Review: Indoor Cycling Kits from Castelli, Rapha, and Le Col x Wahoo

Indoor cycling is a thing. A really big thing. So it’s no surprise that top cycling brands have begun to release indoor-specific clothing.

Indoor vs Outdoor Kit: Is there a difference?

You may say it’s a marketing gimmick. And for some brands, you may be right. But other brands are taking it seriously, and you can feel the difference when you’re sweating your way through a Zwift race, or entering that dreaded fourth hour on your Uber Pretzel effort. Any ol’ kit will do for a laid-back 30-60 minute Zwift session. But when you’re looking for maximum cooling and comfort, you’ll have to look beyond yesteryear’s worn-out bib shorts.

When it comes to kit, there are two big differences between indoor and outdoor riding – three, if you want to press the issue:

1. You simply don’t have as much air flow indoors as out. Even with a strong fan game, you’ll be sweatier inside. To avoid overheating and reducing your performance, the kit you wear needs to wick sweat from the skin while allowing air to ventilate both the skin (evaporating sweat) and the clothing (to keep it as dry as possible).
2. You don’t move around in the saddle as much indoors, and you’re not riding over rough surfaces. So the chamois doesn’t need to absorb vibration – it just needs to provide a bit of anti-friction comfort, and hopefully stay as dry as possible. A thick, sweaty chamois doesn’t help anyone indoors.
3. When riding indoors, covering up is less of a concern. Tops are optional for many, many Zwifters.

Over the past several months, I’ve been testing the indoor kits offered by three top cycling brands: Castelli, Rapha, and Le Col. Through many races, group rides, and long solo sessions, I’ve become intimately acquainted with the pros and cons of each kit. And now, humble reader, I’m sharing this Insider info with you.

First, let’s introduce the kits…

Castelli’s indoor line has been around longer than Rapha or Le Col x Wahoo’s, and it’s also the simplest line: just two items. The Insider line is only available in men’s.

• Insider Bibshort: a lightweight, low-padding bibshort made with breathability and moisture-wicking in mind. Retail price $139.99US
• Insider Jersey: a super-lightweight jersey, just modest enough for group training sessions while allowing for maximum airflow. Retail price $119.99US
  

Rapha announced its indoor line in early December 2019, consisting of existing Rapha Core shorts plus three new products: a shirt, cap, and towel. The shorts are available in men’s and women’s, while the other items are unisex.

• Core Cargo Shorts: shorts (not bibs), with side pockets to hold your phone, nutrition, or other indoor necessities. Retail price $130USD
• Indoor Training Sleeveless T- Shirt: loose-fitting and lightweight. Retail price $50USD
• Indoor Training Sweat Cap: a sweat-wicking mesh cap with the look of traditional cycling caps. Retail price $40
• Indoor Training Towel: soft, absorbent, Rapha-branded. Retail price $15

Rapha’s Indoor Training page now lists additional items, including women’s Core shorts, base layers, and flyweight jerseys.

The newest kit on the block, Le Col and Wahoo announced their collaborative indoor offering in March 2020. The original line consisted of a jersey, bibshorts, and cap. Available in men’s and women’s, in two color schemes.

• Le Col x Wahoo Indoor Training Bib Shorts: highly-breathable bib shorts. Retail price $195USD
• Le Col x Wahoo Indoor Training Jersey: lightweight mesh jersey delivers maximum airflow. Retail price $155USD
• Le Col x Wahoo Cap: complete the look with a traditional cycling cap. Retail price $26USD

The Le Col x Wahoo shop now includes sleeveless jerseys, long sleeve warmup jersey for men and women.

My Testing

My testing protocol for these kits was nothing advanced or scientific: I simply wore them as much as possible, mostly for Zwift sessions, but also for some outdoor rides. With 6-8 rides per week totaling 8-10 hours of weekly ride time, these kits got plenty of play.

By my calculations, each kit got at least 20 hours of ride time, complete with plenty of sweat and laundry cycles. The Le Col x Wahoo kit got the least use, because it was released so late in the season. But I made sure I wore it every chance I got, so it got a fair shake.

My Results

After putting each brand through the weeks-long Zwift Insider patented “sweaty pain cave stress test”, I’ve come to the conclusion that each brand’s indoor line has unique strengths which may make it the best choice for you. So I’ll summarize my experience with each line below, leaving the ultimate buying decision (of course) up to you.

Comfort Leader: Castelli

Confession: I’ve been a fan of Castelli’s chamois fit since my very first Castelli kit years ago. Of course, fit is a very personal thing – but in my experience, Castelli is one brand that gets recommended quite regularly when people ask which kits fit best. (The other brand I see most recommended is Assos – and I really like the way they fit as well. But they don’t have an indoor kit, sadly.)

Of the three kits reviewed here, Castelli’s Insider felt the most comfortable. Heck, I specifically picked it to wear on last Saturday’s “Monica Does 25 Laps of the Volcano Circuit” ride, because I knew it wouldn’t let me down! Their “Kiss Air2” chamois is the same used in Castelli’s (now discontinued?) “Inferno” line – it’s not as thick as their other pads, which I love. We don’t need thick pads for indoor riding! There are no vibrations to dampen here. They just soak up sweat.

In terms of staying cool and dry, this kit does the job. I don’t typically wear a jersey when Zwifting, but if I did, it would be a jersey like the Castelli Insider. Super lightweight – just enough material that it qualifies as a shirt, while letting a lot of air through. The bib shorts have mesh leg cuffs that let air in, and the material which makes up most of the short is very lightweight, wicking moisture away from my skin so my fan’s breeze can evaporate it away.

My one complaint with this kit is that the shorts are so lightweight, I popped a few of the stitches pulling them on over legs that had been made extra-sticky by pre-race PR Lotion. This is probably an edge case, mind you. And it makes sense that super lightweight apparel would be a bit more fragile than its more standard-weight counterpart.

Where to Buy:
Competitive Cyclist (currently 25% off!)
Direct from Castelli

Simplicity Prize: Rapha

Instead of creating a fancy and expensive new kit, Rapha went the other direction. They created a few simple indoors-specific items, then rebranded some of their existing kit as indoor-friendly. The result? A simplified, bare-bones approach to indoor kit.

Their Core cargo shorts are $130USD, and in fact their plain “Core” shorts (no cargo pocket) are just $100. So they’re the most affordable shorts in our test. Rapha’s shirt, which is really just a simple sleeveless mesh T, is much cheaper than the competition’s jerseys.

But it’s not really fair to compare pricing here, since Rapha’s shorts aren’t bib shorts, and the shirt isn’t a real jersey. One would expect them to be priced lower.

If you’re the type of rider who likes a simple indoor setup (no table nearby, for example) Rapha’s cargo shorts may be just the ticket. The pockets works well for holding just about anything – my Clif bars, AppleTV remote, phone. There were two downsides to these shorts, though. First: they are shorts. I don’t like shorts. I literally hadn’t worn “non-bib” cycling shorts for 4+ years, until I got Rapha’s kit and decided to run it through its paces. (Some folks love shorts – and if that’s you, Rapha’s may be just the ticket.) My other complaint is that they aren’t as moisture-wicking and well-ventilated as the competition’s shorts.

Rapha’s Cargo shorts don’t feel like they were made for warm temperatures or indoor riding – and that’s probably because they weren’t.

Of all the items in their original indoor line up, my favorite is actually the towel. Not only does it include a super-cool tag highlighting Mat Hayman’s incredible Zwift-trained Paris-Roubaix victory, it’s also super soft… much softer than the cheap towels which I buy by on Amazon by the double-dozen. When I’m doing a long ride and don’t want to rub my nose raw, I’ve found myself turning to the Rapha towel.

I’m not Rapha’s target market for the cap – I’m bald. That means one of my main sources of cooling is the open top of my head, and I definitely won’t be covering it on tough indoor sessions! But for the “haired” among us who may wear sweatbands indoors, the cap is a stylish option.

Where to Buy:
Direct from Rapha

Style Award: Le Col x Wahoo

Le Col makes some beautiful kit, and the result of their collaboration with Wahoo is no exception. They wisely chose to create two distinct “looks” for their indoor line… the basic “Ride Real” look (mostly black with white lettering and Wahoo blue color blocks) and the “Collective Edition” with its much wilder colors. I got the Collective Edition.

In terms of comfort, this kit is a close second to Castelli’s. The chamois is a bit thicker than Castelli’s, but not as thick as Rapha’s. The laser-cut holes in the thighs are definitely a distinctive feature, and I felt they offered nearly the same level of cooling as Castelli’s ultra-light fabric while feeling a bit more robust.

The jersey is super lightweight, similar in wicking and airflow to Castelli’s.

The cap… well, it’s just a cap. No special mesh or sweat band. It’s just there to complete the look.

Overall, this is a stylish and comfortable indoor kit which would also wear nicely outside for hot-weather riding. It’s the most expensive of the bunch, but it also has the most high-quality look and feel.

Where to Buy:
Direct from Le Col

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