WomensCycling.net
WomensCycling.net
PRODUCT REVIEWS
Products of the Year
WomensCycling.net has tested many items throughout the year, on our travels, at races, in races and training. All of the products have been purchased and used in the same manner as anyone else would do - nothing has been received for test from suppliers or manufacturers, the items listed below are therefore considered as serious contenders for something you might like to buy for yourself.
Chapak Gore-Tex Overshoes
click for a larger image 
When
the going gets cool or wet, these overshoes are superb. Imported by Mike
Dyason, they represent the value for money it is customary to expect from
his product range. Whilst on a cool, dry day, his Ozzo neoprene overshoes offer
extremely good value and durability in a basis product, the Chapak Gore-Tex
overshoes are luxury and robustness in one.
The
uppers are made from "flexible Gore-Tex", which is breathable yet
waterproof, the soles are rubber. Supplied with various shoeplate patterns to
cut out on the bottom, the choice is left to you - therefore minimising the
amount of unnecessary cutting which must be done before use. Dyason's website
even suggests adding a size to your normal & no cutting at all if you want
to ride in trainers.
Entry
is from the rear, with a full length zip, protected by a generous velcro-sealed
flap. The Gore-Tex upper is relatively elastic and feels a bit flimsy compared
to the Gore-Tex you might find in a jacket, for instance. However, with a bit of
care putting on and off shoes, performance on the road soon dispels any concern
about robustness & waterproofness.
As
would be the case with any other waterproof shoe covers, your feet are kept dry
and therefore warmth is more easily maintained. However, if your legwear
(tights, or Lance Armstrong-esque long socks) just above the top of the
overshoes gets wet, you will suffer from downwards seeping wetness. There is not
too much you can do about this, unless you also wear overtrousers, which extend
to below the overshoes....
On
a cool day, these overshoes generate very little sweat and insulation
performance is good. This makes the overshoes a viable alternative to neoprene
or other materials which keep you warm, but which may cause you to sweat unduly.
Not
the kind of thing you would want to race in due to their shape / cut, otherwise
a great product for non-race, training, leisure riding.
Price : £39.50
+44(0)1767 317011
