Gore Bike Wear Thermo Overshoes

, February 4, 2015

Perhaps the toughest thing about early morning winter cycling is the shock of swapping a warm bed for a whistling chill right at dawn. While you’re busy thrusting a high cadence to shake some energy into your limbs, your feet shuffle barely inches above the frozen tarmac. So imagine if you could convince them with the gift of warmth, and put them back into bed in a pair of booties.

Aware that my winter might be ruined without a pair of solid booties, I got hold of a pair of Gore Road Thermo Overshoes in December and have proceeded with them into the wet depths of the Chiltern Hills during my winter rides. Patched together from GORE-TEX and neoprene, the Thermo Overshoes were well qualified for the despair I was about to throw at them.

GORE-TEX materials are used in the Thermo Overshoe to create a windproof and waterproof membrane around your cycling shoe. Because of the combination of fabrics, the overshoes allow some degree of breathability, so you don’t bake during your ride. Whereas a full neoprene membrane might be overkill for cold, dry rides, and a full windbreaker insufficient for wet rides, the pairing of fabrics ensures the best of both worlds – pretty good waterproofing and windproofing, giving your feet that second chance against brutal weather.

Clamped around the sole part of the overshoe, a gnarly looking fabric is resistant to abrasion from road surfaces and pavement. During one of my test rides, I did take a spill to my right side which ripped the fabric in this part of the shoe. Since then, I’ve seen no widening of the dime-sized slits – a good sign if you take into account the inevitable cuts you’ll get from being on the road. Cut-outs for the heel and pedal are substantial, and work for all pedal types.

With a thick velcro strap on the ankle, neoprene cuff and anatomical design, the Thermo Overshoe fitted by 44 Euro cycling shoes perfectly. As a nice touch, the writing ‘GORE-TEX’ is in high-vis material on the ankle and outside of the foot, though I wouldn’t bank on this keeping you visible through the winter (Gore have some fluorescent offerings in overshoes).
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