Overshoes, waterproof socks: Both? Neither and just get wet?

Too pricey for a man with plastic bags in his socks. :-)

Simply purchase numerous good-value Rapha cycling wear items from the well-known CONdor discount cycling emporium.

Before you know it you'll be the proud owner of a pair of Rapha/CONdor merino/polythene waterproof overshoes.

Completely free of charge!

God bless the mighty Rapha...

I rode in some fucking right cold weather and snow and shit last winter..
but with clips and straps I just bulked up the sockage.

now what'ma gonna do? my spd shoes let the air blow free and are cold at the best of times.

overshoes, I suppose. I'd dearly love winter boots but they are £80 odd innit.

there's nothing worse than struggling with gear that's not quite up to the job, I'd rather just get wet.

RPM: The adidas toe warmers I have keep a lot of that chilled air out of vented clipless shoes.
They should be cheaper and less of a pain than full booties.
Don't keep your feet dry though.

my cheapo overshoes (no idea what make, and theyre so dirty I dont really want to examine them) keep my feet warmer and do a good job in light rain, road spray and keep shoes cleanish. But any serious rain they surrender pretty quickly and water runs down them. Waterproof socks (ditto no idea which ones they are) have always kept my feet dry.......but they still feel wet and cold! so whats the point! Especially as I havent worn either these last 2 days!

"This xxxx he's a cyclist won't ride his shinny new bike in the rain unless he has a full compliment of our Lords Ralpha (halod be thy name) rain gear.
.
.
Harden the fuck up xxxx!"

I got some seal skinz, and they do keep you warm, but like also said, doesn't stop top water seepage! I also have over shoes wich are brilliant in the cold, I got these ones from wiggle.

http://wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360022100&N=dhb%20Cycling%20Overshoes

Apparently triathlon shoes are really good in the rain because they have a neoprene liner. Second hand info, I don't have any myself.

Glad you like those dhbs since, being wiggle's cheapest, I ordered some this morning.

A couple of days a week I teach at London Metropolitan University - one of the UK's top higher educational establishments (unless you look at league tables, reputation or any other known barometer) - the nearest shower isn't even in the same building. So I change in the office, which I share with two lovely ladies; on site foot repair may be over-stretching the etiquette.

Is that the erstwhile Holly Poly?

That Daniel Liebeskind bit is way groovy.

Its a so-called merger (ie shafting by Holly, of City) between Holly Poly and City Poly (both of which were something else for a bit). My ungroovy building is in Commercial Road.

I can't believe no one has posted the correct answer yet...

Which is:

GET A FRONT MUDGUARD.

Seriously - in light or medium rain you'll be fine for a 45 minute commute.

For me, it's only the water coming off the front tire & downtube that makes my feet really wet - most cycling
shoes can handle the water coming down from the sky for a bit, but get soaked through from direct splashes...
Front mudguard will solve this.

Like Roberto says - in really heavy rain you're going to get wet anyway. Much better to put a pair of dry socks
in your bag.

Overshoes - pah!

You are right, a mud flap is ment to be the ultimate thing but I can't bring myself put a bit off old innertube hangging off my front mudgard.

why not, you bike can't get uglier or heavier :p

hippy RPM: The adidas toe warmers I have keep a lot of that chilled air out of vented clipless shoes.
They should be cheaper and less of a pain than full booties.
Don't keep your feet dry though.

I've got the very same. Seem a bit crude when you have to cut out the hole in the bottom yourself, but they make enough difference on all but the coldest days.

A front mudguard doesn't stop my shoes,socks,feet getting soaked.

AlexS A front mudguard doesn't stop my shoes,socks,feet getting soaked.

Have you actually tried mudguards before? Proper ones, not the clip on rubbish ones from halfords that every puts really high above their wheels.

Actually, I've never tried not having mudguards and have always had full wrap-arounds on any bike I've ridden.

anyone got any particularly strong preferences for overshoes for mountain bike shoes...majority of shoes available from the usual outlets tend to be for road pedals

I use the PRO neoprene ones over my Specialized MTB shoes for couriering and they work well.
Big BUMP by the way.

Ha! nice thread- resuccitaion, Gus. It sounds as though last night's spin in the Essex chill has brought winter kit considerations to the fore, as it has for me too.

Like Wiganwill, I use neoprene overshoes over my mtb cleated shoes (Altura, found by the road), thin wooly socks,too. If it's really wet some poly bags between sock and shoe work well, (pack really small and can be carried at all times) My preference in downpours is goretex overshoes over the neoprene overshoes which keeps everything pretty dry and therefore avoids the inconvenience of sopping wet, stinky footgear festering all day in the work locker, only to torment you on the return commute.

I don't go along with this get wet and HTFU attitude; it just doesn't work on longer winter rides where if you get wet you will get cold and suffer. Do some of you have airing rooms and concierge service at work?

chris hoy wears overshoes.
admittedly more of a oversock but who cares.

they wear theirs right up the shin on the track for aero obv. if hoy can wear them without looking odd im sure u can

I've just invested in some of the northwave winter shoes, for toasty dry toes.

I ended up with some dhb overshoes which are worn once and rubbish and some sealskinz waterproof socks which are quite good. On balance, I think I'd rather get wet. I like this cold, sunny weather.

BTW, my shabby Commercial Road building (the only building I know which seemed to improve by catching fire) used to only have my old-man's BJ outside it by way of fixed/SS. Now the railings are littered with lo-pro, brakeless fixies and those 3" wide bars. How things have changed.

My best purchase in the last year was the Fenix F-off torch set to stun (now everyone seems to have those too).

These don't look too bad.

Quite reasonable at £12.50