Gabba R (2024)

[chorus88]

N-I-C-E!

short sleeve
https://www.castelli-cycling.com/CA/en/ ... 524505_010

long sleeve
https://www.castelli-cycling.com/CA/en/ ... 524504_010

"...Castelli has released a completely different version of the Gabba line: the Gabba R, where the R unsurprisingly stands for ‘racing’. Unlike the Gabba and many Perfetto jackets, it is a membrane-based garment and not just water resistant...

...it uses a polyurethane membrane, because jackets these days can’t use PFAS or per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (essentially substances that use fluorine to you and me, or so-called forever chemicals). Unlike any PU membrane jackets we’ve seen before, the GabbaR has the fit of a racing jersey; it is completely tight."

"...Castelli says the short-sleeve Gabba R “tests 2.5% faster than the Gabba RoS 2, meaning that you’re saving 2 to 2.5 seconds per kilometre [0.6 miles] at 40 km/h [25mph]”. Of course, if you’re moving at 40 km/h [25 mph], you’re going to cover a kilometre in exactly the same time no matter what top you’re wearing: 1:30mins. Castelli is saying that for the same power output, you’ll be riding slightly faster in the Gabba R."

The short-sleeved Gabba R is priced at £299 while the long-sleeve Gabba R Jacket is £340.

[eins4eins]

I like the idea and would buy something like this. But latex look and no two-way zipper is no go for me.

[sumant28]

Looks like ShakeDry but is it better? I doubt it, would rather hunt down discontinued Idro 3 and Idro Pro 3

[Mocs123]

Interesting product, as I love the Gabba and Perfetto range, but these look like hot boxes to me. I'd be surprised if they're as breathable as Shakedry was.

[spdntrxi]

reminds of a TT suit I used to have... cant even recall the brand if was so long ago.

[TheBelgian]

Wonder how fast you can put this on once it starts raining and you're already wearing a long sleeved fall/spring jersey and gloves.
Looks like good stuff for the pros, but not for your weekend warrior.

[robeambro]

Wonder how fast you can put this on once it starts raining and you're already wearing a long sleeved fall/spring jersey and gloves.
Looks like good stuff for the pros, but not for your weekend warrior.

This is not a jacket, it's a jersey. You're supposed to be riding with it on straight out the door and keep it on. Though I'll agree that it's more suited to pros, or amateurs racing a granfondo in pouring rain.



I am curious as to what this means for aerodynamics going forward. For this to be faster than a Sanremo skinsuit, I presume this means the fabric's "slipperiness" is much more valuable than a no-wrinkle skin-tight fit is. Which means if Castelli were further develop this fabric and be able to design a slightly stretchier Sanremo wetsuit in it, the result would be crazy aero. Though, I really don't want to see what that would look like..

[RDY]

Does it come with a gag ball or is that sold separately?

[TheBelgian]

Wonder how fast you can put this on once it starts raining and you're already wearing a long sleeved fall/spring jersey and gloves.
Looks like good stuff for the pros, but not for your weekend warrior.

This is not a jacket, it's a jersey. You're supposed to be riding with it on straight out the door and keep it on. Though I'll agree that it's more suited to pros, or amateurs racing a granfondo in pouring rain.

It exists as jersey and as jacket:
https://www.castelli-cycling.com/US/en/gabba-r


The thing with rain clothing is you should be able to put it on and take it off easily, as an amateur. unless you are 100% sure you will be riding in the rain all the time, which, unless you really have no choice (aka certain races), is not often.

[usr]

This is not a jacket, it's a jersey. You're supposed to be riding with it on straight out the door and keep it on. Though I'll agree that it's more suited to pros, or amateurs racing a granfondo in pouring rain.

The press release images advertise extreme packability, more hotpack than shakedry (website has this). I'd say it's very much built for on-demand layering, Apparently it's far more stretchy than any wind- and waterproof with at least a little breathability before, so it's just logical that they launch it with something that comes in proper jersey fit, because that's something that wasn't really possible before. Looking forward to the gilet sibling. Perhaps the post-shakedry era won't be all that terrible after all.

[TheBelgian]

Apparently it's far more stretchy than any wind- and waterproof with at least a little breathability before, so it's just logical that they launch it with something that comes in proper jersey fit, because that's something that wasn't really possible before. Looking forward to the gilet sibling. Perhaps the post-shakedry era won't be all that terrible after all.

According to Castelli: The fabric weighs just 125gr /m2 and stretches to at least double the original dimension in each direction
Pretty impressive for something that's waterproof.

[EtoDemerzel]

Interesting product, as I love the Gabba and Perfetto range, but these look like hot boxes to me. I'd be surprised if they're as breathable as Shakedry was.

It's not as waterproof as Shakedry.
They compromised waterproof for stretch and breathability.

[TobinHatesYou]

Interesting product, as I love the Gabba and Perfetto range, but these look like hot boxes to me. I'd be surprised if they're as breathable as Shakedry was.

It's not as waterproof as Shakedry.
They compromised waterproof for stretch and breathability.

For the odd rainy race I’ll take it. After 4+ hours getting rained on and splashed on, I’m going to be wet even if I wear a ShakeDry jacket.

[Lina]

Wonder how fast you can put this on once it starts raining and you're already wearing a long sleeved fall/spring jersey and gloves.
Looks like good stuff for the pros, but not for your weekend warrior.

This is not a jacket, it's a jersey. You're supposed to be riding with it on straight out the door and keep it on. Though I'll agree that it's more suited to pros, or amateurs racing a granfondo in pouring rain.

It exists as jersey and as jacket:
https://www.castelli-cycling.com/US/en/gabba-r


The thing with rain clothing is you should be able to put it on and take it off easily, as an amateur. unless you are 100% sure you will be riding in the rain all the time, which, unless you really have no choice (aka certain races), is not often.

This is clearly built as a race garment. So they optimized performance while you're wearing it over how easy it is to put it on. Depending on how breathable/windproof it's it might very well work as an early spring race jersey on it's own when you don't know what the weather will be.

[kervelo]

I can almost see the Gabba R burst to small pieces at the first touch of tarmac, like the one shoe cover brand that is made of balloon material.