Sportful
The bomber is a summer weight race cut jersey. It's quality fabric and manufacturing. However, the sizing is extremely small. It runs short in torso and narrow under the armpits. I wear Sportful Evo and Body Fit jerseys, as well as Finandre line tops, all in size Medium, the bomber is a totally different cut. Even in size Large the bomber jersey was unusually restrictive under the armpits. I'm 5.11 so perhaps this jersey is meant for a really petit physic. I wear Medium in all Sportful apparel: bibs, long and short sleeve jerseys. Sportful is my favorite brand.
The padding and grippers on these are pretty great. Nice on bumpy gravel, always feels locked in on descents. The touchscreen compatibility is pretty good for checking your phone and stuff like that. That's the good news.
The main problem with these is that their best use case scenario is like 10 degrees wide and 2 months long, at least for me. You got early Fall and mid Spring and that's about it. These are October/April gloves. They're insulted so you'll be too hot anywhere close to 60 but they're not so warm that the 40s will be comfortable on the other end. Maybe if you're just riding casually or commuting. But if you work up any kind of sweat it'll absorb it and they'll get cold fast. Especially on windy descents, which these gloves otherwise excel at. Wouldn't be so critical if these didn't cost as much as good winter gloves that get a solid 5-6 months of use.
6' / 170lbs with short legs and long torso. Size XL fits perfectly.
This jersey is the right length for me. Castelli are too short and PearlIzumi are a little too long. The fit is great, the pockets are secure. Nothing special, they are pockets. The reflective elements are a nice touch. The zipper appears to be high quality and operates smoothly.
Prices on all quality jerseys are appalling and Sportful is no different. That said grabbing a couple at BTD discount prices makes it a little more reasonable. I expect these to last a couple of seasons.
Purchased recommended large size, I (5' 9", 160lbs) normally wear medium in Castelli, medium or large in Giordana (model dependent). The fit is long in the legs and compressive. These have the longest legs of any bib shorts I have ridden, but the length works. First try-on took a bit of work but improved after several washings while still maintaining a good compressive fit: the bibs are holding up well to cold machine washing and line drying. The pad has a good shape and is not overly padded, staying in place throughout rides. The straps are a little short and do have a rough hand to them. I have been wearing base layers underneath the straps and can not attest to how the straps would feel against the skin. Overall the material appears to be quality--no pilling, logo pealing, or seams coming undone. My most recent bibs have been Castelli where quality and pad fit have been issues, though I was riding a generation removed and hear improvements have been made.
Making the straps slightly longer with a softer hand and over so slightly less padding would make these great bibs excellent.
I was curious about the Sportful brand, BikeTiresDirect enabled me to try these bibs that I could not find in stores here and the east coast. I would consider buying another pair of Sportful bibs.
