Craft Performance Light Jacket

 
Swedish brand Craft make some of the world's most advanced, researched and tested cycle clothing. Legends in the cross country ski and run markets, their obsession with ergonomics, fabrics and the needs of the athelte leads them to design world class apparel year after year.

performance bike collection

An excellent, well designed bike collection, Craft's Performance Bike series embraces dedicated riders who live their sport. This collection features advanced moisture transportation, breathability and ergonomics.

This jacket arrived with me around ten days ago, and I was rather annoyed to think that given the weather I would just be putting it away for a few weeks. Thankfully I have had a couple of opportunities to give it a try, although it is still yet to see a rain shower so I still cannot comment on it’s full armoury... so why bother with the mini review?

Well, here’s why - it’s bloody good.

I don’t need to tell you lot that I’m a bike tart. Likewise it’s probably fairly clear that this means I like my kit to look good. So far I’ve been wearing this off the bike probably more than I have done on it - I really think this jacket does look good, and it fits really well too. But more about what it’s really designed for eh?...

On a sportive on Sunday the start was early and the morning temperature was most autumnal - wanting to stay warm but not wanting to wear too many layers I decided to pull this puppy on and see how it fared. Despite the temperature picking up but still not taking the jacket off until after 80km, I was comfortable the whole time. Warm when I wanted to be, not too hot when the effort increased. Add to that a pretty damn chilly and seriously windy evening spin (my mate pitched up in full length tights!) around Richmond Park where the jacket came along again and the tests it’s had so far have been not insignificant.

All I will say is that the vent on the back can get a bit flappy in really strong wind - I believe this is because the vent is quite high on the back, the benefit of this being that your back cools more at exactly the point where it gets hottest, which must be how it regulates your temperature so well. I can live with that.

For less than £45 from Always Riding, I reckon this could be one of the best buys of the Autumn / Winter season. Oh, and the little back pocket (that the whole jacket tucks into making it a perfect jersey pocket-sized parcel) is really neat...

More later, once I’ve given it a bit more of a run for it’s money.

visit Brain Fart Central for more reviews and news from the cycling world »