Lake Cycling Winter Biking Boots

Lake Cycling touts its new MXZ301 bike shoes as the "ultimate in cold weather cycling footwear."

But these aren’t truly bike shoes. The MXZ301 model -- insulated leather high-tops with neoprene cuff closures -- are indeed full-on winter biking boots.


Lake Cycling Winter Biking Boots

The company (www.lakecycling.com) designed these boots for winter-weather mountain bikers and commuters. Many people -- myself included -- limp by biking year-round in summer-weight shoes, which are too light and breathable in freezing temps.

Lake's MXZ301 boots, in contrast, have sidewalls insulated with 3M Thinsulate, a cushy insole, and a top that seals tight above the ankle. They accept cleats to clip into pedals from Shimano, Crank Brothers, and other pedal companies, providing the same control and performance you get in the warm months.

I found the Lake boots to be toasty down to temps of 15 degrees or so. Pedaling hard -- and wearing good lofty socks -- most riders will be fine even in temperatures approaching zero degrees.

Fit on the foot is impressively precise, with a twist-lock lacing system that cinches cables via a small ratcheting wheel. The crisscrossing cords simultaneously pull tight on the top of your foot and in back, where an internal heel strap locks the foot in place.

They also go on fast and come off easy, making the boots perfect for workaday riders who pedal to the office and switch shoes before stepping inside.

On technical trails and singletrack, the MXZ301 boots felt heavier and more bulky than my regular bike shoes, but not overbearingly so. I spun fast, jumped, and cranked up snow-covered hills with relative ease.

Off the bike, the boots feel stiff while walking, just like all biking shoes. But they are comfortable enough to hike in if needed, as the clip-in cleat is recessed into the sole. Traction was good on snow, as an aggressive rubber tread and two screw-in metal spikes on the front of the foot bite into the ground.

My one complaint with the boots was their hefty $249.99 price tag, which puts them out of reach for many riders. But for their demographic -- the niche of riders who need toasty, top-performing footwear for the winter months -- Lake's high-quality bike boots are one of the only things going.

Winter Biking Tops

Riding a bike through cold, sleet and snow requires a litany of specialized equipment, not least the jacket and top you wear against the wind.

Over the past two months, in temps ranging from 40 degrees down to near zero, I tested two new tops made to provide warmth, comfort, freedom of movement, and breathability while pedaling fast through cold weather.

The King Arthur Jacket by Castelli, a company headquartered in Milan, Italy, is a sleek, hold-your-chest-high road racing shell made of a stretchy polyester fabric. It fits tight and blocks out wind with aplomb, cuffs and collar sealing close to skin.


King Arthur Jacket


Specially-cut sleeves on the King Arthur cause your arms to push subtly forward and out from the body, positioning hands naturally on handlebars. An offset front zipper keeps your chin from rubbing wrong on the collar. Three small jersey pockets on back accommodate energy gels, an inner tube, and a small pump.

Castelli (www.castelli-us.com) made the King Arthur primarily for above-freezing temps, wind and water protection its main aim. But I found the $240 shell to be good for temps down to about 15 degrees, depending on how many layers you fit underneath.

I'm just over 6 feet tall, and a size large King Arthur Jacket fit me perfectly with one base layer. However, doing it over again I'd have tested an XL to accommodate another layer underneath the tight-fitting shell.

Ibex's Amparo Jersey -- my second specimen this season -- is a $135 merino wool top with next-to-skin comfort. I.e., the fine wool blend does not scratch or itch.

What the wool does do is breathe exceptionally well, wicking sweat quickly off the skin. Ibex touts "superior temperature regulation" with the Amparo, and with its full-zip front and magical warm-but-airy fabric I'd agree with that pronouncement wholeheartedly.

For winter riding, the Amparo works as a base layer or part of the system underneath a shell like the King Arthur Jacket. It is too light and breezy to be worn as a top layer in temps under 40 degrees.

Ibex (www.ibex.com) is one of my long-time favorite clothing companies, with smart design, quality construction, and great material. The Amparo is a prime example of the company's craftsmanship.

Petzel E Lite Survival Headlamp

Wilderness survival gear is often reduced to a Mylar blanket, matches, a compass and maybe a signal mirror. But what about a light source during times of distress and disorientation?

The $30 E+LITE, a tiny backup headlamp from Petzl (www.petzl.com), is a new product made to fill the emergency-illumination niche.

Petzl designed the E+LITE to be stashed in a backpack and forgotten about until needed. Its lithium battery is said to be good for 10 idle years before use. It is waterproof to 1 sub aquatic meter and weighs almost nothing.

In use, the tiny light illuminates a surprisingly large field of view. Its three white L.E.D.s shoot a beam more than 30 feet through the night air. Two power settings control light intensity; an emergency mode activates a blinking strobe.

One red L.E.D. on the E+LITE's face provides a setting that will help preserve night vision.

A small lever switch on the front of the headlamp lets you toggle quickly through the light's multiple modes. The swing motion of the switch -- as opposed to the push-button activation found on many headlamp models -- prevents accidental operation that could drain the batteries.

For winter use, Petzl says the headlamp is good in temperatures down to minus-20-degrees Fahrenheit.

The headlamp's elasticized strap cinches tight on the head. A ball-and-socket-type connection to the base of the light provides pivot.

Petzl ships the E+LITE in a hard-shell red plastic capsule that measures 3.5 inches long. I keep my E+LITE in its case and stashed in a small compartment of my backpack when out in the woods. Its weight -- which goes at a feathery 46 grams, including case, batteries and light -- makes this essential little load all but unnoticeable.

Puffy Down Jackets

Puffy down jackets from the likes of The North Face have ascended the heights of mainstream consumer fashion. But before hip-hop stars started wearing them a couple years back climbers, skiers and other hard cores depended on these quilted coats for warmth and performance in the outdoors.

Models like the Outdoor Research Trance Sweater -- one of two down pieces I put to the test this month -- balance warmth with performance. Indeed, this $169 jacket (www.orgear.com), which is insulated with 700-fill down, fits close enough to allow for unencumbered movement while swinging an ice axe or skiing a steep chute.

Like most of these down creations, the Trance Sweater is packable too, weighing less than a pound and squeezing into an included stuff sack the size of a 1-liter water bottle.

The other model I tested, Cloudveil's $199 Inversion Jacket, is a consummate cozy coat. It's a bit bulkier than the Trance Sweater, and thus even more toasty.


Cloudveil's Inversion

The company (www.cloudveil.com) uses a 650-fill down in the Inversion, creating a less-than-1-pound jacket that packs into a tiny stuff sack.

In a size medium, the Inversion fit my 6'1'', 190-pound frame about perfectly. (I wore a size medium Trance Sweater as well.)

Both Cloudveil and Outdoor Research make nice coats, but drilling down to the details there are some differences. I like the oversize inside pockets on the Trance Sweater, for example, as they allow me to quickly stash away gloves, hats and other cold-weather accoutrements.

As stated, the Inversion is bulkier than the Trance, and I found the neck opening on the Inversion to be a bit drafty without a thick collar on the layer underneath.

But Cloudveil's coat is sharper-looking than the Outdoor Research, with a nicer face fabric, sleeker stitching, and little details like an internal pocket readymade for an iPod.