willtsmith_nwi

Has anyone else here tried gaiters for cycling. I got a nice pair of Outdoor Research gaiters because I can't afford the big $$$ for nice tights. I use cheap nylon pants from Wal-Mart with suspenders over cycling shorts. They end up hiked up for a nice fit in the split but the gaiters cover everything up down their in addition to covering up the opening of the cycling boots.

I found that the gaiters helped keep my feet warmer by insulating the whole lower leg while the upper leg (where all the heat is generated) was allowed to ventilate.

Why use lousy pant cinches when gaiters cover everything up and keeps the snow and splash out.

lala

It sounds like a great idea!

buzzman

I use gaiters and neoprene shoe covers and cheap rain pants. There are times on my commute I go through 6- 8" of water and the gaiters make the difference between dry feet and a shoe full of water.

DCCommuter

Gaiters are also very helpful in keeping water and snow out of the tops of your shoes or boots. Otherwise the motion of cycling tends to drive the water past cuff cinches.

Just make sure there are no dangling cords.

Machka 

You must not ride in very cold temperatures. A combination like that and you'd freeze your knees right off where I live!!


But the gaiters idea is interesting for warmer, wet days.

Bekologist

I've used OR gaiters for riding in snow to keep the road slop down. Work real well for drift busting or spring slop. For riding in serious arctic conditions, though, a pair of USAF mukluks with integrated gaiter are the (non cycling specific) footwear BOMB. Just don't wear them anywhere near freezing temps.
I find gaiters to generally be too waterproof for active sports, and the wet inside the gaiter is not worth the benefit of wearing them a lot of the time. If I need gaiters I prefer a short, 'puttee' type ankle gaiter that still keeps the shoes dry. Haven't worn these cycling though.

And a tip: To keep the strap on OR gaiters tucked in, feed the instep strap thru the buckle backwards (hard to explain, but fiddle with it and its apparant) and the strap will feed INSIDE the gaiter instead of hanging loose on the outside.

vrkelley

I'm gonna take the plunge here-others may have a different experience. The reason why you need gaitors on a bicycle is because the pants OR boots are not doing their job.

If you have unlimited $$, scrap the failing stuff and buy the correct equipment. But if you're like the rest of us, get the gaitors. As you ride determine which equipment is NOT working. i.e., pants too short? Shoes taking on water? Bad water proofing?

Then as the stuff wears out, save up and buy the something that will actually work.

mike

For what you paid for a pair of OR gaiters, you should have been able to buy a pair of tights.

Anyway, gaitors are just great all round for winter riding even if you have tights. Gaitors keep the slush off your legs and off your shoes. Your feet will be warmer and your clothes will be cleaner by using gaitors. With tights only, if you hit a slush puddle the slush runs down your leg and into your shoes. Gaitors protect you from that kind of experience.

By the way, what kind of winter riding do you do?

cdale56

Good to read this.

I have been wanting to get gators to cover the socks bewteen tights and boots in slush and cold rain.

Ouch, I can feel the pain now.

vrkelley

0-2" of snow. When it's snowy or rainy, I use the waterproof pants or Schoeller WB-400 pants. Both are extra long to cover the shoe when the leg is bent. The mt bike shoe goes up further on the ankle so I don't need a gaitor anymore.

Yes the gaitors are good depending on what your sitch is.

willtsmith_nwi

Well, I figured I can have a nice pair of gaiters that I can use for hiking and cycling. Than I really don't need tights (since the bulky material around the leg is all "bottled up"). Yes, I could by cheap tights that would let all the water in. The good ones are expensive.

I just started winter cycling off road on technical singletrack. Went for a 10 mile ride today. I'm still trying to tweak my gear. After a few rides I am starting to think I need to "bite the bullet" and be cold as hell when I leave the trailhead. I keep having to stop to strip off layers. Lucky I carry a HAWG with me ;-)

The next item on the list is the Camelbak thermal control kit so I don't have to keep blowing back into the pack. This is useful in summer as well to keep liquid cool.

No doubt if I had lots of $$$ I would make different choices on how to outfit myself. And no doubt if I were road cycling, I would be after some gear that was a lot more aerodynamic. In 4" of snow, I'm lucky to go 6mph, aerodynamics doesn't matter much.

willtsmith_nwi

A common comment I have read is that boots don't form a water tight seal, hence slush gets in. It's true for ALL the cycling boots as you can't form a waterproof/resistant seal against a sock.

GGDub

I ride with a good pearl izumi waterproof booty. Creates a great seal to keep crap out. More importantly, it keeps water from coming in the toe of my shoe. If you're riding in normal boots, I can see where the gaiter has its advantages, but I'd wonder about the durability of the drivetrain side gaiter since it may come in contact with the chainring.

stegosaupus

Here's another vote for gaiters! MEC had Schoeller/Ferrata short gaiters on clearance for $20 last week (looks like they're gone, but there are still some waterproof-breatheable gaiters here ) - I'm picking up some reflective tape tonight to sew on permastripes - I'll be more visible and have less slushy shoes post-commute.

Bekologist

Schoeller shorties for $20CDN? Good lord, you Canadians are sensible folk.

mike

Good thinking with the reflective tape, stegosaupus! I did the same thing and it works great. I use gaitors throughout the winter and it also happens to be dark during most of of the commuting hours in winter, so I naturally have leg reflectors now when I need them most.

Another good thing about gaitors is that they do keep your legs a little warmer than not having any.

pinerider

I have a pair I got for Christmas a long time ago and never used for skiing. I only use them for biking when it's really slushy and salty to keep the crud off my legs. I wear lined nylon windpants, they're long enough to give plenty of overlap over my short Sorel boots.