Your latest bike purchase?

[hozn]

I do have to admit I feel like they look silly. Like cycling in moon boots.

Let us know how they work for you. I'm still looking for the magic bullet to solve my cold toe problems.

Heh, at least not as silly as bar mitts, which admittedly set a high bar in that regard. :-)

My experience with the covers seems comparable, so my recommendation is to go all in and get a set of warm boots. I like the Northwave "Artic" [sic] version that are fully sealed -- i.e. do not let in air/water from the bottom. These have been comfortable down to low 20s and definitely tolerable in the teens (with warm socks) for hour-or-less rides. I have heard the Lake boots are also warm. Which boots to buy probably depends on which shoes you fit. I wear Specialized shoes comfortably (wide enough) and Northwave have a similar fit. Expensive, but warm feet (or at least not completely numb toes) are worth it.

Also, in favor of boots is that they are less "stuff" to have to put on. I find that the most annoying part of winter cycling -- all the gear, the bulky laundry (and dwr stuff that needs washing that can't go in the regular wash).

[mstone]

The time needed is one of the big issues I have with shoe covers. The other problem is that my shoes are sized properly for summer riding, so there just isn't room for thick socks without cutting off blood flow. If I need bigger shoes for winter anyway, might as well just give in and get the boots.

The other annoyance about the winter is how darn bulky everything is. These days when there's a good 20 degree delta between morning and evening I end up packing home a wool base layer, in addition to carrying an extra outer layer and heavy gloves just in case of a temperature drop. It's all literally more than double the volume of the summer bag.

[kwarkentien]

Heh, at least not as silly as bar mitts, which admittedly set a high bar in that regard. :-)

My experience with the covers seems comparable, so my recommendation is to go all in and get a set of warm boots. I like the Northwave "Artic" [sic] version that are fully sealed -- i.e. do not let in air/water from the bottom. These have been comfortable down to low 20s and definitely tolerable in the teens (with warm socks) for hour-or-less rides. I have heard the Lake boots are also warm. Which boots to buy probably depends on which shoes you fit. I wear Specialized shoes comfortably (wide enough) and Northwave have a similar fit. Expensive, but warm feet (or at least not completely numb toes) are worth it.

Also, in favor of boots is that they are less "stuff" to have to put on. I find that the most annoying part of winter cycling -- all the gear, the bulky laundry (and dwr stuff that needs washing that can't go in the regular wash).

I want to second the recommendation for winter bike boots instead of shoe covers. I bought Lake bike boots for SPDs a few years ago (on sale through Nashbar) and they fundamentally changed my winter biking experience. They are nice and warm and totally sealed. After getting these, my cold feet woes disappeared. Unfortunately, I don't ride SPDs on my road bikes anymore so I picked up some Garneau road boots through Chainlove for around $99. They're nice (got them a size too big) but not nearly as warm as the Lake's. I've put shoe covers over them for a little extra warmth. I'll probably be looking for some more substantial road boots, maybe the new Specialized road boots. But I certainly recommend boots over shoe covers once it really starts to get cold.

[Slosurf]

The time needed is one of the big issues I have with shoe covers. The other problem is that my shoes are sized properly for summer riding, so there just isn't room for thick socks without cutting off blood flow. If I need bigger shoes for winter anyway, might as well just give in and get the boots.

The other annoyance about the winter is how darn bulky everything is. These days when there's a good 20 degree delta between morning and evening I end up packing home a wool base layer, in addition to carrying an extra outer layer and heavy gloves just in case of a temperature drop. It's all literally more than double the volume of the summer bag.

I have several pairs of shoe covers. I break out my GORE Windstopper Soft Shell Thermo Overshoes when it is low 30s and under. I wear them over my regular SIDI road and GIRO Cross/Mtn shoes. They are super easy to put on. I wear them with a pair of RAPHA Deep Winter Socks and I have had not issues with feet getting cold. The socks are not too thick but are nice and warm wool socks. (I am a fan of wool year-round.) Any warmer than low 30s I use a pair of GoreTex Gore shoe covers (the kind with the velcro instead of the zipper like on the Soft Shell covers) and a thinner wool sock. I have a pair of GIRO covers and another (forget brand) but I think the Gore shoe covers are the best I own.

[dkel]

Are you wearing those over sandals -- or did I miss you mentioning that you had found shoes?

In my experience PI covers are pretty good. I had one set that started breaking apart near laces after a few uses, but I think that was a fluke / bad model. I have some pretty ragged ones that I've had for a few years and some newer "wxb pro someting-or-other" ones that seem decent too. Not as warm as my boots, but good for me down to upper 20s (for an hour or less).

I did get shoes. The plan was to wear the sandals until it was just too cold, and then really look hard at some expensive winter boots. Riding the new fixie changed the plan suddenly, since it was looking like I needed stiffer shoes if I wanted to avoid injuring myself, or stop riding the fixie. No contest there. So I went for shoes that I could get immediately, rather than shopping for, and ordering boots. Then booties became mandatory—and I'm still stunned that closed MTB shoes are so cold compared to the wide-open sandals I had been wearing. I'll get real winter boots someday...probably next year. They're SO expensive!

[cyclingfool]

No more saddle bag that won't fit my stuff and occupies the space where my tail light goes

Tail light goes on your rear rack, man. Therein lies your problem.

[rolo]

dkel, I have a size 44 Northwave Celsius Artic GTX Mountain Bike Shoe if you're interested. Bought them last year with a pair of 43's. Kept the 43s (which are AWESOME), but couldn't send back the 44s since they had 40 miles of wear on them. Let me know if you're interested.

[dkel]

Tail light goes on your rear rack, man. Therein lies your problem.

I used to run it that way all the time, but got tired of having to come to a complete stop to adjust its setting. On the seatpost, I can switch it while riding. Plus my FG doesn't have a rear rack. Not yet, anyway.

[dkel]

dkel, I have a size 44 Northwave Celsius Artic GTX Mountain Bike Shoe if you're interested. Bought them last year with a pair of 43's. Kept the 43s (which are AWESOME), but couldn't send back the 44s since they had 40 miles of wear on them. Let me know if you're interested.

My Shimanos are 47, so unless the sizing is totally different, 44 might be too much of a squeeze. Thanks for offering, though!

[TwoWheelsDC]

Plus my FG doesn't have a rear rack. Not yet, anyway.

Resist the urge!