Craft Ladies Performance Bike Stretch Jacket

Designed to be a fully waterproof but stretchy and breathable alternative to traditional shell jackets, this Craft Ladies Performance Bike Stretch Jacket is made from a mid-weight pliable soft shell fabric and is intended to be more comfortable and less noisy to wear than its hard shell equivalents.

The first thing I noticed about this jacket was the fabric. Stretchy and soft to the touch, the soft shell this is made from is much more enticing to wear than traditional hard shell fabrics. Beyond that, the cut was clearly going to be a strong decision making factor for possible buyers. I'm normally a size medium in most bike jackets, but given the athletic cut of this jacket, I went for a size large for testing.

It's a good-looking jacket, with pleasantly sporty Euro-looks that aren't too masculine. Lines are kept clean, with a minimum of extraneous features, so you just get a central rear zipped pocket, rather than side pockets. The collar is lined with soft fleecy fabric, and the fabric itself is soft backed on the shoulder and central back area. The sleeves are articulated in shape, and have an integral jersey stretch cuff, meaning that wrists are always kept snug, and there's no need for Velcro. Reflective strips on the arms and tail pocket help visibility.

Cut long in the body and arms, and quite sleek, this jacket is shaped to suit athletically built women, and in particular will please taller ladies with a less curvy frame. Going up a size did the trick for me, but did mean the sleeves were really quite generous in length, although still not overlong.

The hem gripper at the rear of the tail section meant that the jacket didn't creep upwards when riding. The fabric was incredibly comfortable to wear, keeping me a really stable temperature no matter what sort of riding I was doing. Hills didn't result in overheating whilst descents didn't freeze me. This is a jacket best suited to cooler conditions though, and would almost certainly be overwarm in full summer, but for winter, spring and autumn it managed heat well. The soft shell breathability was a big part of that, as there was no problem with sweating, even without underarm zips. In wet weather, it certainly stood up to a lot of rain before becoming drenched.

The stretchy fit and super breathable soft shell fabric did make this a very comfortable (and quiet) jacket, that was well suited to all sorts of riding, from commuting to road to mountain biking. It even did the trick on a winter race skills session.

There is a men's version available.

Verdict

Not cheap, but genuinely good value for money with excellent levels of ride comfort. Just check the fit for you.