Craft Sportswear is a Swedish brand and in recent years I have seen more cyclists and runners in Scotland wearing their kit. I have been testing a pair of the women’s Velo Bib Shorts and a short-sleeved Classic cycling jersey.
Craft Velo Bib Shorts
What Craft say about the shorts: Velo Bib Shorts are made of durable fabric with four-way stretch that offers great muscle support, freedom of movement and efficient moisture transport. Elastic leg endings with silicone print keep the bib shorts in place while Infinity C3 Pad Women offers excellent comfort during your entire workout.
They have UPF50+ rating, too.
The shorts fit well (I have a size small and I am a UK10) although because I am quite tall they do feel a bit short in the shoulder straps. Fortunately, when bent over on the bike the straps feel comfortable enough.
The fabric is super soft and silky feeling but also nicely supportive. The seams are kept to a minimum. There is just one outer seam on the legs, for example. The seams are also smooth flatlock so there is no chafing.
The straps incorporate a mesh waist high front and a vest style back. The front strap is a single between-boobs affair. This is fine for me because I am not big chested but I am not sure how comfortable it would be for larger chested ladies.
I much prefer the bib short straps to run around the outside of my chest but, to be honest, once I was out on my bike I didn’t notice any discomfort.
The wide hems on the legs are lovely. I like wide hems because they do not dig into the skin or flesh and they look far more flattering than a narrow hem. Inside the hem is a good quality gripper. The shorts stayed nicely in place when riding.
The pad is female specific and quite thick. It all depends on what you prefer. I like a medium thickness of chamois pad and I think the Craft pad is a little too thick.
Also, when I put on the shorts I felt like the back of the pad was quite large. I don’t have a tiny bottom so I would normally expect the pad to fit well. However, when riding my bike the comfort was really good. So, although the look of the shorts with the pad isn’t that flattering the performance is actually pretty good.
The shorts have a few small reflective details.
One big drawback of these shorts is that they lack any kind of back access for a toilet break. These days, many women’s bib shorts have some kind of system that allows you to go to the loo without having to strip off down to the shorts to take off the shoulder straps.
Overall, I like the Craft Velo bib shorts. They are not the best that I have tested in terms of comfort but they are definitely not the worst. The price puts them in the mid-range so for a good quality pair of bib shorts they are worth considering if they fit you nicely.
Where to buy: The shorts cost £75. Wheels Cycling Centre, Callander, Stirlingshire, stocks a good range of Craft cycling and running kit. There are also stockists across Scotland listed on Craft Sports UK.