I don’t think we have a thread like this yet? Ask for gear recommendations/give gear recommendations.
I’ll go first: what rain booties do people like? Double points if they work well in wet, dry, and cold. My current system is pretty much shot, but I’ve been wearing these Castelli things that are windproof and somewhat insulated (fleecy inside), and then covering them with water resistant Giro things. It’s been okayish, but since both pairs are ripped, and have decomposing zippers, I’d like to upgrade on a replacement. Thinking about those pink Rapha jawns, but mostly because they’re pink.
i have the pearl izumi elite barriers. they work great imo and i like them a lot… but i think they’re uggo and i’ve ruined them via multiple crashes. debating whether i should just get them again or try something new for conspicuous consumption’s sake.
I have the Louie garneau shoe front covers (strap in back) and they are just ok, they’re cheap and work good enough for a 30 min commute but they’re not great for 3-4 hours
The Castelli Diluvio neoprene covers work well in a wide range of conditions. The gloves are warm as all hell too, but that’s because they DO NOT breathe and so you get warm swampland going - either works for you or hate it. Shoe covers it’s definitely less of an issue. I currently have a set of Castelli Pioggia’s that are hardly insulated, do a good job of shielding from water/wind but are way too loose around the ankles so if it’s more than a drizzle for more than 30 minutes my shoes are getting wet (which is less than ideal when bont’s bath tub soles work as a bath tub. Crazy how much water they accumulate).
Shimano pro something or other shoe covers. Too warm to use most of the time, but then again I have a lot of mass on most bike people. Got em from bike tires direct, mostly because Clint told me to.
I got some endura shoe covers that are much easier to take off and walk in, two critical features when riding the ferry everyday.
It’d be helpful if y’all mention the cleat system your recs work with. I need dual duty. Also, the two recs I’ve investigated so far are $70+. Budget options?
Also, I had the LG wind dry sl’s that hard hardly any insulation, but they were fine down as to as low as I dared to ride (~0 °f). I have heard they aren’t very water proof, but Boise does not provide the opportunity to form such opinions.
last few years i was using the gore water proof ones. not warm, but good enough for water. but i got a hole in them and have kept using them despite said hole.
had the castelli neoprenes before that. also have survived a few years of use, with some holes in them. they tear relatively easy - mine started tearing down the back right away. they get fully saturated, but stay warm. expect ankle sweats if it isn’t wet.
i need a good recommendation for cold and less rainy. what kinda shoe covers should i get for boulder? need rd and mtn
gore ‘thermal’ over shoe , are the only true water proof over shoes i’ve used, but they aren’t very warm. I usually put them over toe warmers or something.
I have a set of assos fugu winter , and they are warmer than the gore stuff and have a water repellant coating to them, but they can get saturated by lots and lots of water for sure…not that i’ve tried.
i kinda wanna try the new rapha stuff, but for the amount of times i really ride with over shoes and in the wet, i dont think my bank account can support many more guestimates on winter clothing. Gloves is a whole other issue…
AB, I imagine Boulders weather is similar to Boises and those LGs I mentioned were perfect. Wind proof and warm. Plus cheap. Fit both mtn and spd, but I’d recommend pulling the toe up/off if you’re in the gnar hike-a-biking.
Never tried a set of booties that can come close to doing what a good pair of winter shoes can do. Two best purchases I have ever made for cold/wet riding. Winter shoes and a nice wool base layer.
Most of the industry has settled on $200 msrp for this life changing piece of kit. Just about everyone on here has some sort of bro deal so there is really no excuse. If you don’t own winter shoes you are seriously missing the boat. I pretty much wore mine non-stop November through April (not counting this last year of course because they cut them off my feet in January). Anything under 50 degrees and I grab them. Seriously makes everything about fall/winter riding better.
Was going to say winter shoes yesterday. Didn’t want to be seem snarky. Overshoes are always going to have a giant not-waterproof hole in the bottom for the big heat sink that is you rcleat. The only way winter shoes get wet is moisture from the top of your sock in a downpour.