Craft Cadence Essential Case and Jersey.
A quick note before we start
Today’s review is a little bit different. But before we get to the actual write-up, let’s talk about the blog and the podcast for a second. As you can see, Slow Spin Society is mostly listener/viewers supported, meaning we are still not open to putting ads in the podcast, and I’m definitely against spamming the blog with banners of all sorts. So when Craft Cadence came to me for a paid product review, it got me thinking quite a lot. Do I want to open that door and will I be able to make honest and real articles for brands that support my platform?
Then I remembered that I could always say no to things I don’t feel like writing about, and if you’re a listener of the podcast, you know how blunt and brutally honest I can be with brands doing sketchy stuff. This being said and clear to everyone, here is the first article that officially supported this blog financially and I thank them for that.
Now you know everything, let’s get into it.
Tube, check! Co2 cartridge, check! Multitool, I got that too!
Either by myself or with some friends, on any ride with a roady vibe to it, I end up doing the same process over and over to check if I have everything I need. Tools, food, and a few camera gears are basically all I require to go out for a spin. But, I usually have all of these in a backpack split into different pockets. So I need to take all of my gears out, fit everything in my jersey and hope to not forget anything which honestly happens a lot.
So when craft cadence approached me to try their “Essential case”, I thought it could be a great solution for my “always wandering mind”, and not leaving my multitool or my credit card at home.
I’m pretty picky on what I decide to review and since I’m always sold on back wear and accessories, I was quite pleased that the case had a very simple design, with just a bit of branding on the outside.
And while testing the case for the first time, something struck me: “Why aren't there more bicycle accessories that fit perfectly a jersey back pocket.” It’s a pretty standard size and everybody knows how much of a pain it is to have your multitool and your keys wrestling back there. Thankfully, the essential case fits like a glove to the point where you just forget it’s there.
And finally is the surprising amount of compartments inside this little guy. I personally mainly use it for tools, tubes, and some film, but you can put your keys, your cards, and even your phone. Bonus points for it being water and sweat resistant so I don’t have soggy cash to pay my coffee with.
Craft Cadence also sent me their performance jersey, in the “just black” version. And I kinda wanted something that was slick looking and discrete for a while now. I have plenty of very “visible” jerseys, but sometimes it’s also nice to not have something that screams: “I AM PART OF THAT CREW!”
Design choices aside, it’s a good jersey. I tried it a couple of times and recently went for a ride with temperatures not rising above 14°C. I wasn’t cold at all as long as I was moving but it’s clearly made for summer rides.
As most of you may know, I am not really a big jersey guy so don’t take my word as a reference. But it is comfy, good at dissipating just enough heat so I don't get sweaty but I’m also not freezing. No itching spots and I never had to put it back into place.
To store your stuff you’ll find your classic back pockets, plus a zipped one for your keys, cards, or even your secret snack. With this “just black” version, the branding is discrete even though I'm not the biggest fan of the recycled logo on the back. But it’s 100% made of recycled materials, so you’re buying a sustainable product and the earth will thank you for that.
So what do I have to say about Craft Cadence? Well, they are definitely getting straight to the point when it comes to usability and functionality. Both the case and the jersey are products that I’ll keep using in the long run for sure, and I hope they’ll continue to develop interesting gears.
One the graphic department, you can say that the visual identity is… discrete, if not completely non-existent. On one hand, I understand that part of the targeted customers are commuters who want simple and discrete kits that will blend with anything. On the other, if you take this to the extreme you’ll end up with products that might be super interesting and useful but don’t have any “identity”. For example, the jersey is also available in teal, orange, and magenta, but for some reason, black was the most appealing for me.
If you want to look at the entire lineup, here is a link to their website: craftcadence.com
And again, thank you for supporting this platform.
If you want some honest and in-depth review of your products you can also contact me at this address: slowspinsociety@gmail.com
See you next time!
