Riding in the Rain: a Bootie-Boots Solution
Nice jacket, ridiculously small zipper pull
Whoever spec’d this small of a pull on a zipper has not ridden in the rain with gloves on and cold hands. Offsetting the zipper with a tiny pull makes it even harder to vent the jacket or close it. Suggest they spend some time in a outdoor gear test shower at 35 – 40 degrees, zipping and unzipping their jacket, repeatedly until they promise to forever spec a larger pull.
Like I’d ridden off the set of the Matrix in the rain
To the shoe setup this rainy season, I’ve got this thing about keeping my feet warm and dry. I’ve tried every combination there is; going as far back as socks over your shoes, before we had booties. That’s right, like Madonna used to wear her underwear on the outside, we’d ride with socks over our shoes. They’d soak through in a few seconds and looked stupid.
Fast forward a few years and cyclists have many choices in booties. Under these Assos rain booties are Vittoria boots for a bootie-boots solution. Bonus is the bootsie setup looks like it belongs on the feet of that hot chick from the Matrix, if she had cankles.
Before you complain about the $150 cost of the Assos, see above where I mentioned many choices, including the Sugois I’ve recommend and ridden in for years.
Important is the tight cuff on the bootie, to prevent water from running down your shin and into the shoe/boot. You can also run a Gore-type sock, but I don’t like a pool of water in the shoe either. Also in on test are booties from Castelli and Nalini.
The Windtek in the Vittorias is for warmth and the bootie seals out the water. What I don’t ride with anymore in the Winter is thick wool socks because my toes eventually go numb from lack of circulation. Find Vittoria and Assos at a bike shop near you. The Artica MTB cost $265.00.