Andrea is our resident Iowan and she recently got her hands on some of Bontrager’s much anticipated new winter boot. Here’s what she had to say!
“Let’s take a look at some brand new Bontrager Old Man Winter boots. At first glance these boots don’t do too much to stand out from the ever-growing field of winter cycling boots. A simple black boot with a zipper closure and two velcro straps over that. The boot is rated as being waterproof, windproof, and breathable. It still sounds like a standard winter boot right?
Upon closer inspection this simple boot only gets better. Underneath the waterproof zipper is a laced booty of insulation. This fleece lined booty boasts 200g of 3M Thinsulate. The heel of the booty is covered with a sharkskin anti-slip fabric to help keep your foot in place. Did I mention this booty is removable! Laces and all can be taken out of the shell of the OMW. The boot itself has a bronze series composite sole for a strong platform to push off of. The “Tundra” last will give you a performance oriented fit with a roomier toe box for improved circulation and loft.The outer shell of the OMW is an Outdry fabric, which is thinner than neoprene for what will hopefully allow for more ankle freedom. This material is absolutely waterproof. Beyond the Outdry is a gnarguard to protect your shoe from the inevitable fat-bike radness. The grippy Tachyon rubber tread has a nice feel and will hopefully help me climb out of all of the icy holes I tend to fall into. Other small put appreciated details are a drawstring around the top of the boot to protect from snow and possibly water. Lastly Bontrager added a velcro strap along the backside of the shoe for placement of a taillight! They also include a hook for gaiters, which for me is a game changer.Included with the shoes is a cleat cover just in case you aren’t ready for clipless or just need a boot that is optimized for riding. There is an option of adding toe spikes to these shoes but they are not provided. I am pretty excited to see just how far I can take these boots temperature wise. I will be tackling Tuscobia 150, Triple D, and Arrowhead 135. The gaiter hook could allow me to layer up with extra overshoes, expanding the possibility of these boots heading to Arrowhead. Needless to say, they are a strong contender to get me through the winter on my fattie!“
Got mine two weeks ago. Super comfy. Looking forward to a proper test in 10 degree Wisco weather.
Do you find they run true to size?
I bought a 46 and usually wear a 44.5. I’d say they run a bit small. With a pair of thick socks they’ll be fantastic.
I just purchased a pair and have been loving them! In regards to sizing… I wear a 44 so I purchased a 44. I don’t feel there is a need to wear thick socks with this boot, there is plenty of insulation there. I wear my thin ski socks(basically nylons for skiers) and was plenty warm riding in 15-20 degree temps …almost too warm actually. I wouldn’t recommend sizing up just to wear thick socks, your feet will just sweat and get cold is my feeling…
Anyone here use the toe spikes yet? I have some homeade ones on my boots that are pretty ghetto but do work on slick ice if you have to push up a hill. Seems like a great idea by Bontrager to incorporate them into the boot.
Let us know how they hold up at the Arrowhead. I’ve been using the Shimano MW81 for the past two seasons and my feet can make it about 90 minutes at 20 degrees or so. Looking to double that hopefully with either these or go all in and get the 45NRT monsters