My Sidi Dragons are like sandals in the wet, what's a good overshoe to keep the water out and offer some warmth on cold winter morning?

Road overshoes look better IMO, is anyone running road overshoes on MTB shoes?

If you're like me you'll use overshoes for a couple of winters (Altura were pretty good), then buy some winter boots and wonder what you were pi$$ing around at…

I use SealSkinz & merino liners in winter, cos I'm skint and can't afford a new set of SPD boots for winter

Depending on your riding style and how often you ride, they can get shredded pretty quickly. They are especially hopeless if you do any hike a bike stuff. I bought some shimano winter boots in the spring and I don't think they'll work out anymore expensive as I hope to have them for quite a few years.

I used Altura overshoes and sealskin socks for 4 years.

Got some goretex Shimano boots last year so much better if you can afford them. Never had cold feet last winter!

I love 'em but I ride my bike and don't walk with it 😉

Bikesyoulike have the altura ones on offer for £13.49

Kinda love hate with my overshoes.
Got seal skinz last xmas and just put a normal pair of socks underneath them and wear my normal shoes, not used the overshoes since.

Use road overshoes over mtb shoes. Tried them off road and no good on hike a bike sections but cheapish and disposable.

Then used seal skins and OK but they only do a limited range of sizes so the medium were too small and the large too large meaning they weren't 100% ideal.

After this got some Northwave winter boots – bit tough round the ankles to start with but once broken in they are great. Wear them with woolen socks. Only problem is getting them tight around the ankle which I don't like so water can get in. Shimano ones would solve this.

I'm with IHN – you'll tear a couple of pairs up over the course of a few months' sh1tty riding then buy some Spesh Defrosters or Shimano winter boots and barring unforeseen podiatry deformation use them for the next 10 years

I use them on my commute to work and they are great (all road). I have tried them off road nad found them rubbish because as soon as you put your feet down (ie to open a gate) they would come up over the toes, this is even worse if you have to push the bike at all. They also (as pointed out above) tear up easy so i now have a pair of northwave boots for off road.

Emm, sounds like I'll be getting some winter boots then!

I've used Seal-Skins for a while now, and they are great if you can stop them filling up with water! So, how do folks stop water coming down your leg?

Was thinking about getting some diving drysuit cuffs and wearing them just above the boots and folding them over to top to see if this keeps out any more water…

Been using Altura overshoes over my Sidis for a couple of years now and work very well IMHO for whens it's cold, wet or muddy. They have lasted much better than some other overshoes as they don't seem to tear as easily, I have plenty of holes underneath but they are fine. My mate bought a pair of Pro overshoes and they lasted 1 ride out before the toe ripped forward and up. So the material is quite important to how long they last.

Sorry to hijack but on the winter boots issue, I am trying to source a pair of specialized BG defroster boots, but in the ROAD version. All I can find in the Uk is the MTB version. I have called various spesh suppliers and they tell me that Specializd arent bringing these winter road boots into the UK, seems crazy to me as I thought the UK market would have been there main market for such boots. Cant even find any on ebay 🙁 Next option is the SIDI winter boots at twice the price!!

I use a set of Endure MT500 over shoes. I get one winter season out of them before they fall apart. But, they do work well.

Another vote for the Endura MT500 overshoes. They have got steadily better too. Winter 2007/2008 was a three overshoe winter, but I saw 2008/2009 out with only two pairs.

funkynick – Member
I've used Seal-Skins for a while now, and they are great if you can stop them filling up with water! So, how do folks stop water coming down your leg?

Cut off the tops off a pair of extra large marigold gloves and and wear over the cuffs of the sealskins, stops water going down the sock. Black probably looks better than pink or yellow. 🙂

Oooh… good thinking Seamus, but do they do black marigolds?

I am waiting for someone to say MTFU – as some knob usually comes a long and says it 😉 BTW I have not officially said it (in context) 😉

I think it depends on your riding, I get out on a sat moring for a blast of about 1 1/2 hours, I dont need to walk any of it, and for me overshoes are great and I got some Altura ones about to hit their 3rd winter albeit a little tatty, take em off a quick hose down and bung em in the machine with the other kit.. If you buy overshoes avoid any with zips.

If I was off on regular all day winter rides I would probably opt for winter boots.

funkynick – Member
Oooh… good thinking Seamus, but do they do black marigolds?

The ones I got were black, but thinking about it they might have been tesco own brand.

I also second the Shimano winter boots. I have had mine for three years now and they work sooooo much better than summer shoes with overshoes. When it is proper muddy though I to put some overshoes over the winter boots as I find them easier to clean than the boots.

I have been using Northwave boots in the winter for many years but still get really cold feet in the winter, I wear overshoes over the boots when it gets really cold.

Megastream
My Sidi Dragons are like sandals in the wet, what's a good overshoe to keep the water out and offer some warmth on cold winter morning?

You just need to push the pedals harder, that'll keep your feet warm 😆

Never Bothered myself – never had really cold feet on a regular basis – just wear 2x socks – outer merino sealskins – seem to me to do OK 🙂

Another vote for winter boots- shimano latest goretex. After regularly shredding overshoes I finally succumbed last winter and I too wondered wtf I hadn't done it before. Warm, dry and comfy-result.

I bought some neoprene overshoes, mainly for commuting in, and they're great.

However, off-road, not so great, as mentioned above.

A nice cheap way of adding versatility to a pair of shoes which might only be suitable for one season etc, but don't do everything.

Careful of the fit of winter boots – I bought some Northwave cheap from eBay, and found that although they are waterproof boots, as they are on the narrow side, I can't wear decent warm socks under them, so they don't work out any warmer than my normal MTB shoes.

Cheers, Rich

My Northwave overshoes fell apart after one winter, but before that they stopped being waterproof.

Got some MT500 now and the newer model is better than the older model that had both zips fail and velcro coming off the overshoe. Wiggle replaced it and the newer ones have better zips, improved velcro and thicker rubber on the bottom. I used them off road couple of times and coped well. This will be their second winter now and probably the last one as the seams are coming away. Still very good value for money as proper winter boots cost a lot more and overshoes do the job for me.

If You can/want to spend around £100 for boots than buy those, if not, than get some overshoes.

I tend to wear overshoes if it's really wet/muddy, they don't do much regarding water-proofing as they have big holes at the bottom but they do help keep your feet warm even when wet.

I use Endura MT500's, I have over-shoes for road riding to but think they'd be a struggle to get on over MTB soles, they're also not reinforced on the sole or toe like the MT500's.

MT500s are great but try to limit your walking around in them, I forgot and was walking around the carpark all day at the Bike Radar demo at Afan, the soles are in ribbons :'( Whoops!

Does anyone have any views on which MTB winter boots are better – the Northwave Celsius ones or the Shimano Goretex ones?

Does anyone have any views on which MTB winter boots are better – the Northwave Celsius ones or the Shimano Goretex ones?

Think about the Spesh Defrosters, i've just got a pair and they're toastie warm and have the BG soles to boot. I had the Shinano ones before this but found that I got terrible 'hotspots' on the soles of my feet in them so ended up buying some Specialized BG insoles for them.

Next choice of winter boot was therefore a very easy one

I like overshoes, but then again I don't tend to walk very often