El Cid

Last winter I rode around all year with a good pair of waterproof winter boots. But just this summer, I switched over to clipless pedals (which I wish I would have done years ago). As summer cools off, I'll be searching for a clipless shoe and a warm, waterproof overshoe. Lots of these things are made, but they all have the same weakness: The bottom of the overshoe doesn't seal onto the sole of the shoe, allowing water to get in from road spray. Some overshoes are better than others, but none are perfect.

So I got to thinking, why can't the overshoe have a hard sole and a cleat? Then you could wear an ordinary shoe inside the overshoe and still use your clipless pedals. This would be ideal for commuting through the city, allowing you to wear your regular work shoes while getting the benefit of clipless shoes. This setup would also give a benefit of extra warmth, since the bottom of the shoe would be less of a weak spot for cold penetration. Such an overshoe would have to make a very tight fit on your regular shoe to work properly. This would be difficult, but do-able in my opinion.

What about everybody else? What do you wish you had that nobody makes?

Dahon.Steve

Years ago, Reevu made a bicycle helmet that had a built in rear view mirror. I purchased the helmet but the technology was not yet developed to the point where I could discard my "Third Eye" mirror. I really believe they were CLOSE and if the company could only spend more on RD, the finished product would have been excellant.

However, that never happened and the bicycle helmet was taken off the market. I sold the helmet because it was too tight being a one size fits all. I noticed they still build a motorcycle helmet.

Reevu motorbike helmets. Reevu - the world's first rear view helmet

lasauge 

Out of curiosity, what shoes are you wearing? I've ridden extensively in cheap Shimano mtb shoes with ordinary velcro-attached shoe covers in the winter and never had problems with water entering from the bottom (moisture coming in from above is another matter, but not really a problem unless it's raining and running down my pants legs instead of snowing).

But aside from that, I may have the answer for you. I got a pair of Diadora Chili Extreme boots this past winter, and they are awesome, kept my feet dry even when plowing through snowbanks and warm down to about 10 degrees with ordinary socks (this past winter was pretty harsh, when I rode on the day when it was -15, I wore these plus wool socks, plus my old shoe covers on the outside - and that was just enough to keep my feet comfortable).

TransitBiker

Fine with my chucks or crocs bistro. I don't remember ever wearing winter footwear biking (the bistro is anti-slip, so +1 there).

- Andy

trailmix

Wide cycling shoes.

linnefaulk

Some goretex socks will keep your feet dry.

chasm54

It would not be do-able, because you need the cleat to be attached to a rigid sole. So you'd be wearing a regular shoe inside a rigid-soled overshoe. Given that the body of the overshoe has to be flexible in order to make it close-fitting, it would be inevitable that your foot would slide around inside the overshoe. Wouldn't work.

cyccommute 

The question you have to ask is why? Why make an overshoe (galoshes) with it's own cleat when someone already makes a good waterproof bicycle shoe? The 45NRTH Fasterkatt is exactly what you need.

If the price is too steep for you, you can do something similar although not submersion proof like the FasterKatt is. You should have a set of winter shoes but even if you don't, get a roll of aluminum furnace tape, remove the insole insert and line the bottom of the shoe with the tape. It will seal the cleat opening and provide some reflection of your foot's heat. Add in a fleece liner and you'll have a shoe that is almost as good as the FasterKatt for a bit less money.

If you want to add the fleece insole (and need to wear thicker socks), you should buy a shoe for winter that is 1 to 2 sizes larger than yo wear in winter.

Papa Tom

1. A saddle with a hard, locking, waterproof storage case built in to the rear, where you'd put a saddle pouch now. You'd unlock the door and put all your little tools, patches, etc. into that wasted space under the saddle, where all the saddle-mounting hardware is.
2. A rear rack with a rugged, locking tool box on top, raising the rack by just a few inches, but providing safe storage space for a phone, wallet, etc. Of course, this idea needs some work, as a thief who couldn't get past the lock might just opt to steal the whole bike.
3. A rear rack that's also a U-Lock. This could be removed upon arrival at a destination and used to secure the bike.
4. A much better mp3 player/speaker system that mounts on the handlebar and plays music through the front AND REAR so that people you are riding with can listen, too.

I-Like-To-Bike

Perhaps the answer to somebody's wishes can be found here:
The best butter knife ever and 9 other brilliant redesigns - The Washington Post

LesterOfPuppets

I just run nice snow-seal treated leather boots with goretex lining and BMX pedals. The boots lock on to the pedals pretty darn well. Sure, you can't pull up on the pedals but I can live with that and the setup works great for snow, ice and cold rain rides, IME.

El Cid

You're right -- the rigid sole would allow the shoe inside to slide left and right, unless the size of the overshoe was an exact match to the shoe. You could velcro the overshoe down, but what to do about that lateral movement? The answer is that something has to fill that empty space up. I can think of several ways you might do that; the easiest might be to package small inserts with the overshoe. You could use as many as needed, more or less like using shim stock. I might not be explaining it very well, but that way I picture it in my head wouldn't even be all that hard to do.

Actually I plan on buying the Fasterkatt boots this winter -- they should be out by about mid-September in my area. I'm debating on the Wolvhammer, but that might be overdoing it for the mild winters I usually get.

But the advantage of an overshoe is that I could wear ordinary shoes inside. With clipless boots, I have to carry my other footwear in a separate bag and change when I get to my destination. So while those Fasterkatt boots would be ideal for riding singletrack in winter (which I might try doing this year), a pair of overshoes would be ideal for getting around town.

Donnie Johnson

Cycling lanes that were actually convenient (and safe) for commuting.

wolfchild

I have everything I need to meet my commuting needs...You need to do a search and I am sure that you would find everything you will ever need to meet your cycling needs.

cooker

Broader, more solid helmet visor. I have strong prescription glasses and wear clip-on sunglasses, and in my riding position with my head a bit down, a lot of morning sunlight comes around the visor or through its slots, and over the top of my glasses, straight into my eyes

skinny matt

Have tried fitting a cycling or baseball cap under your helmet? Might help.

cooker

Thanks, but it spoils the ventilation.

jimboach

My ideas are very specific to my dahon commuter but I would like my biologic postage rack to be really removable without taking out the bolts, like a clip on design that mounts to the frame, I'd like a headlight that mounts to the luggage rack mounting points on head tube, and finally, a lighter, less ugly design of the andross stem. I'd also like something similar to the all in one tool that is found on the brompton that sits in the frame but on a dahon. Finally, how about run flat tires? I'd kill for some kind of super light easy to use bike lock solution out even a motion powered lojack kind of set up that is hidden in the frame.

PaulRivers

What you're asking for is impossible - the clipless part needs to be firmly attached to you foot in order to twist in/out. Any overshoe would not be able to do be attached effectively to do the twist motion to actually unclip.

Looking at efficiency, whether clipless actually increases efficiency is debatable (not inherently not there, but debateable), but any overshoe would lose the power when pulling up, and thus lose all the advantages of clipless to begin with.

As other people have said, you gotta either buy winter clipless shoes, or use non-clipless in the winter. I've even heard of people using cycling sandals for winter riding with an overshoe - it lets them put any layer of insulation in the sandle (via socks) that they want. Are you sure you don't just need better overshoes? My overshoes cover my shoe against water for anything short of submersion.

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What I'd like is a bike device that emits a sound like certain expensive hubs make when coasting (they only make the sound when coasting), or a fishing reel makes when you have a fish on the line and it's pulling back. Something so that people I'm coming up on can hear me coming, but not as annoying as a bell or shouting at them (after seeing a couple people think "on your left" mean "jump to your left", I don't announce at them any more). Something just loud enough to be heard, but as unannoying and quiet as possible after that.

PatrickGSR94

My Vuelta Corsa Lite wheelset from Nashbar, which I got on sale for less than $200 shipped, has quite a loud hub, actually almost as loud as CK hubs. But I still find that they don't do much to let people know I'm behind them.

I will also still be looking for a winter shoe solution this year. Tried many failed attempts last year with my normal MTB shoes. I have different shoes I use now but they're even more ventilated than the MTB shoes were. I will try the aluminum tape under the insole idea. Problem is they're not all that wide for using more sock layers. May need to get some shoe width stretcher devices or something like that.

joeyduck

Take out your insole. Take a strip of duct tape. Job done. Keeps most water out for me (I use SPD with MTB shoes). Easy to access the plate if needed.

I wonder is some shoe goo or clear RTV silicone will work on the inside as well.

Edit: I will stick by my suggestion, but @cyccommute has a better one with the furnace tape. Also larger shoe is kep along with larger over socks for layers, otherwise it will get too tight and reduce circulation and make you feet cold as a result.

RubeRad

Try a visor instead of a full baseball-cap? Or use scissors to turn a cheap trucker's cap into a visor to test?

RubeRad

I like those ideas, especially #2 . If the rack lockbox is slim and elegant enough, maybe it won't even look like it contains any storage at all; hidden keyhole, etc.

I wish there were a wired cyclocomputer solution that allowed to route the wire up the steerer and out a slotted headset cap. Although maybe no companies are investing in new wired cyclocomputers since for a higher price most people would want wireless.

I'd also like a -100pound, aerodynamic helium balloon I could wear on a torso harness so I could see what it felt like to ride uphill as a 150lb rider. Of course, for the subsequent downhill it would need to automatically deflate into a pressurized helium canister and retract into a backpack...

cooker

Yeah, thanks, I may do that kind of home mashup.

El Cid

Actually the motion-powered lojack exists. Check out Spybike.

On another note, I really like the idea of that rearview helmet mentioned earlier. Maybe a big enough petition would convince the company to start making bicycle helmets again.