Reviewed: Castelli PR Speed Suit

Castelli PR Speed Suit

$350, Competitivecyclist.com

Years in the making, the Castelli PR Speed Suit is a result of tireless efforts in the wind tunnel to create a tri suit that pulls out all of the aero stops. If it wasn’t for Zone3’s insane custom program, this would easily be the supersuit to end all supersuits. Though not intended to be so initially, the UCI made this suit illegal due to the elbow-length arms that boast silicone “speed ribs” to create turbulence and increase aerodynamics—though of course this doesn’t apply to tri at all.

Elsewhere, the suit is full of fantastic tri-specific details—even though it might feel like a cycling-first suit. Super super sticky leg grippers prevent any riding up on the bike or run, and an ultra lightweight 50 denier fabric on the upper body feels as soft and as thin as silk. While the thinness of this suit makes it fantastic in warmer races (think Kona, Lanzarote, etc.), it could be a little bit chilly in cooler climes. Another big heat feature that we loved is the full zip top that actually separates and opens wide, ideal for hotter runs where you don’t want a vented top tugging at your bottom half. As a side effect, the top and bottom move slightly separate, due to the lack of a 360-degree connection between the two. We loved this because it allowed a deep aero tuck on the bike, but didn’t feel like it was hunching us over on the run—allowing our run posture to remain correct. 

The pad is slightly larger and thicker than many other tri suits, but because the thickness isn’t uniform from the center to the sides, it was never an issue out on the run. In fact, this was by far one of the most comfortable tri suits on our butts on the bike. The only little caveat here is that due to the two small top/side facing pockets in the back, Castelli strongly recommends wearing a skinsuit or a wetsuit in the swim—not an issue for many triathletes, but notable just the same.

See the complete race kits roundup here.