Winter Prep :(

Wrath Rob

I was out last night in Richmond Park but had to curtail my laps due to the encroaching gloom Basically by 8:15 I was regretting not having any lights :shock:

So, with a few merchants still running sales I've been prepping for winter. DHB bib-tights are cheap and a good deal on a Gore Phantom soft-shell have been snapped up.

The last item on my list is a decent set of winter shoes. The past winter I was using DHB road shoes with taped vents and a set of overshoes. For the coming winter I'd like something more suited to the task, especially as I plan on doing some longer evening rides through the winter. Water generally leaks through the tops overshoes after a while and if not there it eventually comes through the shoes anyway. And this is with running mud guards!

Looking around, the Northwave GTX seem good but I've also seen some Sidi Hydro GTX boots for £120 which seem pretty well rated. There are also some Shimano RW80's at a similar price point. For this much money I need something that will last at least a couple of winters rather than fall apart after the first year

Anyone got experience of any of these? Or anything else similar?

dhope

What size are you?
I have Northwave GTX (the SPD rather than SPD-SL) which are a shade too big.

Wrath Rob

dhope wrote:

What size are you?
I have Northwave GTX (the SPD rather than SPD-SL) which are a shade too big.

42's, running SPD-SL's on all machines apart from the MTB. Apart from being a little too large, would you recommend them?

dhope

Wrath Rob wrote:

dhope wrote:

What size are you?
I have Northwave GTX (the SPD rather than SPD-SL) which are a shade too big.

42's, running SPD-SL's on all machines apart from the MTB. Apart from being a little too large, would you recommend them?

Yep, but your silly girly feet are too small for me to try and flog them to you. But they're good
I've also got Sidi Hydro GTX's that I've not even used because I run SPDs on everything :roll:

What you do need is something to stop the water getting into the top of the boots. Couple of times I've just thrown on the Northwaves when my other shoes were a bit too wet but it's not been cold enough for tights - then I collected pools of water from the rain running into the tops.

jonginge

Needed my lights on the way home every night this week. A bit depressing.

dhope

JonGinge wrote:

Needed my lights on the way home every night this week. A bit depressing.

Needed mine 2 days. Really should remember to bring them to work :oops:

TommyEss

I've got the SPD and SPD-SL/Look version of these (Celsius and Fahrenheit I believe) - they're both good, although I had to go up a size in the SPD ones weirdly...

Agree about water getting in - but that's an issue with all boots - to be fair, if it's really peeing down, you're wet regardless - at least the gore tex will keep the wind off you - once you've warmed that little bit of water up you're squelchy but not frost-bitten.

I've used them plenty to be honest (my feet really feel the cold) - and I think at the very coldest I've teamed with several socks, including ski socks, tights with 3/4 roubiax underneath, and overshoes...

rolf_f

I have a pair of Northwave Celcius. I have to admit they don't really keep my feet that warm no matter what combinations of socks I use combined with the BBB Ultraflex overshoes but I do have poor circulation and plenty of folk on here who I hate say they are toasty in them!

What I would say is that after two winters, admittedly covered by the overshoes, they still look brand new.

Paul E

I finish at 8 anyway so my light commutes only last a couple of months tops, so lights tend to stay on my bike

UndercoverElephant

I bought some NW Fahrenheits at the end of last winter. Not worn them yet, hope they're good. They replace some Diadora Chili Extremes, which were very waterproof and quite warm, but died after a couple of winters.

rubertoe

Cheapish Mavics??

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/42092/Mav ... n=pid42092

djfleming22

I noticed this on the news one night that it gets dark in England about 8.00 pm in Scotland we are still light at the moment till about 9.00pm but as said getting a bit depressing... winter nights not far away,,, not make much difference about the weather its been raining here for a 1000 years never mind the days

raymondo60

But we haven't had 'summer' yet!???

It was rather gloomy last night, although the overcast conditions didn't help. I rode the trail around RP on way home about 7:00 last night on the Cross bike and it was still reasonably bright then. I keep a set of 'Scullys' permanently on the bike - always good to have lights on the commute anytime of year.

cjcp

Yep, lights needed tonight, too. Boooooo!

roger_merriman

I always end up at some point needed lights even in mid summer since i work shifts, this said warm summer evening freewheeling though the gloom under the trees is lovely.

not commuting but for pleasure rides I will need to get some non vented shoes for winter as below zero with vented shoes does get a tad cold after a while.

Applespider

I got a pair of Lakes last year that looked a little like diving boots but were eVent and kept my feet dry throughout the winter... a decent pair of merino socks or ski socks underneath and my toes stayed warm even if that chilly spell at the end of Jan. They're not that stiff-soled unfortunately but were pretty robust. I think Cyclesurgery have them in their sale at the moment in a variety of sizes.

Am considering one of the Phantoms that Evans has going cheap at the moment...

cjcp

The Phantoms should really be re-named The Dogs' Doo Daas.

Get one.

UndercoverElephant

Hmmm... may have just bought a rear dynamo light and a fibre flare for the backpack. Didn't use the dynamo to power the rear light last year - just the front - but the front light was so fantastic, it seems stoopid to keep putting batteries in the rear light.

Go back to Tywin and tell him winter is coming.

Wrath Rob

Thanks all, and rubertoe for the tips on the cheap Mavics. Off to read some reviews of those now...

il_principe

Word of warning re DHB - I eschewed the turbo this year and trained on the road from Jan onwards. Wore my DHB's once and nearly got frostbite in the groinal area. Not recommended!

Also own a pair of Northwave winter boots. They keep the feet toasty but are useless in the rain.

rjsterry

Il Principe wrote:

Word of warning re DHB - I eschewed the turbo this year and trained on the road from Jan onwards. Wore my DHB's once and nearly got frostbite in the groinal area. Not recommended!

Also own a pair of Northwave winter boots. They keep the feet toasty but are useless in the rain.

Not noticed this myself, with the same tights and weather conditions. Fingers, toes and ears, were numb, but everywhere else was fine. Maybe the baselayer with a rather long cut helped.

Wrath Rob

rjsterry wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

Word of warning re DHB - I eschewed the turbo this year and trained on the road from Jan onwards. Wore my DHB's once and nearly got frostbite in the groinal area. Not recommended!

Also own a pair of Northwave winter boots. They keep the feet toasty but are useless in the rain.

Not noticed this myself, with the same tights and weather conditions. Fingers, toes and ears, were numb, but everywhere else was fine. Maybe the baselayer with a rather long cut helped.

I've got padded shorts then tights over the top. Gives me more options ranging from slightly cool (dhb 190g lycra) to chuffing freezing (Gore full winter double thickness super tights). I get cold hands and feet but weirdly my head and ears are fine.

IP, thanks for the heads up re the boots. Does running your tights over the neoprene cuff make any difference?

monkeycowboy

I've got the Northwave Fahrenheit boots. Wearing them in heavy rain, they just fill up I have mudguards and hairy legs, so already doing all I can already to prevent as much as I can from running in. This year I'm going to try some dry-suit cuffs as gaiters.

Wrath Rob

DHB tights turned up, in line with expectations.

Gore Phantom softshell arrived too, it certainly feels like its going to do the job, though I'm not sure how often I'll be removing the long sleeves to just leave the thin, inner ones.

Now all I need are the shoes.

cjcp

I spent most of this winter with the sleeves off, just wearing a LS baselayer and arm warmers. Kept the sleeves for the really cold and/or wet days.

Wrath Rob

cjcp wrote:

I spent most of this winter with the sleeves off, just wearing a LS baselayer and arm warmers. Kept the sleeves for the really cold and/or wet days.

LS base-layer and arm-warmers? I'm struggling with the why and the how for that! Surely the point of arm warmers is that you can roll them down if it gets warmer. If it stays cold then wouldn't you just wear a long sleeve outer layer? As for how, warmers under the base layer?

Confused!

TommyEss

I often wear arm warmers in winter underneath a long sleeve baselayer - I then put the gloves over the arm warmer cuff but under the baselayer sleeve, so I get a good barrier to those horrible cold wrist joints.

*(That's a lot easier to do than it is to put down in words!)

cjcp

Wrath Rob wrote:

cjcp wrote:

I spent most of this winter with the sleeves off, just wearing a LS baselayer and arm warmers. Kept the sleeves for the really cold and/or wet days.

LS base-layer and arm-warmers? I'm struggling with the why and the how for that! Surely the point of arm warmers is that you can roll them down if it gets warmer. If it stays cold then wouldn't you just wear a long sleeve outer layer? As for how, warmers under the base layer?

Confused!

Warmers over the baselayer. It's a little cooler than using the full sleeves, and means that you don't necessarily need to use the sleeves all the time or keep taking them on and off. I use the sleeves when I want to be really warm.

il_principe

I invested in a Rapha softshell last year (they kindly sent me a 20% off code for it) and I was very impressed (so impressed that I bought a softshell Gilet as well!). Kept me toasty warm in Jan/Feb on some seriously cold rides out into Surrey. Might invest in some toe covers this years as those are really the only parts of my feet that suffered last winter.

dhope

Il Principe wrote:

I invested in a Rapha softshell last year (they kindly sent me a 20% off code for it) and I was very impressed (so impressed that I bought a softshell Gilet as well!). Kept me toasty warm in Jan/Feb on some seriously cold rides out into Surrey. Might invest in some toe covers this years as those are really the only parts of my feet that suffered last winter.

Toe covers are awesome.

the_fuggler

On a winter-related theme - I know the ay-up lights have been very popular in these parts. Just seen that worldwide shipping is currently free. Not sure how long for.