Looking for input based on your personal experience.
Considering Sugoi Resistor and Pearl Barrier.
Pearl’s Am Fib shoe covers do not offer much (if any) water protection.
Also, input on waterproof socks is appreciated.
No bootie I’ve found is waterproof. Mostly because it’s only part of the reason your feet get wet. Water usually comes in from the top cuff portion from your tights. Yes, even with full fenders and flaps.
Sealskinz socks may be waterproof but my feet freeze in them.
I ride in the rain 6 months of the year (welcome to Portland, OR). The best solution I’ve found is also the lowest cost. Produce bags from the grocery store.
Wool sock/road shoe/produce bag OVER the outside of the shoe and cleat/booties over that. Tuck the produce bag under your tights before putting on the bootie. Some will tape the top of the bag to their leg (shaved legs of course). The tortured path of bag/tights/bootie is usually adequate to prevent leaks. I do rides of 4 hours in heavy rain with good results.
Produce bags are very thin and thus don’t cause issues with your cleats in the pedals. I only use the bags one time but then can be used a couple times with careful location of the previous holes.
People will argue that you feet have to breathe and that you’ll sweat too much inside. When it’s 40F and pouring, I’m not worried about sweat.
I have never tried the bag over the shoe - I will try that soon. In addition to produce bags, many home delivered newspapers come in a thin tubed plastic bag that works very well. (Not sure if these bags, except the Sunday ones, would fit over a shoe tough.)
David K
Man, that’s awesome. I should have looked for someone who rides in a “rainforest like” environment.
Any suggestion on the type of booties that are warmest?
Neoprene?
PS: I don’t care about sweat either. I want to be warm.
Any experience with the chemical heat pouches?
I was thinking of one over the shoe but under the bootie?
I ride in Portland Ore all year too. Keeping my feet dry has never been a problem. I used to commute 26 miles each way and booties will get wet but the shoes underneath are dry.
My favorites are Gore Bike wear but they are pricey. Feet will stay dry for a few hours in pretty wet rain. The only time my feet have gotten wet was a couple of years ago when I was training harder and would ride for 7+ hours at a time. But that was pretty rare to do in really wet conditions.
My feet get wet if I go in deep water, like a puddle higher than my shoes. But again rare.
You MUST tuck the tops of the booties in UNDER your tights.
t
My Castellis were wicked for the first 2 years. They are starting to leak a little now but for those first two years they were great.
http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=C6122
If you don’t need the covers to look cool then try something like these. My pair kept my feet dry while I was commuting and still work years later on long rides. The trick is to put your tights over the top of the shoe covers otherwise water will run down your tights and into your shoes. In colder weather wear wool socks and/or toe covers for warmth. The only downsides to the ones I have is that they’re a bit big for me and look kinda dorky - but given the choice between cold & wet or warm, dry and dorky-looking I’ll go with the latter every time.
Oh yeah, I live in Vancouver so have lots of experience riding in the rain.
No bootie I’ve found is waterproof. Mostly because it’s only part of the reason your feet get wet. Water usually comes in from the top cuff portion from your tights. Yes, even with full fenders and flaps.
Don’t you put your tights over top of the boot?
Nothing like a bunch of grown men talking about their favorite tights and boots. Maybe my fiance should start cycling…
I’ve done the plastic baggie trick before and it works OK, but after many winters I finally ponied up for some winter cycling boots. Much nicer. Feet will still get wet eventually as water seeps in from above or below, but with a thick wool sock (make sure to fit the shoe slightly larger than normal) and the shoe’s insulation it stays plenty warm. Kinda like a wetsuit, what little water gets in there will reach stasis and it’s enough of a barrier to keep more cold water from flushing through.
I use neoprene booties in the winter. When the temperature gets down near freezing I put chemical heat packs under the booties at the toes. Works great. My feet don’t stay dry but they are warm.
My Castellis were wicked for the first 2 years. They are starting to leak a little now but for those first two years they were great.
http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=C6122
I totally appreciate you taking time to include the link to the bootie you mentioned.
Do you know where the Castelli boots are beginning to leak?
How much warmth do they add?
They are toasty. I ride with them to anything to 0C or 32F. The stitching that runs down the top/middle of the boot has some waterproof tape on the inside that has just started to wear out and that is where the water is starting to come in. Other than that, they have been bone dry for 2 years. I rode the other day in a down pour and when I got home there was a small bit of water on the top of my cocks but that is it.
I will be buying another pair for this spring for sure.
Very nice. I think we may have a winner.
Anybody else have a better story with warm AND dry booties?
PS: “I ain’t the one breathin’ heavy.” -Rocky to Clubber
I ride in Portland Ore all year too. Keeping my feet dry has never been a problem. I used to commute 26 miles each way and booties will get wet but the shoes underneath are dry.
My favorites are Gore Bike wear but they are pricey. Feet will stay dry for a few hours in pretty wet rain. The only time my feet have gotten wet was a couple of years ago when I was training harder and would ride for 7+ hours at a time. But that was pretty rare to do in really wet conditions.
My feet get wet if I go in deep water, like a puddle higher than my shoes. But again rare.
You MUST tuck the tops of the booties in UNDER your tights.
Does a LBS in Portland stock the Gore Booties? They’re nearly $100, I’d like to see them in advance.
Bike Gallery. Yes they are expensive. But I like them a lot.
t
Agreed. These are the best I’ve tried. 3 hours in the rain in LA today w/zero problems.
However the best investment is still the $200-300 for Sidi’s Hydros. ZERO problems in the cold + rain. Helps to buy a pair of small sized dishwashing gloves & cut the hands/fingers off & then use that as a sleeve over the Sidi’s/leg interface.
Agreed. These are the best I’ve tried. 3 hours in the rain in LA today w/zero problems.
However the best investment is still the $200-300 for Sidi’s Hydros. ZERO problems in the cold + rain. Helps to buy a pair of small sized dishwashing gloves & cut the hands/fingers off & then use that as a sleeve over the Sidi’s/leg interface.
That’s a great idea. It sounds like you have a nice setup, but I’m not convinced that $300 for Sidi winter boots is the most bang/buck.
How long have you had your Sidi Hydro shoes?
2 years on the Hydros (and I use the dishwashing glove on both them & the Castelli’s): yes, the Hydro’s are expensive upfront, but they are absolutely bombproof & waterproof (only way water is getting in is via the top, and the dishwash glove trick eliminates 99.9% of that. Figure that they are about $265 on sale out of Europe right now (rarely less on ebay, though you can look); they’ll last you at least 10+ years (I have about 30 rides in mine so far & they are basically new). In SoCal I use them in the rain & for riding up in the mountains during the winter—they are EXTREMELY warm. For super cold I use the Heat Factory toe warmers–(http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300346460481&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT)–at $1.00 a ride it is the best $$ spent. Between the two I can ride year round down to zero without any problems (except occasional groin freeze). If I get 10 years out of the Sidi’s, at 15 rides per year (and I live in LA—we aren’t exactly cold here), it works out to about $1.50 per ride on the cost of the Sidis. Bargain.
One note—only complaint on the Castelli’s is that the sealing anklet strap could be a bit higher on the leg—you need to wear a low cut sock to avoid any water from soaking the top of the sock & then migrating down into the shoe—but the dishwash glove trick eliminates about 99% of that problem.