While overshoes and regular summer cycling shoes work fine for many people on winter road rides, this combination isn’t quite as suitable when riding off-road on a gravel bike in cold weather. The thing is, the worse the weather is, the fewer routes there are to ride, so there will most likely be some walking routes. Pushing your bike on bumpy, muddy, or snowy roads is sure to stain your galoshes.
All of this is a long-winded way of saying that winter boots are much better than overshoes on a gravel bike.
Winter is a great time for off-roading
(Image credit: Andy Benson)
Sidi has a wide selection of cold-weather road and trail shoes, and the Algor is one of the more affordable in the range. The section they offer is a little confusing, though; there’s the Nubes road shoe, the Nubes mountain shoe that’s identical except for the sole, and the Algor mountain shoe, which also looks identical to the Nubes mountain shoe but has some Primaloft in it Insulation. The Nubes MTB and Algor are slim enough to make ideal winter gravel boots and mountain biking shoes, and benefit from Sidi’s move to a new Millennium last, making their sizing more consistent with other brands.
Algor is very similar to Nubes MTB
(Image credit: Tim Larson)
I took the Algor and Nubes MTBs to test, and if it weren’t for the “Primaloft” wording on the side of the Algor, I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart at all. For £30 more, I don’t know why you wouldn’t opt ​​for the theoretically warmer Algor. For this review, everything I write applies equally to both shoes unless otherwise stated.
Both the Algor and Nubes MTB (as well as the Nubes Road) are only available in black and in sizes 40-48. The weight of the No. 44 is 1,008 grams.
put up
As you might imagine, Sidi’s trail shoes have thick, grippy outsoles. It has a simple design with three large lugs on the back, a raised handle around the 2-bolt cleat area, and two triangular lugs on the front. They’re made of a harder material than the rest of the sole because they’re in a high-wear area, but they also have two holes in the back that allow you to add cleats or studs if you’re struggling to get a grip in the mud. However, these are not included with the shoes.
Sidi rates the nylon/carbon soles as a 5 on the stiffness index, which is on the softer end – I can only do a small amount of flexing with my hands, though, so they’re definitely not as soft as slippers. Multiple markings on the sole should make proper cleat alignment easier.
Grippy sole with toe stud holes ensures good traction on the bike
(Image credit: Tim Larson)
The upper consists of a low inner shoe wrapped in a sturdy waterproof TPU fabric that joins together at the junction with the sole unit. The shell closes with a waterproof zipper on the front, while the inner shoe has a Quicklace closure; basically a thin lace with a cord lock. There is a short Velcro tab at the top of the ankle, and two tabs to help put the boot on and off. There’s a small patch of reflective material on the front and a reflective Sidi logo, designed to improve visibility at night.
As mentioned before, the Algor also has a thin layer of Primaloft synthetic insulation inside the shoe, which is missing from the Nubes mountain bike and road versions. The insoles may be a little thicker than standard for warmth, but nothing too noteworthy.
riding
The long zipper and low cut make the Algor easy to wear, and the new size seems to fit well—my usual size 44 is exactly what I expected. They’re still not the widest shoes, though, and there’s no wider version available, so hobbit feet may want to look elsewhere.
A period of snow and persistent cold provided the perfect opportunity to test Algor’s rides, with afternoon temperatures still below -5° and conditions dictated the length of time to walk in the snow. After four hours, my feet were still warm and dry, which is impressive, so while the warmth of a product is fairly subjective, Algor gives it a big tick in the “warm feet” box.
TPU outer layer is highly protective
(Image credit: Andy Benson)
But what’s less impressive is the heel fit. I do have a narrow heel, but given how thin the shoe is overall, I can’t imagine many wide heeled riders would fit into this boot. The main issue is that the lacing system stops for a very short time and probably has at least one less hole than you expected. Beyond that, the zipper simply closes the cover, rather than absorbing any slack, and the Velcro tab does nothing more than seal the zipper. All of this results in a less than optimal heel security.
Obviously, these aren’t shoes you’re likely to end up in at the end of a sprint, but equally, you’ll likely end up walking in them, which puts a lot of strain on the heel’s safety. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a huge issue and it didn’t cause me any problems, but I realize it detracts from the feel of the shoe.
Warm feet make winter riding more enjoyable
(Image credit: Andy Benson)
My second criticism is related to the first – the fit around the ankle isn’t great for my skinny ankles and there’s no way to tighten the top of the shoe. This wasn’t an issue in terms of fit, but it did leave one issue: I had a little gap in the front of my ankle, perfect for catching mud and snow that bounces off the front wheel. Maybe I just need to work on getting fatter on my ankles!
I’m also a little skeptical about using zippers on trail shoes, especially the ones located in the front wheel spray area. This is a good quality YKK waterproof zipper, so it should do the job, but zippers covered in dirt tend to cause problems in the long run – for the record, the Algor zippers have worked great for me so far. Speaking of zippers, I’m also not a fan of the relatively small plastic tabs. Making a strong, waterproof zipper requires more effort than usual (especially if it’s dirty), and I don’t like trying to grab the pull tab with cold, wet fingers. I thought I would add a small loop of rope for this possibility.
But in the end, the Algors kept me warm and dry for several hours in some pretty rough conditions, allowing me to enjoy the scenery rather than complain about cold feet, so that’s what matters most.
Gaps at the ankles may allow cold air, rain or spray to enter
(Image credit: Tim Larson)
Value and conclusion
Some of my criticisms are based on fit and the shape of my foot/ankle, which feels a little unfair – of all clothing, footwear is where fit is the most important and subjective. Other riders may find them a good fit. In fact, the Algor didn’t give me any real problems and kept them warm and comfortable in cold conditions, which is their main job.
The Algor retails for £230, while you’ll pay £30 less to buy the Nubes without the Primaloft layer. These are on the lower end of the price spectrum for winter footwear, but they do a great job of keeping my feet warm. This means they have to be considered a reasonable value – many times I’ll spend a lot of money just to keep my feet warm when I’m out riding!
I feel a little guilty giving them only 4 stars because some of my criticisms might just be my particular foot and ankle shape and they overall did a great job. However, be sure to be aware of these potential issues when trying them on.
