When comfort, fit, and support are crucial to your enjoyment of a long training ride, gran fondo, or zen-like solo excursion, Castelli offers the Premio 2 W Bib Short, a piece that gets the testing, attention to detail, and many technologies from a pure race bib short, but with the premium use needs of every serious cyclist as the sole purpose for offering the garment. This second generation Premio 2 has simple updates but important to the stalwart original, including some new seaming to minimize even possible friction points and the updated Progetto X2 Air Seamless Donna chamois pad. While the entire garment has been made with a woman's needs in mind, the fabric and ethos are shared with the unisex version so there are are two other design features that are much more specific. First is the shape and placement of the bib straps, which are sewn, cut, and shaped to move to the outside of the chest. Second is the lumbar and waist zones and transitions, where the fabric provides excellent muscle support, but distributing consistent pressure over a larger area to reduce specific pressure zones.

The Premio 2 W Bib Short starts with the short itself. Constructed of Forza polyester-Lycra blend with a substantial 38% of that being Lycra, the Premio's lower half is incredibly supportive, with moderate compression, but a soft feel and form-fitting cut that rides smoothly with your musculature during the pedal stroke, and stabilizes muscles when coasting or descending. The fabric doesn't require much in the way of panels to deliver excellent fit and stretch, so even the minimalist seams derived from the BodyPaint construction are limited, essentially eliminating friction. Forza is also reasonably breathable at a moderate weight, so you will stay cool and dry no matter what the effort level. The designers built a women's lumbar and hip zone with a 3D Mesh support band that carries away moisture and allows cooling air in, but is also dedicated to fine muscle care and also serve to lock the short portion in place at the hips, attaching to the bib upper with a smooth, perfectly balanced transition.

The short portion also now carries the excellent Progetto X2 Air Seamless Donna women's specific seat pad. The anatomic design and 4-way stretch suits the cut and stretch of the short perfectly. The breathability from dedicated perforations within the edge padding dispel moisture and heat to keep your as fresh and dry as possible, while the soft, seamless top sheet stretches and moves with the skin. The soft microfiber also features a bacteriostatic treatment that helps to keep your skin healthy. The multi-density, variable thickness foam padding has been placed and sculpted for optimal comfort, while reducing bulk where it isn't required and under the sit bones perforated viscous inserts add an extra layer of protection. This pro-level chamois pad will carry and protect you all day long, and then again the next. We save the best for last on the short section. A new innovative use of raw edge fabric technology and vertically-oriented silicone grip stripes hold the leg in place without the need for additional elastic, doubled-up fabric, or hem of any kind. This is the future of shorts and bibs, now.

Carrying the short and delivering upper body comfort is a newly designed bib with a near Free-style strap design and rear mesh panel. The straps employ the Forza fabric, bonded flat and wide for highly effective pressure distribution and support, while delivering- yes- more comfort. 3D Mesh carried up the center of the back to the base of the neck to ease moisture away from the skin and release out to the next layer. The overall effect is luxurious and incredibly cozy and snug, without being warm. One note- this women's bib doesn't offer simple access for nature breaks, so you will need to wear a full zip jersey to facilitate such needs.

The way the lumbar support and bib upper deliver muscle stability and supreme fit characteristics from the entire garment are what will both blow you away and ensure that you never reach for another bib before heading out for a long ride. The Castelli Premio 2 W Bib has surpassed the excellence of the first generation, and we highly recommend it.