Overshoes & Gaiters

Overshoes & Gaiters at bikester.co.uk

Your extremities are the first place you feel the cold. Ride in cold or wet weather without covering them, and you’re in for a miserable time. This applies not least to the feet: when you ride with clipless pedals, they stay relatively static, making it even more difficult to keep them warm.

Thank god, then, for overshoes. If you’ve found this page, you probably have a pretty good idea of what they do, but for those who are newer to cycling, we hope you’ll find this information useful when choosing.

Types of Overshoes

As with all types of cycling clothing, there’s a vast selection of overshoes available on the market. Manufacturers usually offer a few different models, depending on their intended use. The product names usually give you some idea of what kind of conditions the overshoe is designed for, often using words such as ‘arctic’ and ‘thermo’ to describe them. Let’s have a closer look at the various types of overshoes on offer:

Going fast and keeping your feet cosy don’t have to be mutually exclusive. With aero overshoes, the aim is to be light, thin, close fitting and aerodynamic while also offering a certain amount of protection against water and cold. These overshoes usually feature taped seams to keep splash water out, but don’t usually offer much in the way of insulation and aren’t the best choice unless going fast is the main goal. If you’re looking to keep your feet extra warm and dry, aero overshoes probably aren’t the best choice.

You guessed it – ‘thermo’ overshoes are designed to offer superior warmth for winter rides. Many thermo overshoes use beefier fabrics such as neoprene to ensure greater wind-proofing, often combining this with another mixed-material layer. Some models also do away with zips, meaning you have to put the overshoe on before your shoe and fasten it underneath with Velcro straps.

While it’s debatable if any overshoe is truly waterproof, there are several manufacturers that offer models designed to offer superior water resistance. This means waterproof zips, taped seams and synthetic materials like polyurethane that are designed to prevent water soaking through. Look for ‘synthetic materials’ listed in the product description – this is a good indicator that the shoes will offer decent waterproofing.

Not everyone cycles with clipless pedals. Using flat pedals not only helps you to save money, but means you don’t have to have different shoes for on and off the bike. Of course, there are overshoes that work with regular shoes too, using synthetic materials like polyurethane and polyester to offer good water resistance.

Gaiters are designed to protect the lower part of the calves from rain, fitting above the overshoes and over the bibtights, preventing water from trickling down the lower legs into the overshoes.

Overshoes and gaiters at bikester.co.uk