[Heisenberg]

I'm on the verge of ordering a bunch of PI gear for commuting and winter training. Before I drop a large sum of cash, has anyone here had any experience with the Barrier shoecovers or Barrier gloves in super cold weather? I'm also pretty curious about the durability of their stuff. I'm hedging between the Barrier and the Shine (the covers with the LEDs on the back), as a portion of my commute is on a pretty dark stretch of industrial road, but concerned that the Shine might not be thermally sufficient for my needs.

The morning commute is typically in darkness in Utah cold, so think 10-15 degrees. I can drive when it's wet out. As long as I can keep my digits toasty, I'm usually okay. I'll also be snagging their Alp-x WRX-whatever colder weather MTB shoes.

 

[CBJ]

I have bought the elite soft shell jacket but not ridden it in really cold weather yet. I think they make quality stuff but when it comes to shoe covers I think the Gore Bike Wear options are much nicer.

They have life time warranty and some kick ass customer service.

 

[Heisenberg]

Initial impressions:

Barrier fabric is legit. Certainly windproof, and waterproof in my experience. The gloves, baselayer, skullcap, and booties made from it are all excessively rad in that regard. I've ridden in windchill temps down to 5 degrees in them without wind or moisture issues.

The Shine shoecovers are a great new concept, except for one issue. The taillight portion of the bootie contains the light itself, and a wire running up the Achilles tendon that attaches to a circuit board containing the button to activate the light. The velcro cover over the circuit board will seriously rape the crap out of the back of your ankle if you have scars or a kankle the size of a cedar tree like mine. Tall socks, tights, or something to keep that comfy are a must. Tried electrical tape but it wore through it. I'm perfectly warm in standard cycling socks (3mm neoprene/fleece bootie ftw!) and knee warmers, so I'm still searching for a solution. Might resort to high-topped dress socks. XL size barely fits my size 45 Northwaves.

The PRO Aero windbreakerish jacket is AMAZING. I've never had such a windproof garment be so quiet, warm, and compact. Easily stuffable in a jersey pocket, makes hardly any noise on the descent (unlike others I've tried), relatively warm when coupled with a baselayer (I was toasty in 20 degree temps with it, the Elite PI baselayer, and a standard jersey), and it's form-fitted for the stoplight ubersexy (unlike most windbreakers). I've yet to get it very wet, so the judgement is out there. It's not Barrier, but made of their softshell fabric.

 

[Heisenberg]

The Barrier gloves and Shine/Barrier shoecovers (made from same material) aren't holding up during longer rides. Today I was out for 3H in 98% humidity (think Belgian fog), ~35 degree F temps, and all of my digits were very numb by the finish. I was also running Endura thermal socks and some Ibex merino glove baselayers to no avail.

I may resort to some of the Barrier lobster gloves, and possibly a specialized winter shoe. I haven't done any long (3h+) rides owing to work, and I'm concerned things are seriously going to suck if I can't figure this out...still have another base period to hammer through in the midst of January.

 

[CBJ]

The trick with gloves is like how you dress your body too - layers. Get a thin glove and wear it under the barrier glove. It makes a huge difference.

 

[Heisenberg]

The trick with gloves is like how you dress your body too - layers. Get a thin glove and wear it under the barrier glove. It makes a huge difference.

Yeah - I was wearing an Ibex merino base glove underneath without much success.

 

[Bicyclist]

All I have to see is their damn knee warmer sizing is way off - they run huge. Otherwise the quality/price ratio seems pretty good.

 

[sanjuro]

I think the biggest thing for booties is velcro enclosures.

I have PI Typhoon booties, which had a stupid ankle strap which barely fit and would come loose while riding. But the zippers failed after a while.

I ended up with Sidetrak booties, not as warm (which is fine for the temperate Bay Area), but with velcro, it never fails, and I can always restitch it.

 

[Heisenberg]

All I have to see is their damn knee warmer sizing is way off - they run huge. Otherwise the quality/price ratio seems pretty good.

They do run big. I've got fairly gigantic legs (to the point that I have to size up pants to get my legs in them), a 32ish inseam, and the larges are quite big on me.

The Shine enclosures are velcro. I rode 6h today and kept the hands warm with the old pull-the-fingers-into-the-palm trick (definitely leads me to believe lobsters will help a lot), but the toes still froze. Didn't seem as bad as yesterday. Maybe rule 5 is taking effect.