Mountain Bike Bontrager Old Man Winter Boots and Pants (OMW)

[Ron]

I just bought a pair of Old Man Winter, OMW riding pants and boots and will be getting them in action this coming week with a foot of snow is predicted over the next few days. I decided it was time to check out some fat bike snow specific designed gear. I ride with flats and was using a Five-Ten winter shoe and my winter hiking boots but they don't cut it when riding in snowy conditions. Getting snow in your boot in inevitable, causing cold feet. The OMW Boots are an ingenious design. There's an inner felt-lined, neoprene bootie with a velcro wrap at the top which you can cinch up blocking snow from entering and the boot itself is waterproof, warm, has a tightening BOA and has a low proifle design. They are quite light for a 8" boot. The 45North Wolvhammer is a very popular boot with a similar design however, many reviews state their BOA design isn't working well and its quite heavy. I'll dive deeper into the comparison later. For now, I am quite pleased with the Bontrager OMW boot and I look forward to having it in the snow in about 36 hours. . I ordered them a size up (Im a 10.5 and I ordered a 12, they only come in full sizes) and the fit is good allowing thicker socks or even a toe heater if needed.

The Bontrager OMW pant is pretty awesome. Ride specific design, thigh pockets, vents and features a slim but ample profile, these pants are made of a stretchy, lightly fleeced-backed material. They feature an internal snow gator and a stirrup strap to keep the pant leg in place. They do not have a chamois but are intended for you to wear your favorite chamois short or bib underneath.

Old Man Winter Boot

Bontrager OMW Winter Bike Shoe - Trek Bikes

Enhance your cycling experience with Bontrager OMW Winter Bike Shoe. Shop now!

www.trekbikes.com

Old Man Winter Fat Bike Pant

Bontrager OMW Softshell Fat Bike Pant - Trek Bikes

Enhance your cycling experience with Bontrager OMW Softshell Pant. Find the best gear at trekbikes.com and your local Trek retailer. Shop now!

www.trekbikes.com

 

[Slim]

I like the idea of these pants(never seen them in person myself). Stretch, non-membrane softshell right?

45Nrth has the same idea.

I need tall inseam pants, so I have Mammut pants, same idea.

And you can you them for XC skiing, AT skiing and spring resort skiing as well.

 

[Ron]

they won't fit you as tall as you are but im a 33" and they fit fine. yes, with the gator they would make great pants for all sorts of snow applications including snowshoeing too.

 

[Ron]

So I have two rides now with the Old Man Winter (OMW) Boots and Pants. I am reviewing them together because they really work synergistically.

The Pants are quite warm. My second ride started out at 18* and I wore a pair of Castelli Nano Flex knee length bibs and I was quite warm, I had my pant vents open within a half hour. They are incredibly comfortable with a very stretchy fabric making it easier to peddle and be active on the bike. The internal gaiters and stirrups are ingenious and the boot clip make the design near flawless. They even have reinforced kick patches. These were certainly designed and tested by winter riders. If I had anything to pick on, I would say the vents could be larger and I wish the stirrup clasps were made of metal. But the fabric has a DWR finish and is highly wind resistant. Overall these pants are awesome!

The OLD MAN WINTER BOOTS are comfortable, warm, provide excellent traction on Flat pedals (have cut-outs for SPD) and don't feel like monster boots when riding. The waterproof boots feature a Boa tightening system and velcro top strap provide a solid, customizable fit. The felt booties are warm with a great velcro closure strap that prevents snow from getting down your boot. I appreciated the low profile of the boot itself which fit well on my flat pedals and those riding on SPD's will find a very nice feel and fit. These feel like you are wearing your comfortable hiking boots. The Vibram soles provide great traction when walking or hike-a-biking and they are stiff enough for good energy transmission. Size up though! I wear a 10.5 shoe but went with the 12. That provided room inside the boot but I wasn't swimming in them. I was wearing Thermic Heated socks but the extra room allows a thicker sock or even toe heaters.

 

[Tom K.]

The OLD MAN WINTER BOOTS are comfortable, warm, provide excellent traction........ Size up though!

I wish! I wear a Bontrager 47 and that is as big as the OMWs come.

Fingers crossed. I may have to resort to very thin socks.

 

[Ron]

the Thermic Electric socks are pretty amazing, I had them on low and my foot was almost too warm.

SOCK SET V2 MULTI S-700B

Enjoy winter activities to the fullest with the Therm-ic Powersocks Heat Multi Set, including S-Pack 700 B (Bluetooth) batteries. Knee-length heated socks, comfortable and versatile, perfect for all types of outdoor activities (hiking, cycling, horse riding, hunting and fishing). Benefiting from...

sidas-usa.store

 

[cantunamunch]

Fingers crossed. I may have to resort to very thin socks.

It would be hilarious if you wore aero socks in these.

 

[Tom K.]

the Thermic Electric socks are pretty amazing, I had them on low and my foot was almost too warm.

SOCK SET V2 MULTI S-700B

Enjoy winter activities to the fullest with the Therm-ic Powersocks Heat Multi Set, including S-Pack 700 B (Bluetooth) batteries. Knee-length heated socks, comfortable and versatile, perfect for all types of outdoor activities (hiking, cycling, horse riding, hunting and fishing). Benefiting from...

sidas-usa.store

I think I could ride in my race shoes with those......they look REALLY toasty.

 

[Ron]

the only issue you may have is snow down your boot but these socks are WARM

 

[cantunamunch]

Do these pants have any special treatment in the saddle contact area?

2 winters ago I wore North Face and Craft in 12-15F - until they became fuzzed, pilled and -chewed- looking from freezing to the saddle.

 

[Ron]

the fabric is smooth and is a tightly woven soft shell material that stretches with a DWR, I was able to move around easily on my saddle. I can't imagine they would freeze to the saddle or rub in any way.

 

[Tom K.]

Got the OMW boots. They fit great and seem warm, but I could only get them on a quickie around home today.

Boy, BOAs just keep getting better and better.

I will say that these seem to be the Head Raptors of bike shoes. NOT easy to get on and off!

Tips are welcome, but here is where I am so far:

1. Pull liner and put on foot.

2. Slide (jam?!) foot/liner into boot.

3. To remove, pull foot from boot and liner at the same time. Do not attempt to remove liner/foot from boot.

4. Insoles seem best placed in boot, not in liner.

Input is MORE than welcome!

 

[Ron]

glad you like them. I dont have any issues with getting them on/off. I am putting the liner on first and then inserting into the boot like with a race liner in a ski boot, they come out easily. Make sure you are opening up the Boa as much as possible to get as much room as possible I put the liner on and cinch it up tight, then I put the boot on the floor, insert my toe and push it forward then push down on the heel.

 

[Tom K.]

Thanks @Ron. Insole in liner or underneath, in the actual boot?

I'm having better luck this morning. Need to get them on a real ride and broken in!

 

[Ron]

yeah, I wore mine around the house for a hour or so to get them loosened up. I actually didnt put in my insole yet. I wanted to ride them "as is". I am putting one in for next ride. I would do as you suggested, below the liner.

 

[Tom K.]

OK, Ride #1 complete. Observations:

1. Warmth was perfectly adequate with very thin socks, but it was only 24 degrees. Not a true test.

2. Comfort was great, esp given how tall the boots are. I had numerous 10 to 15 minute blocks of time where they disappeared from my thoughts, which is a real testament, because I am FINICKY about footwear.

3. Fit is good. Probably as good as a tall boot could be. However, looking at the inner boot, I wonder whether a very thick, form-fitting ski sock (like an old school Thorlo SKX) would be a better inner bootie.

 

[Ron]

give them a couple more rides to break in.

 

[Slim]

The other thing you can do for cold weather/long rides/ overnights is use closed cell liner, like Intuition or Palau. If you need something thin, you could try the liners from the Scarpa AT race boots.
The closed cell liners are a bit warmer out the box, but the biggest benefit is that the warmth doesn't change over time, due to moisture. Also if you put your foot though the ice, you can dump water out and still have most of the insulation value.

 

[Tom K.]

Oh man, Intuition liners for my bike shoes......

Brief ride today with the double sock idea replacing the thin felt liners. Felt a lot more like a bike shoe.

It has been, and will continue to be, a blast figuring out all this new stuff in an unhurried manner.

Thanks to everybody for all the help so far!

Signed,

Fat Bike Newbie

 

[Ron]

I like the felt liner, I feel like it took about 3 rides to break it and the boot in. What is it about the liner you dont like?