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Craft Elite jersey

8
£64.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Lightweight summer jersey with a good technical performance
Weight: 
0g
Contact: 
www.alwaysriding.co.uk

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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This lightweight jersey is Craft’s top-of-the-range offering and it puts in an impressive performance during warm-weather rides. It’s mostly polyester with a dash of Lycra thrown into the mix so it’s stretchy enough that the slim fit is perfectly comfortable. The main fabric (the black stuff) doesn’t get waterlogged easily when you work up a sweat and it dries out quickly if it does get wet, while the grey panels, which are mostly around the back, are a fairly open mesh and they provide plenty of cooling ventilation. If you need more, you can always adjust the full-length front zip.

The only down side to all those panels is that you get a lot of seams inside and they’re not flatlock stitched. We can’t say they especially bothered us, but more sensitive souls might have an issue. Oh, and we found the sleeves just a touch loose – maybe we should give up the Twiggo diet and bulk up more.

The neck is fairly low-cut as cycling jerseys go which is okay by us – this is a summer top so you'll hopefully not need to seal out icy winds – and the hem stays in place just fine thanks to a silicone rubber gripper. You get your three standard-issue pockets in the lower back plus a bonus zipped one that comes with a slot for running a headphone lead internally, and there’s a reasonable amount of reflective trim too, which might come in handy now that the evenings are drawing in.

Verdict

Lightweight summer jersey with a good technical performance. The subtle styling will win fans too.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Craft Elite jersey

Size tested: M

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, although it's a bit pricey

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 184cm  Weight: 74kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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