Here in the high desert, we spend a lot of the fall and winter riding in cool but not quite frigid weather. Days often start around 30 degrees and top out in the low 50s: too warm for full-blown shoe cover but too chilly for nothing at all. It’s in this nether-range that Louis Garneau’s T-Cover thrives. Essentially a very lightweight toe cover with a heel strap, the T-Cover is the best I’ve tried.
On the road bike, the lightweight and stretchy Stopzone fabric does a great job at conforming to the shoe while keeping wind and water at bay. The heel strap is cut in a way that allows easy access to shoes’ top ratcheting and dial adjusters- a boon on longer rides- and a couple of reflective hits help to keep the wearer visible during nighttime outings. If the day warms, the pair pack down to a ball not much bigger than an egg, taking up minimal pocket space.
It’s only off road that the T-Covers’ lightweight construction becomes a liability. Despite a pair of toe stud holes, the covers’ bases simply aren’t up to any real time off the bike. Which is a shame- they otherwise stay in place better than any other toe covers for dirt riding too- without being prone to overheating.
Because the T-Covers work so well, I’ve bought a pair each fall for the past three years, keeping a pristine pair with my road kit and hammering the previous year’s pair in the dirt. At $25, the price is reasonable and roadies shouldn’t think twice about picking up a pair. Mountain bikers, on the other hand, should expect a short life- or join me in bugging Louis Garneau for a ruggedized mountain version.
marc
