I’ve been eager to find a better bib solution for all the gravel and trail riding I’ve been doing lately, and a crash in which I tore a hole in my baggy mountain bike shorts was a well-timed trigger for me to check out some new options. As a former roadie, I’ve never loved the idea of wearing MTB style shorts on a ride, so when a teammate mentioned the idea of cargo bibs I was intrigued. Enter the Castelli Unlimited Bibs.

While cargo bib shorts have been getting more popular in the cycling world, this would be my first pair. And I love the idea that pocketed bibs mean I don’t have to wear a cycling jersey if I want to go with something a bit more casual on the bike. Though when placing my Unlimited bibshort order I came across a very cute Castelli Unlimited jersey that seemed like the perfect compliment - so I wound up with the jersey/bib combo. What can I say, I lack self-control sometimes!

Castelli Unlimited Bibs Review: the Good

The reason to buy the Castelli Unlimited Bibs is really the pockets. Clearly the main selling feature and what hooked me - with a secure flap-covered pocket on each leg and two mesh pockets on the rear of the bibs, you can fit everything from your keys and phone to snacks and even a beer for the end of the trail, if you’re into that. So for just riding around (JRA) a loose dry fit or wool t-shirt on top would make for an A+ pairing.

The abrasion resistant material and layered pockets also mean the shorts are near tear proof so if you take some spills on the trail, which I have tested for you, the fabric should slide without ruining your new bibs.

Lastly, don’t sleep on the smaller details for the bib construction. The Kiss Air chamois is one of the best in the industry. And the leg grippers on the Unlimited bibs help ensure they stay in place even during more adventurous riding.

*Bonus Point: while not explicitly part of this review, I also love the Unlimited jersey - it’s a more relaxed fit than a slim cut race jersey which is nice, especially for trail riding. The pockets are easy to use (sometimes for me as a smaller rider, it’s difficult to get things in and out of the pockets while riding). And it comes in such pretty colors, the one i bought matches all of my bikes!

Castelli Unlimited Bibs Review: the Bad

The downside to the abrasion protection means these bibs have extra fabric than other bibs I customarily wear during the summer. I think this is a good feature for my use case because I crash a lot while mountain biking and I don’t like destroying my shorts. But it is something to be aware of - I wouldn’t want to wear these on a really hot day, on an exposed course. I was curious as well how they would hold up on a longer ride and if they would be too warm, so I took them on a 4 hour road ride recently and was very comfortable.

Castelli Unlimited Bibs Review: Add2Cart?

So how does the Castelli Unlimited collection perform? Well, I love it. I’ll be curious to see how well it holds up after more mountain biking but so far it’s really exceeded my expectations on functionality and feel-good factor. While there are some trade-offs with the abrasion protection when it comes to the hottest days, the Castelli Unlimited bibshorts are definitely add2cart worthy.

I have also surveyed the team and received mostly very passionate responses to my query, such as:

‘wowowow my kit came and i love it’

- from our newly minted Doctor Liz

‘as someone who drops her phone a lot, the flaps are nice for storing a phone inside and not feeling worried it will fly out. i also really enjoy the comfy grippies on the legs .’ 

- from Lisa

‘I love my unlimited bibs, although the fabric is thiccccc and not ideal for summer’

- from Shane, note that this is 5 c’s of thic-ness which is a lot!

‘Having tried pocketed bibs from other brands, the side pockets on these are the best in terms of design. The top flap and stretchy but compressive material holds items in place securely, and yet still offers easy access while riding. The two smaller mesh pockets in the back hold a metro-card and a bottle of Coke equally well. And, as a counterpoint to Shane, I run really hot, and the weight of the fabric does not bother me. They’ve become my go-to summer of JRA bibs. I actually prefer it to super thin lycra for bib material because you’re less worried about abrasion or wear related peek-a-boos! lol.’

- from Lucia, who knows about purchasing MTB kit because she is much better than I am at the MTB’s

About the Castelli Unlimited Bibs

From the Castelli website:

We made this short to meet Castelli's high standards for comfort and performance in a cycling short while adding a few extra features that come in handy for riding on any surface. You'll find our normal exceptional fit as well as the KISS Air2 seat pad, which provides generous anatomically placed padding with an exceptionally soft top layer.

What makes this short special is the extremely durable Unlimited Lycra® fabric. It has higher abrasion resistance and tear resistance while not compromising on stretch, moisture management or comfort.

In addition, we use double-layer side panels for the old track rider's trick of fabric-sliding-on-fabric should you fall. This short isn't really meant to be indestructible, but it significantly increases the chances that sliding out on gravel will mean you need to just brush yourself off rather than having to buy a new pair of shorts. 

That second layer on the side panel also makes for convenient side pockets, with a flap over the top to prevent the contents from falling out. 

For added convenience while riding on and off road, you have two mesh pockets on the lower back that compress gear next to your body to keep it from bouncing around,
This short adds durability and storage without compromising comfort — for unlimited amounts of fun.

• Made for fast riding on unlimited terrain

• 200 g/m2 nylon/Lycra® fabric with best-in-class abrasion and tear resistance

• 2 mesh rear pockets built into mesh bib straps

• Double-layer side panels reduce abrasion if you fall, while also creating 2 useful side pockets

• Raw-cut leg ending with vertical silicone grip strips to hold leg in place

• KISS Air2 seat pad for long-distance comfort

• 15°-32°C / 59°-90°F

• Weight:200 g

Disclosure: Castelli is one of TBD’s partners the Unlimited product in question was purchased at a discount. But we wouldn’t recommend a product if we wouldn’t happily pay full retail for it.