Bicycle gloves and shoe covers for cold and rain: how to choose

Separate wind, water and insulation

Thin wind protection can be convenient for active driving in cool, dry weather. A warmer model adds insulation, and the design for rain should also take into account the ingress of water. These properties are combined in different ways: the thickest glove is not necessarily the best protection against wet cuffs.

Estimate how much time you will spend in motion and waiting. For an intensive cross-country race and the road to it may need different protection. It is more convenient to consider the second dry pair as a separate part of the kit if you have to wait a long time after the finish. Do not buy a thing only at the specified temperature: people, pace and conditions have a different range of comfort.

Try on the gloves on your steering wheel

Check the arm measurements with the model table, then check the fit. The fingertips should not rest, and the palm should gather in a thick fold. Bend your fingers and grasp the steering wheel in a familiar grip. The volume on the back and the pads on the palm can be felt differently in a highway and straight steering wheel.

1. Reach for the brake handles and gently press them several times.
2. Check all the necessary buttons and shift levers.
3. Try to open the zipper, get the right thing and use the bike computer standing still.
4. Combine the cuff with the sleeve of the jacket: check the overlap and freedom of movement.

The marketing promise of a touchscreen experience is not a substitute for checking a specific screen. The main purpose of gloves on a bicycle is to maintain convenient control, and not to provide correspondence on the go.

Start with a free space in your shoes

Wear the selected socks and fasten your shoes as before the trip. There should be enough space for the fingers; a few socks, after which you have to tighten the clasp tightly, are not an automatic improvement in insulation. Check the sensations while sitting and standing, not counting that the discomfort will disappear after the start.

A sock, a thin cover on the toe of the shoe and a full shoe shoe cover solve different tasks. For a route with frequent walking, it is important what happens to the sole and open areas. A highway model with a large neckline for a spike may not be suitable for MTB shoes. Look for an indication of the destination and check the fit on your pair, not just the size according to the table.

Checking shoe covers before departure

• The material does not fall between the spike and the pedal and does not interfere with fastening and quilting.
• The plantar elements are not twisted; fasteners and zipper do not touch moving parts.
• The shoe covers the shoes without excessive tension at the seams.
• The top is combined with clothes on the lower leg, and the clasp can be used independently.
• The walking allowed by the manufacturer corresponds to the route: running through mud loads the bottom more than a few steps in the parking lot.

Test the contact pedals in place with a reliable support, then in a quiet short exit. You can not find out that the fabric blocks quilting, only before the first intersection.

What to do with water and drying

Water can penetrate through the top of the shoe, holes and joints. Therefore, shoe covers should not be considered a sealed package. Check the combination of cuffs and pants by the design of things, and after the trip, remove the protection and dry the shoes separately. It is impossible to accelerate drying by strong heating, if the manufacturer does not allow it.

Examples of protecting hands and shoes from wind and water are Trek. This helps to separate the purpose of things, but does not confirm the convenience of a particular model on your hand or shoe. Check the care rules with the labels; the general principle is explained in GOREWEAR Instructions.

How to understand what the kit lacks

If it is cold only on the descent, first evaluate the wind protection. If things are wet inside after an intensive section, check if there is too much insulation. If it is inconvenient to slow down already indoors, a change in the weather will not fix the landing problem. These observations allow you to change a specific element, and not the entire wardrobe at once.

If the sensitivity or ability to use the brakes deteriorates, do not continue the "patience test": stop in a suitable place and look for an opportunity to warm up. Articles will help to assemble the rest of the kit about the base layer and about rain protection.