over around the shoulders \u2013 which Castelli say can take up to 6% off your CdA<\/a> compared to previous jerseys. And then ventilated panels under the arms. The main body of the jersey is an ultra-lightweight almost mesh-like fabric, which is super breathable, really nice and soft \u2013 and has the perfect amount of stretch to give a second skin fit without being uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s not a scratchy seam in sight, and you\u2019ve got a zip guard at the neck to make sure it\u2019s not going to irritate you, even when you\u2019re riding down on the drops or in the aero bars. The elasticated waist band is subtle but wide enough that it doesn\u2019t dig in, create unflattering lines or pull at the fabric of the jersey. And you\u2019ve also got a gripper on the inside at the back to keep the jersey in place while you ride.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been testing this jersey out in two of the colour options \u2013 the \u2018Belgian Blue\u2019 which is a nice deep navy. And the \u2018Multicolor Purple\u2019 which with its mix of light and dark purple tones and a marble effect is seriously stunning!<\/p>\n

Sizing<\/p>\n

I\u2019m generally a UK size 6 (US 2) on top, with not much going on underneath the old sports bra. In other brands, I usually take a size XS cycling jersey. But by Castelli\u2019s size chart I needed to go for a S in this jersey. That fits perfectly, but where a S jersey in other brands might correspond to a UK 8-10, I\u2019d say here it\u2019s definitely more of a 6-8. So don\u2019t be surprised if you need to size up \u2013 especially if you\u2019ve been a blessed with more of a chest than I\u2019ve got! Keep in mind it\u2019s an aero\/race fit jersey so if you don\u2019t like your kit to fit skin tight you might want to go up two sizes.<\/p>\n

The size curve could also do with being a little more inclusive (a running theme for most women\u2019s sports apparel, though there are some brands who are doing this well!). It only goes up to an XL, and the measurements correspond to around a UK size 14 (US 10).<\/p>\n

Real world performance<\/p>\n

So the at-home try on was a success. But how has this jersey been performing out in the wild? Pretty much all my outdoor rides at the moment are on my TT bike as I\u2019m on the countdown to Kona. And even after multiple hours scrunched up in my TT position, this jersey has been remarkably comfortable. The high stretch fabric means there\u2019s no feeling of \u2018pulling\u2019 around the shoulders, and even without much in my pockets (my TT bike has built-in storage for nutrition) the waist band has stayed in place.<\/p>\n

\"CastelliLightweight fabric and ventilation under the arms make the Castelli Aero Pro 8S cycling jersey ideal for riding in hot conditions [Photo: Castelli]<\/p>\n

For me the sign of a good cycling jersey is the one you forget you\u2019re wearing. If you\u2019re noticing your jersey, it\u2019s probably for the wrong reasons. I\u2019m pleased to report that the Castelli Aero Pro 8S jersey gets the \u2018Ned Flanders\u2019 seal of approval. (If you don\u2019t instantly know The Simpsons episode I\u2019m referring to, we probably can\u2019t be friends\u2026)<\/p>\n

Fast feeling<\/p>\n

Sadly my budget doesn\u2019t stretch to regular wind tunnel sessions (or any wind tunnel sessions for that matter!). So I can\u2019t give you any exact data on whether this jersey knocks anything off my CdA compared to others in my kit drawer. But what I will say, is that I live on the east coast of England where even when it\u2019s \u201cnot windy\u201d \u2013 it\u2019s always freaking windy (most of my rides do involve me yelling profanities at the head wind at least once). Against those Suffolk coastal winds, this jersey has \u2018felt\u2019 fast and there\u2019s certainly been no issues with flapping or bunching.<\/p>\n

The race fit and cool design also flips my head into race mode a little bit \u2013 I think when your kit feels fast, you naturally want to ride a little faster! So even if it\u2019s purely psychosomatic, the aero fit of this jersey gets a big tick in my books.<\/p>\n

Castelli versus the oppressive UK summer heat<\/p>\n

Heat? In the UK? Yes my friends, because while these British Isles are known for being cold and rainy. When we do get a summer heat wave like we did recently, it\u2019s the \u2018wrong\u2019 kind of heat. The sort of clammy humidity that makes every single room in your house feel like a packed out 6pm underground commuter train carriage, and makes the air outdoors feel like it\u2019s made from gloopy 2-day old soup. I guess at least it\u2019s been good for Kona prep. And despite these steamy conditions we\u2019ve been having recently, this jersey has performed really well on the breathability front. Perfect for summer long rides or high intensity efforts.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s not to like?<\/p>\n

Honestly, I\u2019m scratching my head a little here to come up with anything I don\u2019t like about the Castelli Aero Pro 8S<\/a> women\u2019s cycling jersey. I guess you could maybe say that the lightweight fabric is a little see-through, though that doesn\u2019t bother me and it\u2019s nothing a white sports bra won\u2019t fix. The size curve needs to go beyond an XL to be inclusive. And for some riders, the second skin aero fit won\u2019t be for everyone. Though if you do prefer a more casual fit jersey, it\u2019s unlikely you\u2019d be looking at an aero\/race jersey anyway. Other brands, like Stolen Goat with their \u2018every day\u2019 range, specifically cater for your easy Sunday riding apparel.<\/p>\n

But for me, on the three majors (design, comfort and performance) this jersey passes with flying colours. All the usual minor annoyances you can get in a jersey like a scratchy zip, a neckline that\u2019s too high or too tight, restrictive sleeves that give you Michelin Man arms or a waistband that rides up \u2013 so far in my experience anyway, haven\u2019t materialised.<\/p>\n

Chapeau Castelli, this is possibly my new favourite cycling jersey!<\/p>\n

Castelli AERO PRO 8S CYCLING JERSEY \u2013 TRIED & TESTED BY TRI247<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Given that Castelli are the cycling and tri suit atelier of choice for one of the fastest women…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36839,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,635,82],"class_list":["post-36838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cycling","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36838"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36838\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}