Craft PXC Thermal Top

Recently The Cyclist received some Craft PXC Thermal Top garments to try out. These tops are designed to be worn in cooler weather, as the name would suggest. Here is a brief description from Craft’s website:

"Perfect as a second layer when the temperature dips below freezing or as an outer layer on sunny calm days, the PXC Thermal Top is as versatile as you are. Stretch fabrics allow your body to move freely and comfortable, while a brushed inner fabric provides warmth and moisture management properties. Featuring a longer back for better coverage while skiing, two way front zipper for ventilation, two back mesh pockets, one chest pocket, preshaped collar."

We had two testers try the PXC Thermal Top and here is what they had to say about this garment.

Guitar Ted: Since I live in the Mid-West, this was a great time to review this garment, as the Fall weather is slowly slipping into Winter. The Craft Thermal PXC Top falls in Craft’s Nordic line, but they said it was also good for cool weather cycling as well. Okay, so I gave it a go.

The initial fit of the PXC Thermal Top I found to be spot on. I am a big, barrel chested fella, so sometimes athletic garments can be a real tough fit for me. Not the PXC. The XL size I received fit very well and I felt instantly comfortable in it. In fact, it looks good enough, and feels comfortable enough to just wear casually, but that isn’t the purpose of the garment. Still, I thought that was a good sign right out of the box.

As far as cycling specific requirements go, I feel that a garment needs to drape over your body well while you are in a cycling position. The PXC Thermal Top does this well. I do have a bit shorter torso than some folks my size, and fit is always a personal thing, but I was pleased with how this top worked on the bike. I found it rode down on my hips well, which I happen to like. (I have a friend who is a cyclist who hates that about cycling tops, so go figure!) The sleeves are long enough that you don’t find any issues with overlapping gloves, if you want to shut out the cold, or with the sleeves creeping up if you are stretched out in the drops. Good stuff there. The tail is longer in the back, but not dramatically so. Still, it is enough to keep the top where it belongs while you are riding.

The PXC Thermal Top also has two mesh pockets in back, like a cycling jersey and these were not positioned so high on the back that you had to be a contortionist to get stuff in and out of them. Something other garment makers would be wise to make note of. Besides this, there is a “slash”, zippered pocket on the upper right breast meant for media players, I would guess, and the center 3/4’s zipper is double zipped so you can open it from the bottom to vent while leaving the collar area closed, or vice versa. A novel idea. When you open the zip, the two sides of the top are webbed with a lofted fabric, so you don’t expose skin directly to the elements. (If you are not wearing a base layer, that is)  I haven’t used the lower zipper pull yet- still zipping top to bottom to vent. I guess old habits die hard!

I was able to use this top on a very wet, windy, nasty night ride that took 8 hours recently, and I used the top as my base layer underneath a soft shell, waterproof rain jacket. The PXC Thermal Top worked wonderfully, wicking sweat away from my arms and core to the outer shell, and I never was cold, or uncomfortable during the entire ride, which saw temperatures in the upper 50’s to low 60’s throughout with times of rather gusty winds. I have also used the PXC Thermal Top under a soft shell jacket in 40 degree weather while mountain biking in the woods with similar great results so far.

As it gets colder, I plan on adding a base layer underneath the PXC Thermal Top to extend the range of use into winter. Until I update with results from that though, I will be happy to lounge around in the house as well! The PXC Thermal Top is cozy, and does double duty for me as a casual top when I am at home. Comfort and performance. So far, so good!

Mrs. Grannygear:  I wanted to put a different spin on the review on the West Coast by having a tester wear the PXC top that was, first of all, a lady, so we could see how the fit was for a women, and then I wanted to have a tester that was not used to wearing such a high quality technical garment.  My wife has been cycling a great deal lately and has been increasing her fitness and skills very nicely.  She even has been gathering a group of lady cyclists around her and they are out on the trails 3 times a week, challenging each other to do better each week.

What she lacked was any experience with a good base layer, thermal top or jersey like this, making do with general exercise garments or whatever she had around.  With Fall in the air, cotton sweatshirts and a windbreaker do not get it done unless you enjoy hypothermia.  So, out of the box came a women's version of the PXC Thermal Top.

It is a very good looking garment and the fit was spot on by the measurements provided on the Craft website.  After weekly use in Fall conditions, I asked Mrs. Grannygear to give me some thoughts on her use so far:

This is the first garment you have had in quite a while that is designed for outdoor action sports like XC skiing or cycling.  How does it compare to, say, a piece of clothing that would be good for gym type exercise, aerobics classes, etc?  What do you notice about it that makes it uniquely suited for this type of outdoor use?  

    •    This garment is great!  It's warm and comfortable and the mesh pockets on the back are so convenient for holding keys and other small supplies.  Clothing for a gym workout would tend to be on a light side for sweating and staying cool. This particular thermal top is thicker for the outside workouts and the thickness is well suited for cooler to slightly warmer weather.  Basically, if it warms up a bit on a cool ride you are still fine wearing this top.  I am looking forward to my first hike with it.

Under what conditions have you worn it (temperatures, wet, etc) and in what combinations with other clothing?
 
    •    Temperatures have been from the mid 50's to the low 70's.  The only other piece of cycling clothing that I have is a light windbreaker which I typically stow away for the climbs.  Downhill has usually required the windbreaker to come back on.  However, I did forget the windbreaker once and I was fine.  A tad cool but never cold.  

This is a $80.00 piece of clothing.  That price is not out of line with a good piece of technical wear but may seem steep to a person just beginning to get out and exercise.  Do you find it has that level of value to you?  Would you buy this for your use and why or why not?  

    •    Of course I would prefer it to be less than that, however $80 isn't too bad.  I tend to want to have more than one shirt like this to wear, especially due to multiple outdoor sports and, of course I would like stylish colors.  I need to save my pennies for another shirt or two.  

It is a good looking piece of clothing and is, in my opinion, smart looking enough to wear out and around town.  Would you wear it to grab coffee with the gals?  

    •    Possibly.  My own professional business keeps me looking more "down to earth" as a pet sitter and dog trainer.  This shirt would actually work well for my business to keep me warm, and the pockets in the back are handy for business cards, keys, and a phone. This shirt is nice enough that if I had to meet with a potential client, I would feel fine doing so.  

How has been to live with as far as getting it dirty, wash care, etc?  

    •    This top cleaned up real well after a Fall ride in which I managed to slide the bike in the mud and then take a nice flop into the muck.

There are nice touches here, from the soft collar material to the mesh material that fills the panel when the zipper is open (no bees in there) to the handy pockets and the rubber grippy material at the tail end, helping to keep the tail from riding up when worn.  This has been a great piece of tech clothing so far and I have to admit I am a bit jealous!