P is for...

P is for P-P-P-Puppy Power...

...but not in this case.

It's for Purchasing again. As promised/threatened, I'm going to write a blathering load of auld muck about some stuff I've bought in the past couple of months. This time, I'll witter about a couple of pairs of bib-tights.

Craft Performance Bike Storm Bib-Tights

As their catchy name suggests, these are some windproof bib-tights made by the company Craft. What do I think of them? As I'm lazy, I'll copy and paste the overlong review I did for ProBikeKit and they seem to have chosen not to post.

PROS:

• Windstopper type fabric does, as suggested, stop the wind.
• Tights are generally warmer than the thin material at the back (windstopper at the front) might suggest.
• Chamois, while not outstanding, is at least 'good enough'. There are superior chamois available but it's definitely comfy enough to go for a few hours on the bicycle without any pain or problems.
• Stitching etc. seems good and the general quality of the bib-tights is fairly high.

CONS:

• A bit of a weird fit. I'm about 5' 10"/1.78m tall and weigh around 152 lbs/69Kg. I bought size medium and they're pretty loose round the legs and a little MC Hammer at the gusset.
  I don't think it's merely my stick-like bird's legs causing problems; they're a snug fit in other bib-tights. I wonder if it's partly to do with the windstopper fabric. It doesn't seem to have the same stretch as the likes of Lycra and might not pull so taught to one's legs. Or, alternatively, I could be completely wrong. Whatever the case, the bib-tights aren't as snug as fit as one might like.
• Despite also listing it as a pro, I think the chamois could be better on a pair of tights retailing at over £100 GBP. Maybe I'm slightly delusional about what one can expect his/her money.

In summary; I think the RRP (£107 GBP) on these bib-tights was a tad on the high side, given their 'fitting' concerns but the ProBikeKit sale price (£70-20 GBP when I bought them but up to £97-20 GBP at the time of posting this) is considerably better value. 

The looser legs and low slung crotch aren't really a major problem when pedalling (although there is the odd bit of catching on the end of the saddle to annoy one with). It generally takes a bit of 'hiking up' to get into a comfortable position before setting off and never sits quite as one would desire. If one has huge, thick but quite short, legs s/he'll probably find they're an excellent fit. Otherwise, s/he'll probably discover a smaller size would fit the girth of his/her legs better but the usual size will fit the length.

I hope that's of some use. Apologies for wittering.