Castelli Entrata 2 bib shorts review: Impressive comfort at a great price, but there are better value options out there

The Castelli Entrata 2 shorts are the brand’s entry level offering , designed to hit the more budget end of the best cycling shorts market segment. In fact they are Castelli’s only pair of bib shorts that come under the £100 mark, putting them in line with other more budget friendly bib short offerings. They are also available in a waist short option for those who prefer that design. In terms of function, there appears to be no listed differences between the Entrata and Entrata 2 shorts, while aesthetically the reflective panels on the rear of the leg have been reduced in size.

The shorts use Castelli’s KISS Air2 chamois, which is effective and pretty comfortable, but not quite as refined as the brand’s Progetto 2 Air offering on higher-end shorts. The Entrata are possibly though the most comfortable pair of bib shorts for under £100 that I’ve used though, with the mesh upper really assisting in temperature management in warmer conditions, and the leg grippers being effective on bare skin or hairier legs.

However, it faces incredibly tough competition from similarly priced offerings from Rapha, Assos, and Sportful. So just how does it stack up against them?

Design and specifictions

Built using an 8-panel construction, the Castelli Entrata 2 bib shorts have been designed to ensure a perfect fit, in Castelli's own words. Traditionally seen as coming up small when it comes to sizing, the Medium pair I had on test were true to size and in line with other size medium shorts that I’ve tested. Bringing the eight panels together are standard internal seams, rather than flat-lock ones. The main material itself is a Pro Dry matte Lycra® which claims to be compressive while also allowing for greater levels of moisture management.

Castelli uses it’s GIRO3 engineered flat leg band for grip, which consists of hundreds of tiny grippy elastic fibres stitched together in a way that is designed to limit irritation, provide secure grip, and also have very low bulk. Two reflective panels are placed on the rear of the legs just above these grippers to provide a level of visibility in dull conditions.

On the upper section of the shorts, a mesh construction is used all across panels, save for a small panel with the Castelli branding and size. This mesh material is designed to be stretchy to provide a supportive fit, while also being highly breathable. The straps offer a reasonable level of support for a low width and bulk. 

Bringing together the package is the KISS Air2 seat pad. This has been a staple of the Castelli range and sits below the top end Progetto X2 Air chamois, but features some trickle down technology from that. 

The top features several indents deigned to improve airflow and moisture management, as well as a seamless skin care layer which is Castelli’s softest ever material according to the brand. For the padding itself, Dual-density infinitely variable thickness is utilised, which aims to give ideal support on all seat areas. Greater padding under the ischial zone, mid-level padding under the perineum, and reduced padding around the perimeter.

Sizes available are XS to 3XL, while along with the standard black offering a new Belgian Blue colour-way is also available.

Performance

Initial thoughts when putting on the Entrata 2 shorts was that they are incredibly similar in design and fit to a pair of Castelli Free Aero bib shorts that I got back in 2019. The leg grippers, straps, and overall design elements are very similar, with just a slight difference in fabric texture on the legs and the chamois being different. It’s a good example of how technology has trickled down the range in Castelli’s line-up to create a pair of bib shorts that are now considered budget, but feature many of the same features as a previous top-of-the-range pair of shorts.

However, in those six years the features and tech within bib shorts have come a reasonable way, and being fortunate enough to test some of the latest and greatest bib shorts available, top-of-the-range from 2019 does not stack up quite the same anymore.

In terms of the actual fabric materials and fit of the Entrata 2, I do think they are impressively comfortable, and the fit is spot on. The Pro Dry lycra is very good in warmer conditions, and even testing on the turbo the combination of the fast drying materials and the mesh uppers meant that temperature regulation was impressively good, especially compared to other sub-£100 bib shorts.

There are however a few areas where the price of these shorts starts to show. The bib straps are effective, but lack the sleek aesthetic of Castelli’s higher end Espresso bib shorts which use a flat strap without an external stitch on the side of both shorts. This is purely an aesthetic element though, as functionally they are not really able to be faulted, and are better than the overly thick and constrictive straps I’ve encountered on some far more expensive offerings. 

What is noticeable and does affect comfort are the lack of flatlock seams. Flatlock seams essentially mean rather than the material being stitched together with an excess material sticking out from the seam, the stitch is down to flatten the seam and reduce the incidence of indentations in the skin by the seams. On the Entrata, the compression is limited which reduces this effect, but taking the shorts off there are clear marks on the skin where the seams are. Although I didn’t encounter any irritation, it is something that can increase the incidence of friction when riding, which itself causes irritation.

I do however love the leg grippers, which although as mentioned are the same design from over 6 years ago, work brilliantly. The tiny elastic threads provide a heap of grip yet don’t cause any irritation even against freshly shaved skin, something I have suffered with from some silicone grippers. It’s also impressively grippy against both shaved legs and hairy ones, and based on my old Free Aero shorts, should stand the test of time and remain effective well into the future.

What is slightly a mixed bag is the KISS Air2 chamois. It’s wonderfully soft against the skin, the same as the brilliant Progetto X2 Air, and also features small dimples across the surface which do appear to help with moisture control over longer duration rides. 

However the foam density of the chamois is something of a slight conundrum for me. It offers good levels of support and vibration dampening, so that it is effective for even more gravel focussed riding. However over longer duration rides it does start to feel slightly ‘flat’, where the support feels to reduce after around 3 hours of use. It’s absolutely fine again after a wash, and the coverage is great over the seating area, but it suffers slightly on longer rides. This is however something I’ve encountered with quite a few sub-£100 pairs of shorts; they tend to suffer on longer sessions, or get very toasty when it’s warm, often both.

Value

Coming in at under £100, the Castelli Entrata 2 are an impressive offering in that price range. They are arguably better than the similarly priced Sportful SRK in my opinion, and I have yet to use a pair of shorts for under £100 that perform this well or are as comfortable.

The issue these shorts have is that there are a couple of options that are only a fraction more expensive, but offer significant improvements to the seams, chamois, and general performance of the shorts. Chief among them are the Rapha Core Bib shorts, which at £120 are well worth the additional investment. They can get a touch hotter in warmer weather, but the chamois performance and flat lock seams make them a more comfortable option for longer duration rides.

Verdict

The Castelli Entrata 2 bib shorts are a good pair of bib shorts. Coming in at £99, their performance is going to struggle in some areas against certain more expensive competitors, yet they do still standout in some aspects. The warm weather performance is impressively good for a more budget short offering, often an area where sub-£100 offerings fall shorts, while the chamois is impressively comfortable at this level.

Where they start to fall down is partly the lack of flatlock seams, and also on rides over 3 hours, where the chamois performance is not as strong. Although good value, there are also a few competitors at only a fraction more cost that perform significantly better and represent better value themselves. However, if your budget is £100, then these shorts are an exceptional option to consider.