Craft Active Bike Thermal Tights

 
Out On The Road
 
The Craft Active Thermal tights were perfect for the past winter and spring of cycling in London. It wasn’t a freezing winter, we didn’t see snow once, but it was persistently wet. The spring has been mixed with warm sunny days split by unpredictable gales and buckets of water. Why were they such a blessing in the soggy conditions, yet continued to be a favorite as the weather warmed?

 

 
These tights offer an amazing fit. Although not cut quite as aggressively as pure race tights, they are not cut into a crouch and the legs are more straight up and down rather than bent at the knee, they do not bunch at the front of the hip or behind the knee. As anyone who wears tights frequently will tell you, one of the most uncomfortable aspects of a poor fitting legging is a bunched fabric around a joint. Even worse, when that area gets wet, the skin underneath chafes. The Craft tights show no tendency to bunch. They fit snugly and lightly around the knee and hip, keeping the legs warm, yet not impeding movement.
 

 
The Craft Active Thermal tights are also extremely versatile. The mixed fabric means they keep the legs comfortably warm in wet conditions well down into single digit centigrate conditions, yet this same mixed fabric means they are comparatively lightweight and cool enough for the late spring. With our relatively warm winter and mild spring, we could have worn these tights every day from November to March. Because the chamois is comparatively thin and short, we found that they could also be worn over the top of our shorts or with no shorts depending on conditions. If weather was warmer, we wore them over shorts, removing them as the day warmed, rolling them up, and stuffing them into our jersey pockets. On cooler days, the chamois was substantive enough for most rides.
 

 
Downsides? Only one. As mentioned earlier in the article, the chamois is a little shorter and thinner than we’re used to in our other, more race-oriented shorts. We did find that if rides stretched to more than 3.5 to 4 hours, we began to notice a little discomfort if no shorts were worn underneath. The shortness of the chamois, wrapping relatively high at the back, but much shorter at the front also left us more exposed, separating parts usually covered by a chamois with only lycra. Seems silly, but if you’re a more modest type, there may be other tights that are a better choice for you.
 

 
Final Thoughts
 
We were extremely impressed with the Craft Active Thermal tights. They were warm enough for all of the past winter, yet versatile enough to continue late into the spring as the covering of choice. The chamois may not be perfect if you’re a budding Elite racer or prefer something with more cover at the front, but most won’t notice these quibbles. A combination of excellent fit, broad temperature range, and competitive price highlight Craft’s continued focus on delivering quality products for buyers of all capabilities and all price ranges.
 
Craft