Gripgrab CyclinGaiter Review

Simon Tuck

A Review of the Gripgrab CyclinGaiters, which were sent to us with a few other Winter accessories by Gripgrab, previewed here.

The Gripgrab CyclinGaiters are an answer to an age-old problem. Overshoes sometimes suffer from water running down inside the ankle cuff. Winter boots have similar issues with their ankle cuffs. The Gripgrab CyclinGaiters seal against the ankle and cover the top of Winter boots or overshoes. I’ve mostly been using the CyclinGaiters with the Gripgrab RaceThermo shoe covers because they are such a good shoe cover, but you can use them with any other brand shoe cover or winter boot.

Pair the CyclinGaiters up with Gripgrab’s RaceThermo shoe covers for extra protection

There’s not much to it really. The CyclinGaiter is just a tapered cuff made from neoprene. I’ve seen people use wetsuit cut-offs and bits of washing-up gloves to seal the top of their overshoes or Winter boots, with varying degrees of success. The CyclinGaiter is designed with this one purpose and it does the job well. No matter how thick or thin your ankles are, you can pull the CyclinGaiters up or down to be comfortable and still manage a decent seal.

GripGrab CyclinGaiter over winter boot

The inside of the CyclinGaiter’s neoprene hasn’t got a fabric liner to stop it sticking to your skin, so it has a rubbery texture. The logical step is to seal the rubbery inside of the CyclinGaiter against bare skin. And if you wear ¾ bibknickers instead of full length tights you’ll probably get the best seal. I’ve been lucky enough to use a pair of bibtights that has a neoprene ankle cuff, which is just as good.

Good waterproof protection halfway up your calves

If you have fabric tights then the CyclinGaiters will stop the water running down the outside of the material. But you may find that any water soaked through into the material manages to run down inside the CyclinGaiter. The trick is to make sure that any fabric that can absorb water isn’t touching your socks. You can have all the fancy kit you want, but if you don’t pay attention to your layering you’ll be soaked if it rains enough. In heavy rain I’d still suggest pulling the material of your tights over the top of the CyclinGaiters as you would with your overshoes.

In Winter in the UK Hi-Vis products will help motorists to see you.

The Hi-vis version certainly stands out in a group of cyclists, so your mates can always find your back wheel. They have a reflective strip around them, so they also provide visibility at night.
 

For just over a tenner these Gripgrab Cyclingaiters are worth having in your kit drawer if you ride all year round. They work, and they will stop water dribbling down your leg into your shoes. I’d like to put a slight disclaimer in here, because you’ll never have completely dry feet, for the same reason you get damp feet in the Summer.  Unfortunately your feet tend to sweat. The CyclinGaiters, when paired with a shoe cover, reach halfway up your calf. I’d suggest the CyclinGaiters might work best with 3/4 bib-knickers if you’re planning lots of wet rides.

Gripgrab Website

[rps-include blog=127.0.0.1 post=30824]