Castelli Gabba

fat_tail

Anyone got one of these ? What do you think of it ? It got rave reviews following Milan-San Remo ...

MBCaad8

Every bit as good as the hype. Definitely a recommend from me.

jonginge

I've got both the LS and SS gabbas. The LS is a fabulous bit of kit. I think a few people around these parts have the LS version.

I've used the SS version far less, there's just a smaller window of circumstances where it makes sense if you don't have a support vehicle

okgo

They do one that has removable sleeves, probably the best bet?

cjcp

It's a goddam work of art. Love mine. Brilliant bit of kit. It beats the Gore Phantom, and that's been superb.

fat_tail

Does it suffer from "smellyvester" syndrome ?

iPete

hmmmm tempted. Does the LS get a lot of use in Spring/Autumn for you all? Do you use it on dry days?

il_principe

Best bit of kit ever. I have the L/S. Use it in the wet and dry. Very versatile. Kit like that needs washing often to ensure it retains it's water resistant properties, so 'smell' should not be an issue.

iPete

Added to wishlist... seems sigma sport are doing it at a fairly competitive price too, if anything like my Mavic kit, I guess the sizing is small with Castelli?

asprilla

iPete wrote:

Added to wishlist... seems sigma sport are doing it at a fairly competitive price too, if anything like my Mavic kit, I guess the sizing is small with Castelli?

I'm a S/M in Rapha jerseys and a large in Castelli; it's a little on the snug size.

ads2k

The SS sleeve version AND the nanoflex armwarmers gives you the best of both worlds in my opinion as that's what I've got

No need to buy both LS and SS in my opinion.

okgo

Sigma are actually pretty competitive for a lot of stuff at the minute, I'm going to do a bulk buy of castelli kit I think, fed up of crap.

the_fuggler

Must. Stop. Shopping.

shamrock134

I've got the SS jersey. Very versatile bit of kit. Works well up to about 18C and I expect it will work well in the cold when combined with arm warmers and a base layer.

I got caught in a 20min torrential downpour and it did leak water in through some areas but I don't think my Goretex rain jacket would have coped much better in that amount of rain.

fat_tail

Anyone tried on a cold winter's day ? I saw somewhere that it may not be suitable below 7C which seems a touch high for UK.

junglist_matty

fat_tail wrote:

Anyone tried on a cold winter's day ? I saw somewhere that it may not be suitable below 7C which seems a touch high for UK.

Last winter I wore the Castelli "Garmin Barracuda Thermal long sleeve" (before the garmin sharp one, although I doubt there's much *if any* difference)...

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/castelli-garmin ... ve-jersey/

With a base layer underneath, I only got cold on a handful of rides and that was throug riding at least 6 times a week throughout last winter.... Although I don't feel the cold as bad as some people.... I'm fairly sure the Gabba with a baselayer will be more than enough for me during the winter..... I guess if you do get cold, the best option would be Gabba with a gilet to keep the core warm.

meanredspider

fat_tail wrote:

Anyone tried on a cold winter's day ? I saw somewhere that it may not be suitable below 7C which seems a touch high for UK.

Yup - I'm interested in where this sits relative to an Assos Airjack. It seems as though it's designed for warmer conditions.

ads2k wrote:

The SS sleeve version AND the nanoflex armwarmers gives you the best of both worlds in my opinion as that's what I've got

Do you find nanoflex actually works? I have nanoflex shorts and leg warmers and I'm not sure they're really any better than bog-standard.

junglist_matty

meanredspider wrote:

Do you find nanoflex actually works? I have nanoflex shorts and leg warmers and I'm not sure they're really any better than bog-standard.

I think my nanoflex 3/4 bibs worked really well for the first few months, but then after a few washes they don't seem to "repel" / "bead" the water half as well as they used to, they have kind of turned into thermoflex bibs.... I was going to try using Nikwax in the wash with them to see if it made any difference.

daviesee

fat_tail wrote:

Anyone tried on a cold winter's day ? I saw somewhere that it may not be suitable below 7C which seems a touch high for UK.

Yup.
I used my L/S through last winter including sub-zero and was toasty with just a thin merino base layer.
Whoever wrote that may have been more used to a Mediterranean climate.

Or maybe I am just hard as.

okgo

Question - surely washing it MORE would result in it losing its waterproof aspect quicker?

il_principe

Nope. Garments like that need frequent washing in order to keep working.

itboffin

I've encountered a few nodders on the train home who clearly think their cycling kit is in someway self cleaning, despite everyone around them turning green.

rubertoe

I was thinking this morning, as the heavens opened and it was about 18 degrees, I could really do with a Gabba, I just really dont think I could ever justify the expense.

So I just got wet.

ads2k

meanredspider wrote:

ads2k wrote:

The SS sleeve version AND the nanoflex armwarmers gives you the best of both worlds in my opinion as that's what I've got

Do you find nanoflex actually works? I have nanoflex shorts and leg warmers and I'm not sure they're really any better than bog-standard.

Slightly undecided to be honest. Yes they do bead water and yes they were ideal (along with the Gabba and a baselayer) doing the Roubaix challenge this year when temps were in low single fingers. One thing though, they have stretched and are now @ 25-40mm longer compared to a new set (bought red so can see the difference).

I probably won't buy them again unless on sale, not as warm as full winter arms as they always seem to have a thicker fleece lining.

UndercoverElephant

ads2k wrote:

doing the Roubaix challenge this year when temps were in low single fingers.

Must have been cold if you lost digits to frostbite.

ads2k

UndercoverElephant wrote:

ads2k wrote:

doing the Roubaix challenge this year when temps were in low single fingers.

Must have been cold if you lost digits to frostbite.

Ooopppss...