Once you’re bit by the cycling bug, it’s hard to imagine your life without it. Sun, rain, wind, it doesn’t matter - you just want to get out on the road. While you can easily get in a good ride with your cycling shoes, bike, and the right outfit, using overshoes will help you be able to ride more often and stay comfortable on all of your adventures.
What are cycling overshoes?
Cycling overshoes are basically shoe coverings that provide you protection from the elements as well as keep your cycling shoes from getting beaten up. They fit snuggly over your road cycling shoes and are usually made from a durable and weatherproof material to keep you warm and dry.
With your feet closest to the road, you want to make sure they’re protected from anything thrown at them. Cycling overshoes do just this while also giving you extra warmth, shielding you from rain or puddles, and giving you a reinforced covering that helps keep your expensive cycling shoes from wear and tear.
Why do I need overshoes for cycling?
The truth is, technically you don’t need them, but man you really don’t want to be without them. And, you’ll find this out the first time you ride without them on a brisk day and have freezing toes. Solution? Cycling overshoes.
Not only do they keep you warm, but they protect you from wind, rain, puddles, mud, and snow. They keep the junk out so you can focus on having proper footing and riding safely. Wet feet can kill the mood of a good ride, cycling overshoes keep you going no matter what you run into.
How to put on cycling overshoes
Cycling overshoes are pretty simplistic in design and putting on cycling overshoes is quite easy.
Just follow these four simple steps:
Step 1: Open the zipper portion up entirely
Step 2: With your tightened cycling shoe already on, place your foot within the zippered opening
Step 3: Pull the overshoe up over your cycling shoe and make sure your foot is all the way to the front of the overshoe and the openings at the bottom line up with your cleat
Step 4: Zipper your overshoe all the way up and you’re ready to go
What are the best cycling overshoes?
The best cycling overshoes provide both protection and safety at many levels. Look for a cycling overshoe that is made with durable materials such as Kevlar®, neoprene, and nylon.
A Kevlar® reinforced heel and toe will help provide that extra protection when you’re on the bike and transitioning on and off as well. Neoprene and nylon will help to provide weather protection and keep wind, rain, and cold from running your ride.
Additionally, you can find cycling overshoes with safety measures such as reflective taping and accents as well as LED lights to stay safe and seen.
Best cycling overshoes for cold weather
Cold weather poses additional challenges for winter riding and a protective cycling overshoe can make a huge difference during this time of year. Once your feet start to feel cold, your whole body follows and before you know it, you’re on a miserable ride.
For this reason, more than any other time, you’ll want to use a cycling shoe made with durable and weather-resistant materials. A good cycling overshoe will keep cold rain, snow, and puddles from getting through the vents of your cycling shoes. Now while there is always a hole at the bottom to account for your cleat, protection everywhere else helps keep the winter weather at bay.
Also, due to the darker days in the winter, the addition of reflective detailing can keep you visible in low light. Look for a shoe with reflective capabilities, or like we mentioned above, LED lights for extra safety.
Best waterproof overshoes for road cycling
Nothing is more uncomfortable than cold and wet feet so the best waterproof overshoes for road cycling really take that consideration. While in the summer months, the vents within your cycling shoes can keep you cool, they just don’t protect you from the other elements that could pop up on a long road cycling ride.
Being prepared with cycling overshoes will help your ride go smoother, your cycling shoes stay in better shape, and help you feel most comfortable knowing you are protected from any type of weather that comes your way.
Cycling overshoes at Sealskinz
At Sealskinz, we have taken great care to produce the finest cycling overshoes (and oversocks) on the market. Using premium materials such as Kevlar®, neoprene, and nylon, our reinforced road cycling shoes keep you protected, warm, and dry.
Easy to put on with a rear-zipper pull strap, we’ve also included reflective taping and detailing for high visibility in low light. Additionally, we offer an LED cycling overshoe to keep you seen and safe on darker rides where safety is paramount.
So again, congratulations on getting involved in road cycling. With the proper gear, your days off will be at a minimum and your miles will be maximised.
