Craft

This Craft AB Classic Jersey is a quality jersey, but it's definitely not one for tourists or commuters, or anyone who might wear a jersey more than once before washing.

One of the great pleasures of summer is being able to ditch your winter kit and ride out in just a short sleeve jersey and shorts. This one is made from an ultra-soft silky material, which is a nice change from the usual Coolmax fabric, and in a slightly looser cut with mesh inserts, it feels like an ideal hot weather jersey.

Featherlight by name, featherlight by nature, this gilet from Craft Performance is extremely lightweight and packable. Does it still do as good a job at protecting you from the elements as a gilet should?

Craft usually make good stuff, but despite excellent build quality their Performance Bike Bib Shorts have some major flaws.

At £70 the Performance Bikes are in a competitive price bracket, with dhb's Aeron range and Endura's FS260 Pro II shorts leading the pack. They certainly look the part, with angled leg panels, subtle changes in colour and a flashy, technical pad that's labelled up like a cow in a butcher's shop poster. Build quality is excellent, with flatlocked seams, tight stitching and a reflective logo on each leg.

Craft's Elite range is the clothing line used by their ProTour teams: RadioShack and Rabobank. Here we test the Elite 2012 Jersey, a short sleeve at the pinnacle of jersey design - but cutting edge doesn't come cheap.

The Craft Cool Bike Socks are a lightweight choice for keeping your feet dry and comfortable on summer rides.

For a pair of ankle socks, there's a whole lot going on here. They're mostly nylon with some Lycra in there along with a fabric called Nanoglide that's designed to dry quickly and cool your skin.

This summer base layer provides excellent ventilation and moisture transfer to keep you comfortable on even the hottest rides.

Craft make some great base layers. Their winter base layers are far and away my favourites for the off-season and this lightweight option is another top performer.

When I say 'lightweight', at 56g this is almost floaty light. It's made from polyester with just a little (5%) Lycra in there to add some extra stretch. It's a mesh structure with large, round dimples that let loads of air through.