Tandem Tom

Would like to add this to my kit. My wife has a pair of J&G covers. Had to cut a hole out for the SPD cleat. I am considering the Vaude brand, on the Adventure Cycling CycloSource. These have a strap that goes under so most of the sole is open.
Wondering if anyone has any experience with any type of shoe covers?
Thanks!

dabac

All I've tried have held up rather poorly to even minor amounts of off-bike use.
I'll carry some on tours, but any ride starting from home I'll use warmer/more waterproof shoes.

shelbyfv

The ones I've used wear out quickly at the toe of the down foot. Also water comes through at the cleat opening. Will be interested to see which ones actually work, hate wet feet.

staehpj1

I have used them in a variety of materials and styles over the years. I used them mostly to keep my feet warm and then only when it was very cold. With the neoprene wetsuit like ones I assumed that my feet were probably going to be wet with sweat, but would feel warm and dry. With the looser fitting canvas ones I tried to stay dry, but figured that they would keep the wind chill off either way. Both approaches worked okay.

These days, rather than keeping feet dry, I find that it works better to just wear socks that don't soak up much moisture and don't feel too soppy when wet while wearing shoes that also don't hold much moisture and do have a lot of mesh for quick draining. For me that means cheap poly socks and Sidi shoes made from Lorica rather than real leather. With that combination my feet never really feel very wet.

I used to have more trouble keeping feet warm back when I tried to keep them completely dry. Now by the time it is cold enough that I have trouble keeping my feet warm any moisture encountered is frozen solid, so the only problem that could cause wet feet is sweat. I typically only ever break out the booties if it will be 0 F or below and I never take them on tour. In a pinch you could go with the bread bags over your socks approach, but I have never bothered to on tour even when it was in the mid teens in the morning.

jefnvk

Just bought a pair of neoprene ones, unfortunately haven't had the chance to try them out yet. Intended use is simply colder weather touring, if its warm and I am around home I just get wet, but they were one piece of equipment that I really wished I had last tour.

As you mentioned SPD cleat, I assume you have some sort of mountain shoes. My mountain shoes were at the bottom end of one sizing for the covers, I bought the next size up, and they still barely fit over the shoes. Something to keep in mind.

raybo

Like the others, I tried the neoprene ones, seal-skinz socks, and the nylon ones. They either didn't work well, were hard to put on, or weren't comfortable. I would just go without, but really didn't like it.

I was constantly on the lookout for a solution to wet shoes. Climbing up a mountain in the UK, I had the idea of using plastic water bottles on the end of my shoes as a rain barrier. When I got home, I did some experimenting and came up with a gaiter/water bottle combination that works as well as or better than any of the others. I now carry these "shoe-ins" with me whenever I tour. Here is the article I wrote about them. There easy to make and weigh virtually nothing.

Leebo

Cold weather, water proof boots and flats. Warm weather, sandals with or without socks. Or just start with waterproof shoes of whatever pedal you are using?

BikeLite

Nice job Raybo.

Tourist in MSN

I have some that I cut a hole for the SPD cleats. But, with several different pairs of shoes, that hole had to grow because different shoes had different sole shapes. And pretty soon I quit using that pair.

The ones in the photo are not official rain covers, they were gore windstopper fabric for warmth, but I used them for an all day rainy day on a gravel road. Before they got covered with mud, they were high vis color. Right now, these are my favorite shoe covers that I will use for rain on cool days. REI no longer sells the ones I got, but they still have a link for them.
https://www.rei.com/product/820997/g...ke-shoe-covers

I have some neoprene ones, but I only use them in winter for sub-freezing weather.

If I am touring in warm weather regions, I wear the Keen cycling sandals and they are wider, do not fit my rain covers well. But in warm weather I have generally just gotten wet feet and skipped the covers.

Squeezebox

Some hikers use plastic bread bags in their shoes. Has anyone tried that with cycling shoes?

mrveloman

I've used sandals in the past and just got wet but then I usually ride in warm weather. I've been seriously thinking of buying these to try out for my next tour: https://www.velotoze.com/products/ta...iant=809239023

mike

DropBarFan

Tried bread bags under shoes/sandals for cycling & walking, works pretty well vs getting feet soaked in freezing slush. Was surprised when a former Ottowa motorcycle courier said they commonly used the bread bag trick.

BikeLite

If using bread bags in shoes, try putting the insole in the bread bag before putting in shoe to prevent slippage inside shoe. Some winter hikers use that technique.

andrewclaus

On the AT, we called it "Bagtex." Very common, and it works well on a bike too, especially in melting snow on mountain passes. Bread bags are always in my pack in the shoulder seasons. I no longer carry shoe covers.

BigAura

+1 I tried and ditched seal-skinz for the same reasons along with sweating-wetness anyway. Wool socks & sandals are my preference for touring. My feet do get wet but not cold, and it quickly dries. I'd use the bread-bag method if it was extreme icy-cold-slush.

andrewclaus

I also go for the wet but warm method in summer. It seems to work better than trying all manner of things in a futile attempt to keep dry out there!

djb

I obviously have different experiences than some of you guys, as I have used simple more or less waterproof rain booties for years. I have an extremely old and tired pair of tough nylon type ones that I in fact wore for most of yesterday riding about 50km in mountainy, on and off light rain terrain, in about 20c weather.
Was the first time on this trip that I wore them for more than 10 minutes, but especially as I'm in a damp, rainy area now, I personally prefer to keep my shoes from getting all soaked, as they would take days to dry out.

fietsbob

I did get shoe covers, but the ones I got 20 years ago are not made any more..

now I wear rubber shoes. ( LL Bean)

bikenh

Even neoprene booties don't keep the water out. The trouble isn't the rain from the top but the slap up through the bolts holes in the bottom of the shoes. I think that is where the bulk majority of wetness comes from. My feet get wet during the winter with neoprene booties on all winter long whenever I'm out with wet pavement. It always seems to be the bottom of the feet and nowhere else that I notice the problem. It has to be coming from the bolt holes.

DropBarFan

Possible to seal up the bolt holes with silicone caulk or something? Would be nice if booties weren't problematic, OTOH at least we can buy double-sided pedals if weather etc gets too bad for cleats.

djb

I don't get the bolt hole concern, I've never had water come in from below in my SPD shoes.

LeeG

Gore Tex socks over wool socks and shoes that aren't tight. If it's raining so much that water will run down into socks then rain pants over socks. My shoes were soaked but my feet were warm and dry. Did this commuting and changed into dry shoes at work.