Winter Riding! The flat pedal paradox...
Frederic de Montaigu
If you are not lucky enough to live in a rather dry place such as California, most winter becomes an endless attempt to remain as dry and warm as possible.
And if like me, you live somewhere with technical natural trails (ie rock and roots everywhere), that also append to get covered in white powder and eventually freeze, you are likely to either ride flat pedals all year or at least prefer to swap back to them in winter as front or rear (or both for extra fun) tyres tend to let go without warning...
Until last year, there were NO quality, grippy flat pedals' shoes that had any thermal quality.
This changed, with the arrival of the FiveTen EPS.
I was lucky enough to be offered a pair by FiveTen a couple of months ago as they had a Freeriders EPS High in my size as a leftover sample of 2017 collection.
As much as I really like them. And that they are a very very big improvement in terms of waterproofing/weatherproofing and thermal ability on the old Freeriders (elements or not), but...
They are in no way warm enough and once freezing water as made its way down your legs and inside your shoes... This all game over and you just start looking for the fastest way back.
This is where the new Endura MT500 Plus overshoes come handy. Until their release a few weeks ago, no overshoes on the market were anywhere near suitable for use with flat pedals.
The first thing you need to know is that unless you have feet between EU39 and EU43, you are plain out of luck so far...
And the second is that you can't trust those picture that makes it put them on look like an easy, joyful event.
My first attempt included a fair amount of swearing in at least 3 languages...
The fact that Endura posted a 'how to' video for this purpose only is a witness to the fact that they are a real pain to put on...
It saves both on shoe cleaning time at the end as well as about a week worth of drying up (FiveTens are notoriously good at retaining moister once introduced in them)
as well as keeping my feet, dry, warm and clean!
Overall, this is a great product that you soon forget as it doesn't interfere at all with your riding and only warn and dry feet remind you that there is something different now on your wintery rides....
In Sweden, they can be found in a couple of online retailers.
At the time I write this the cheaper option is here http://www.cykelkraft.se/skooverdrag-endura-mt500-plus
