Essential winter clothing?

Next up, I have some pro team over shoe covers are velotoez any good for regular riding or to fragile/ faff?

Never bothered myself, but a batch arrived in my old office and there was a lot of swearing and ripped velotoez from those that bought them
I thought despite the obvious waterproof effects, they were more of an aero gainz thing.
Not really commute practical

Hmm that’s kinda what I thought.
Maybe I’ll look in to proper winter shoes.

I have velotoze MTB, they didn't ripped yet but I'll only use them if it's biblical, a bit of a faff to get in.
Would use for long rides in the rain, but for less than an hour commutes it's not worth the effort.

Any suggestions for commuting overshoes for recessed SPDs that are easy to put on plus hi-viz/plenty of reflective material?

problem with velotoze is - because their breathability is nil - you still get wet from the inside, as your sweat can't escape. your shoes will absolutely reek too

and they're cold

velotoze

I hate them less than my proper overshoes. Plus they actually keep rain out of your shoes (if the tops go under your tights and against your leg).

Have you tried them with neoprene toe thingies underneath? It helps a bit I think.

The biggest toe temp gainz I’ve found come from too-big shoes with lots of room for Defeet Woolie Boolie socks and some air.

Don't think you'll get any that are more hi vis/reflective

Tempted by a pair myself actually.

Also for my 2 cents on velotoze - I found them quite delicate. I had a few small tears on mine after putting them on only a few times, they're a bit of a faff. Don't think I'd bother again as a waterproof job, but might for aero gains for national champs (if I don't go for fancy aero material overshoes)

Have you tried them with neoprene toe thingies underneath? It helps a bit I think.

I hit max HR trying to get them on without anything underneath - not sure I fancy my chances of trying to pull them over some neoprene toe thingies...

This year I switched to regular SPD shoes with toe covers or dedicated rain/cold boots (Shimano MW7) depending on the forecast. Good chance I’ll still catch the occasional rain with the toe covers, but wouldn’t be different with left-home overshoes because they’re a hassle to put on.

Excellent. If you do this five times (two mins rest between each) then you've done the workout and don't need to get cold and wet and wear out chains.

I don't think there's a good answer for recessed cleats and overshoes, they are inevitably going to wear out quickly from walking. Only seem to last one year really. Probably winter boots is the best option.

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Talking of which, anyone want a cheap pair?

I've got a pair of these Sidi Goretex boots in a 45 that I'm very unlikely to use again.

The top velcro isn't super sticky but it never really was.
They keep water out for a while but it does inevitably soak in down the ankle and on the tongue. Warmer than a summer shoe though. Used with an overshoe, you get very decent protection
Used through about 2 winters, weekend road riding and some commuting.

Asked this in the overshoe thread but has anyone tried Spatz? Or these from gripgrab, which look somewhat similar.

They're meant to work well, but not quite as well as mudguards.

Already got mudguards. Still never found anything that keeps rain from soaking/seeping down though.

@greeno

have you got long mudflats on you're guards as well? I find they work well at keeping my feet dry at least up to an hour or so when commuting (which is really the main time I'm that bothered as no-one likes being sodden at work all day)

Yeah I do (PDWs). After a solution for long rides really, though not sure one exists.

Velotoze worn under tights/leg-warmers ... so they contact tight to leg skin. It works.

I wonder if athletic tape (or similar skin-friendly tape) around the top could improve the seal?

Overshoes seem to be flawed because no matter how impermeable their material is, water (after a heavy downpour) will saturate winter bib tights and get drawn by gravity (and capillary action, maybe) straight along and down your leg, into your shoe 💦 At that point shoe vents are drainage :-/

Generally speaking you can't really go wrong with GripGrab for winter accessories.

Yeah they look good. And they fit with the @gbj_tester adage of buying things from companies that specialise in making that thing. So do Spatz I guess, so will probably get one or the other.

Having got tired of shredding overshoes, I've been looking at SPD winter boots, but they are mostly so expensive. I was thinking about Shimano MW5, does anyone know if these are now discontinued or is stock just low like everything else?

I've been considering these as well. My local Evans had some in stock, reduced for about £80 (might have been the MW7) but they weren't showing on their website, so might be worth checking if there is one local to you.