purchased some craft tri-shorts, 2004 model, and had to return them two times. as comfotable as any other short i’ve worn (PI, Desoto, Zoot), but lacked any significant muscle support.
i assume these were made for comfort as the fabric stayed much cooler and dryer than other shorts.
however, i was very disappointed with the stitch quality. after a two training rides and one oly, the stitching which binds the four panels in the nether-region became loose. after a return to my LBS, my second pair did the same thing after a handful of rides.
finally, third pair was purchased and the draw string was way to short… i just couldn’t win. so now i’m sitting on store credit waiting for 05 clothing lines to come in. no craft shorts for me.
I have a prototype of one of those top form last year and did at least one 13 mile run in it that I can specifically remember and I had no problems. It was actually very nice.
Again, the fabric was fantastic and the stitching struck me as well placed. No problems. Actually, that experience lead me to buy the stuff for the store.
How does the Craft chamois compere to the Assos F.13 chamois? Assos also has an elastic chamois that is incredibly comfortable— it is night and day better than the other ones i have used.
I have to back Tom up on this. My Craft Pro Race Wind Jacket (sp) arrived last week and it was AMAZING on my long ride in the cold, rain, wind, sleet, hail, snow this past Saturday. I would wear it around 24/7 except I’d get really strange looks.
I only wish I could afford more Craft gear to stock my closet.
So why is anyone surprised that the stuff is expensive? I had my Dad visit from the US over CHristmas and had to pick him up of the floor regularly from sticker shock (I’m in Denmark). The weak dollar is not helping you even if the stuff is made in the far east.
Just to put it in perspective, i just paid $160 for a pair of Asics 2090s ON SALE! (full price $220) last pair of 2080s came from CA at $50!
Having said that, the Craft stuff is very good quality and you see a lot of people running in it here in the chilly Scandinavian winter.
But for those of you who are just looking for warm winter clothes (no tri or cycling specific) for practice, you can always try Helly Hansen, which I consider even better than Craft.
At least in Portugal (and also in sweden), is usually cheaper!
CRAFT is a Swedish company, located in my hometown of Borås.
They originally started some 30 years ago with first-layer clothing which have, since then, been the cornerstone of their production as they have in large been focused on developing functional clothing for wintersports.
After having ventured in to running and cycling as well, they started developing a line of triathlonclothing in the fall of 2001. As their sponsored athlete, I´ve been fortunate enough to be an integral part of that process and it´s nice to see that so many people like the clothing, both for triathlon and other purposes.
I understand that CRAFT may be a bit pricy in the US but like some people stated, you pay for lasting quality and if you have to deal with foul weather on a regular basis ít´s a great investment in your performance and health to have something to keep you warm and cozy:)
After using their full set-up at my peak race this past summer, I wrote them and personally thanked them. I love their gear. Expensive? Yes. But worth every penny.
Craft is worth every penny! I love the s3 windproof baselayers…they help increase the amount of time you can ride in the cold, without bulky layer after layer. I have tried cheaper versions of the windproof baselayers, but they are not even close to the quality and performance of Craft. If you are considering baselayers, save your pennies and buy the best…Craft…you won’t be sorry!
Good post, Tom, but it’s a tough sell. It’s as you have pointed out more a challenge of trying to find the right customer. Trying to sell this to the wrong customer, will be a complete waste of time.
Having worked in the technical apparel business myself The problem is, I am not really sure there is much of a story to tell. The other key niche players, such as Sugoi, Louis Garneau, PI, Hind etc . . have fabrics and garments that do pretty much the same thing( attemp to keep you warm or cool and dry) at half the cost of the Craft gear. The Craft gear IS of very high quality and is VERY well made. It will be interesting to see how they do.
Well, there are Craft and Assos customers, and then there are the larger group of customers. Realistically, the customer who will buy Craft garments accounts for only about 2-3% of our customership I wager.
Just having the brand in our store does add credibility though. People see Assos and Craft in our store, think, “Wow, these guys are dedicated to technical apparel” and then buy one of the value-oriented brands. So one way or another, I think it kind of works.
