Cycling Overshoes

An Introduction to Cycling Overshoes

In case you don’t know what overshoes are, or the benefits that can be gained by using them I have a second hub that provides all kinds of information about overshoes generally. For this hub I will be concentrating on cycling overshoes to protect the feet by keeping them warm and dry while mountain biking, road racing, or merely cycling to work.

Cycling is a fun activity that provides great aerobic exercise, but riding in the wet and cold can quickly ruin this experience. No one likes to be cold and wet and when cycling. The feet are especially prone to suffer damp and cold while riding a bike. Many people have waterproof cycling outfits to cover the body and legs, but it is an easy oversight to make to fail to waterproof the feet.

Cycling overshoes are generally built slightly differently to ordinary rubber or plastic overshoes.  They are usually thinner and more pliable and have a less durable sole as they are not designed for walking.  Many varieties of cycling overshoe will actually have a missing section under the ball of the foot to enable it to be placed correctly on the pedals whilst using clips. For these reasons it is not recommended that you carry out any significant walking activities while wearing cycling overshoes as they can quickly wear out.

Although most cycling overshoes are not designed for walking there are a number of models that employ a Kevlar sole, or other hardwearing material and these are designed for heavier use.

There are many varieties, makes, models and styling’s available for cycling overshoes.  A popular material used in their construction is neoprene as it is lightweight, waterproof and reasonably durable.  There are some problems with neoprene as a shoe material due to breathability issues and foot odour.  Almost unbelievably some manufacturers have tried to solve these issues by making breathing holes in the shoe itself!

Better models of cycling overshoe will have reflective strips on the sides and rear of the shoe thus aiding visibility in traffic.  Many will include a rubberised or reinforced toe section which provides the shoe with a longer life and resistance against abrasion when being placed into clips on the pedals.

Many models employ a zip up the front of the shoes, but these are best avoided unless they also include some kind of waterproof flap.  The reason for this is that, once moving, surface water on the overshoe surface will be driven inside through the zip.  A better solution is to get a pair that fastens at the heel.

This brings my article about cycling overshoes to an end, I hope you enjoyed it.