The Free Aero RC Bibshort is our top race short, which also means that it’s insanely comfortable even if you never pin on a number. It’s fair to say that we’ve been working on this short for the past 15 years. That’s how long it’s been since the original Free Aero Race Bibshort was first introduced, initially as our top-of-the-line race short. Since then it has won three Tours de France, three Giri d’Italia, one Vuelta and San Remo, but it also became the best-selling product in the history of Castelli because, simply put, this is the short that does everything well. The concept is quite simple: start with the best pad we know how to make, surround it with a supportive short with good muscle compression, and then remove everything else that’s not absolutely necessary. You feel Free thanks to the reduced number of panels and the reduced number of seams. In fact, the short portion has just 5 panels compared to 10 in the previous generation. You feel Free because of further refinements to the Progetto X2 Air seamless seat pad. The two densities of foam plus the gel pads provide progressive damping, while the separate Skin Care Layer is soft and stretchy to move with your skin. You feel Free thanks to the most minimal bibs you’ve ever seen in a short, including open-weave straps for maximum airflow. But we reinforced the yoke so the straps stay in place and made the mesh back narrow for coverage that is minimal yet just enough to hold the shorts in place. And the bib elegantly frames a convenient pocket at the center back. You feel Free because this is the first high-end short that doesn’t need any sort of gripper or elastic at the end of the leg to keep the leg in place. Getting this right meant 28 prototypes and our most extensive test program ever, and it results in the most comfortable leg ending we’ve ever made. The Forza 2 fabric has 32% Lycra® with a high modulus for exceptional muscle support and just the right amount of compression. There’s reflective piping on the back. And all logos are either stitched or embossed for durability.