#7093

I’m actually wearing my flat trail running shoes for commuting atm anyway :+1:

What sort of overshoes are good?

#7094

they’re all a bit shit in my experience. if i was in the market i’d get neoprene ones with velcro closure rather than a zip

#7095

Anyone else doing the Dirty Reiver in April?

#7096

I believe there is a small Penge lot going (not me).

#7097

i was actually a bit hot if anything, even if my wahoo was showing a temperature of -2 for loads of the ride. borders of belgium training starts NOW guys!

1 Like
#7098

i’ve fancied it for a while but don’t think i can make it this year. you doing it?

#7099

I’ve got friends who’ve done it. It’s a bit of a slog apparently (I don’t think the scenery or terrain are especially varied), especially if the weather is bad - but plenty of people enjoy a slog , so …

#7100

Planning to cycle Dublin >Belfast which is 200km,trying to work out the earliest I can do it, in terms of getting fit and weather wise, don’t wanna cycle that far with bits in the dark, im not an AW.

#7101

a “leisurely” 200km takes me about 11 hours (that’s including stops) if there’s about 2000m of climbing. longer if hillier, less if flatter. ish. obvs may / june / july are best in terms of daylight and weather.

if you can comfortably ride 100km without feeling broken afterwards, you will probably be okay riding 200km. might be an idea to do a ~150km ride before, but not essential imo.

#7102

Not at the moment I don’t reckon :expressionless:

All depends how often and how long I can get out there. The hills round here are gonna be pretty out of bounds at the first sign of frost, there’s only so many loops of the airport I can be bothered to do…

#7103

Best bet is North to Newry, across the Mournes to Newcastle then into Belfast from there imo. Should be ok to the border, but potentially lumpy to Newcastle and pretty flat to Belfast. If I can find my ride from Birr to Newcastle and Newcastle to Belfast, I’ll send them over

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#7104

Yeah, I’m not too worried about hills, although I have a feeling the mournes might be more savage than they look. It’s just the all day riding…

Bunged it into a route planner without editing and it came up as ~2000m elevation…

If I want to skip the mournes there is a canal towpath cycle route that goes all the way from Newry to portadown, which will then spit me out round the back of some other hills for the final section of the ride …

#7105

Those hills around Newry are dead and there’s a great descent into Newcastle. Highly recommended

#7106

I also am in the market for an overshoe as cold feet is definitely my limiting factor from the bike at the moment (oh, plus the fact I cba to change a puncture at the moment…) Anyone got a link or anything to ones that worked well? We still using Wiggle or what?

#7107

just make sure your bike is comfy and you’ve got enough food (or routed through places you can buy supplies) and layers. it’s quite surprising how quickly temperatures can change when you’re outside all day, especially going from cities into rural areas. i’ve experienced temperature changes of 20 degrees over the course of a 200km ride before i reckon. i guess not really a problem in the summer, but in winter, cold can really get into your bones over the course of the day.

1 Like
#7108

i got some endura ones, they’re fine

bought white ones because they were cheaper. don’t buy white ones.

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#7109

it goes against what i said about a zip, but i’ve had some caratti ones before which were alright*. they have some “deep winter” ones:

planet x also do cheaper ones.

pair with woolie boolies and you might be okay.

*the problem i found with overshoes is they disintegrate if you walk around with them on (which i did, commuting and doing very long rides). i have so many pairs is various states of disrepair. because i have fat calves / ankles i often find them really difficult to actually get on and do up around the bottom of my leg, so in the end i just gave up and got a pair of winter boots: diadora “polarex plus” off ebay for £34. i am choosing to ignore the fact that the sole has come away from the bottom of the shoe (easily fixable with some epoxy, unlike overshoes which just have to be chucked when you get enough holes in them), because other than that, they have kept me warm (50km @ -2 degrees last night) and dry in downpours.

1 Like
#7110

A long time since I used them obviously, but I had a great pair of sportful Roubaix thermal ones. Very decent. Not neoprene, warm, good zip, dry.

1 Like
#7111

*strong muscular calves / ankles

#7112

thanks m9