GripGrab Race Thermo X Overshoes

In terms of their performance on the mountain bike, these shoes are  excellent. My editor swears by them, and they are robust and solid and keep the water and river runs out as much as they can. That being said, the large open under shoe area does let in some water on rivers. However, the lack of zipper (which I’ll come back too) means that there’s no area of weakness for wet on those extra muddy mtb trails. The neoprene collar is useful, holding the cuff tight against the ankle. However, this is something I’ll come back to later, as it’s stitching quality seems variable and at odds with the quality of stitching elsewhere. Maybe it was just this pair, I don’t know. GripGrab are renowned for their quality, and that also means by us.

So, these RaceThermo X waterproof winter overshoes are worthy of your money? Well just hang on a second and I’ll tell you why you might be better off spending another few Euro to get something just a little better from the same brand. These overshoes are zipperless, which might be extra useful riding through rivers on the mtb. This might suit, and it takes away an area of weakness for water ingress, but for me the experience of putting them on was just a little clumsy and you have to remember to pull them over your feet and ankles before you put your shoes on. Unfortunately, I’m not a zipperless convert but you might be. I like to put overshoes on as a last piece of equipment and be able to take them off first but that’s just my personal opinion. Pulling up does cause tights to ride up but that’s just a small thing and not much of an issue. However over time pulling them up might become an issue. The top section of these overshoes is made from smooth wetsuit type of neoprene which is a great collar around your ankle but I do worry how long the neoprene will last against the stitching. As a triathlete I know all too well how easy wetsuits are to puncture. It’s also a shame the very top of the collar was not given the same robust stitching as the bottom seems to have been given. Finally, the bottom area is large and totally exposed to the elements apart from the Velcro strap. This might allow water and dirt into the lower part of your cycle shoes especially if you’re riding in muddy cycle cross or typical winter mountain bike conditions.

So, all in all, yes it’s another great overshoe from GripGrab. You’ve bought them all up so you must also find them a great piece of kit. Would I buy these myself – probably not, whilst i like them in many ways. For me, I’d spend just another few Euro and grab a pair of the GribGrab Artic range. They just have some extra touches of technicality and quality for your money. Then again, I’m just a person who likes zips, even though I accept the area weakness arguement.