Does anyone have any experience with or opinion of the Craft line of clothing? In terms of aesthetics, its right up there with Cervelo, but I’m really interested in hearing about the fit/comfort/durability of both the training and racing gear. It seems a bit pricey as well. Any input?
I just tried a pair of Craft tri shorts yesterday. After unsuccessfully trying most brands out there, the Craft’s are the best of the lot. The material was comfortable, and padding was sufficient for the 50 mile ride. It seemed like they fit a little on the large side compared to other brands. It does seem like they are just about double in price to what others go for.
good luck
have two Craft long sleeved tops. They are good quality but nothing super special. I though the tops ran small. Bit pricie. No desire to buy again unless on super special sale
just tried the craft tri shorts and tri racing top for the first time this weekend. granted it was only 1 ride but my first impression was both were excellent. the shorts run a little longer down the leg which i prefer. the top fits snug, in a good way such that you forget you have it on, and it stops about 3/4 of the way down your torso. as for the top, part of your stomach will be exposed and it doesn’t have pockets which may not work for some people. both shorts and top were made of very nice material and seems/stitching appear to be well done. shorts also had nice grippers on legs to keep from riding up your thigh (similar to cervelo shorts).
these shorts fit me better than any i’ve tried including zoot, lg, desotto, cervelo and orca (orca fit me second best). i’m not a technical expert but the shorts appear to be very similar to cervelo’s shorts with respect to material, pad and grippers inside leg. the big difference is cut. cervelo’s shorts were too wide across the front for me (tons of extra material). the craft shorts are cut much narrower. i did have to size up to a medium on the shorts. so far i’m very pleased. i’m sure i’ll have more of an opinion after this weekend. hope that helps.
i’ve got a craft running jacket that i think is absolutely great. aesthetics are first rate and it keeps me decidedly warm even on some of the coldest days.
I basically have bathed myself in craft training clothes for the past two years. It is the staple of my training wardrobe.
I love the long sleeve underlayers for cool weather riding and running (including the windproof undershirt) as well as the short sleeve undershirt for hot weather riding and running. The prices of these items is equivalent to other products of similar quality and functionality.
I wear their short sleeve running tops, which I would consider highly durable and functional, but a bit pricey. Craft tops tend to run small.
Craft running shorts are equivalent with other top brands and are priced competitively. They are nothing special but work fine and the quality is good. Finally, I use their riding shorts for spinning. I find them a bit long, and they run large, but actually a good value for the $35 you can find them for.
Overall, quality is good, functionality is good, durability is good, great look, a little pricey.
I’m in the market for a few pairs of tri shorts, so I tried to look at Craft. Nobody around here (San Diego) seems to carry the line. Nytro is listed on Craft’s website, but all they had were a few clearance-priced cycling undershirts.
It’s a shame, since Craft obviously spent a bundle for a big insert in the tri mag last month. The nice ads got my attention, but I’m not gonna buy it if I can’t try it on.
So, DeSoto (again) got my purchase of two new pairs of tri shorts.
jayl,
how would you compare the craft stuff, fabric-wise, to the zoot stuff? The zoot fabric seems to be a bit heavier than most. The orca stuff looks really good, but the fabric is very thin – don’t know how durable that stuff would be. I like the craft stuff, but don’t know if the fabric is on the lighter or heavier side…
Edward
edward
i’ll do my best to help (and try to make sense). craft top is very thin but doesn’t appear to be flimsy; if that makes sense. i cannot explain it well, but the material is thin but has a strong feel to it. i guess i would say lightweight but strong. pls keep in mind i have only used the stuff once (i just got it last weekend) so these are only first impressions.
the pants are less bulky than zoot (and offered more support)but a little thicker than the orca (i’m referring to their all black tri shorts what they called “training shorts” i believe). the shorts don’t stretch or loose form as much as other brands that i’ve used when wet; once again only after one usage but there was a noticeable difference in the way the shorts “held form”. my first impression was the shorts were the best i’ve tried (personal preference here) because of fit, material and “looks”. hopefully my opinion won’t change with more usage.
does this help? if i didn’t answer your question or if you have more pls let me know and i’ll do my best to help.
jay
jay – thanks for the info…very much appreciated. I will probably try out the craft gear…I love the look of the orca stuff, but it just feels like it will wear out pretty quickly. thanks again
edward
Sugoi has a really really nice racing top called the Wireless Tri-Tank. It fits like a glove. It is probably the best top I have used.
Arrg it isn’t posting. Here is the link http://www.sugoi.ca/sugoiMain/viewFile.aspx?FD=F&fileID=19520_CM4RVLDPIRMM9SYGI3D8AE2J94M4CW060NNLTF6O
As for Shorts. I think the best I have found so far are the Pearl Izumi Tri Short. I have done Olympics, Half Ironmans and an Ironman in these shorts. For the Ironman I used thicker shorts on the bike, but I ran in these on the run.
“Sugoi has a really really nice racing top called the Wireless Tri-Tank. It fits like a glove. It is probably the best top I have used”
I noted with interest that in a recent Craft pull-out advertising supplement that there was a large picture of a Craft sponsored athlete running in a Sugoi top!!!