Castelli Ergo Tre Cycling Shorts Review

Castelli Tre cycling shorts review

Castelli, an Italian company, broke into the cycling and triathlon market in 1974 with the first ever Lycra racing short. Today, Castelli continues to create some of the most innovative clothing for the cyclist seeking maximum performance. One of their most popular shorts, the Castelli Ergo Tre, is a favorite among some of the top tri-athletes in the world.

The Castelli Ergo Tre cycling shorts retails from around $69-$80. Users report that the Ergo Tre is comfortable and great for the long-distance rider. All around, most tri-athletes and cyclists agree that Castelli makes high-end, quality products.

The only criticism we came across was the quality of their logo, a red scorpion located on the bottom of the right leg and some sizing issues. Many athletes reported that the logo lost “stickiness” after repeated use. Eventually, the logo would peel off all together. Although we believe the appearance of cycling shorts is important, we believe that the comfort and efficiency of the shorts is more important. Some users reported that the shorts seemed to be low rising. However, we tested the problem and found that the shorts tend to run a little small. We recommend ordering one size up. Other than the scorpion decal and the sizing issue, the Castelli Ergo Tre cycling shorts is a great product.

Here’s what we found:

Performance:  Castelli implemented a new type of fabric, the affinity 210g, that claims to provide ideal muscle support and compression. We decided to take it for a test and we were pleasantly surprised—the shorts are firm, but flexible at the same time. They kept our upper thighs tight, but not too tight at the same time. Our users agreed. Overall, many tri-athletes reported that the shorts provided just the right amount of compression, but not too much that made them uncomfortable.

The Castelli Ergo Tre shorts also dry really fast. At under a ½ lb, the shorts are amazingly light and stretchy. The Castelli Ergo Tre shorts have an anatomic 8 panel pattern that gave us the perfect fit. Despite the many different body types and varying weights of our users, most tri-athletes reported that they felt the Castelli cycling shorts fit them perfectly.

Comfort: Castelli designers start with the chamois and work from there. The Castelli Ergo Tre cycling short’s KISS3 chamois has two pad layers. The top layer, the “Skin Care Layer,” is seamless that’s backed with 4mm of soft foam. The second layer, the “Cushioning Layer,” is shaped high-density foam of “infinitely varying thickness.” Many other more expensive shorts have more layers than the Castelli Ergo Tre does, but honestly, we couldn’t tell the difference. We tested shorts with three layers, even four layers, and still, the Castelli Ergo Tre’s two layers were just as comfortable, if not more.

We loved that the bottom of the legs has traditional gel grippers sewn inside the shots and that all the panels are joined with a double-needle cover stitch. We loved the combination of compression and comfort these shorts provide.

Features: We really liked the reflective tabs that are sewn on to the back of the leg—it’s great touch for when you’re riding when it’s dark or raining. We also liked their classic gel gripper.

Recommendation: Castelli equals quality. You can’t go wrong with the Castelli Ergo Tre cycling shorts. They’re comfortable, they provide the perfect amount of compression, and they last. They are very durable and provide comfort for even the longest rides. We also like the Sugoi and TYR models, but if the Italian company is more “your thing,” we certainly won’t advise you otherwise. Overall it’s a great cycling short, and we guarantee it’s worth every penny.

Do you own a pair of Castell Ergo Tre cycling shorts? We’d love to hear what you think!

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