Protecting Your Shoes on the Ride

By Larisa Chinces & Robert Thorpe

** Images by Larisa Chinces & Andrei Dina

Wrapping your Lake shoes in love...

There’s one element within life and cycling that is always out of our control, and always will be. We can get ourselves fitter and healthier, and we can choose where we ride, and in which cycling kit. Hey, we can even choose where we live and where we visit on a cycling vacation, but... we simply cannot choose the weather. Add to this, that the mountain areas and hilly places that we often choose to visit on our cycling holidays, are often the most unpredictable places for the weather - we often place ourselves in the greatest risk.

Unpredictable Weather

It’s no fun cycling along with cold feet, wet feet or even cold AND wet feet. Both Robert and I live in mountainous areas, and yes, the weather is unpredictable. You can choose to wear Gore-Tex socks, but why – your feet won't breathe that well, and it may not be raining when you set off, or it may simply be the cold wind that you want to hold at bay.

Often, when it’s warm in the valley’s too, it may be overcast and damp in the higher hills and on the summit cols. We frequently think ‘I’ll pack a jacket’, but how often do we think ‘I’ll pack some shoe covers.’

Riding in the Yorkshire Dales National Park once, and heading over the 2014 Tour de France route, climbing Grinton Bank, we were hit by an unexpected hailstorm. The temperature suddenly began to drop, and we were then hit by large balls of ice at speed, as the sky opened its venom onto us, causing us to ride faster to stay warm and to find shelter. We had to leave a rider at Jervaulx Abbey tearooms, as they were almost hypothermic! However, whilst we cannot always predict the weather, we can wear of take shoe covers with us, protecting our feet and protecting our Lake cycling shoes from getting wet and requiring hours of drying out.

Cycling Shoe Covers

Did you know too, that wearing cycling shoe covers can save you around 5 watts in power, meaning that if you’re racing TT and looking for marginal gains in performance, then shoe covers are a must. In the main though, at this time of year – spring and summer – we just need something light, windproof, stretchy, strong and well made. Feet are one of the most sensitive parts of our bodies, and so cold winds can cause vasoconstriction. Ultimately, when the temperature is low, less blood reaches the extremities of the body and the cold sensation increases.

Polymid is a great material for summer shoe covers, and is used by leading brands such as GripGrab and ALÉ. With the zip neatly tucked away at the back, the summer cycling shoe covers are designed for slim road-bike shoes such as our Lake CX 302, the CX 332, and the CX 403. As mentioned, if you’re time trialling, then they’re also a great choice for maximising performance, giving your Lake shoes added aerodynamics, along with sleek looks, a fast feel and that very valuable insurance against the elements.

CX 302 $379.99

CX 403 $549.99

Performance, Protection & Style

We spend many hours researching cyclist's feet, and designing our Lake Cycling Shoes to be the very best cycling shoes in the world. We believe that we achieve the perfect balance between performance, protection and style. That’s what it means to be Lake – to be the best, and to give cyclists the ultimate in cycling shoe comfort. The weather, however, and your own TT performance is out of our control. Adding a high-quality pair of cycling shoe covers from a leading brand, and slipping them into your pockets, or wearing them over your Lake Cycling Shoes, will not only protect your feet and your shoes, it’ll also give you those all-important marginal gains, with style as an added extra. And, after all, you deserve it – you're wearing the world’s best cycling shoes!