I Don’t Leave Home Without Them

For a quarter of a century the advertising campaign featuring the words “Don’t leave home without them” referred to these.

I have never ridden with a traveler’s cheque in my jersey pocket.  I don’t know anyone who has.  All cyclists have some things that we regularly carry with us on our rides.  Some cash for example.  Or a Road ID.

There are very few items that I have with me on every ride.  I have forgotten to pack socks.  I often dispense with gloves.   I have left my mobile phone at home.  There is however one thing that I always bring with me on my rides.

Cleat covers.

I use Speedplay Zero pedals.  They were recommended to me when I bought my first road bike.  It is the only pedal system I have used since.  I like them a lot.  Like other users I have encountered the two main drawbacks with Speedplays.  Both to do with the cleats.

When I walked in my cycling shoes the cleats got clogged up with dirt and mud.  The large metal surface area also made them quite slippery on hard floors.  I had a few near misses as I skated on concrete and the like.

It wasn’t long before I invested in a set of Coffee Shop Caps.

These clip onto the cleats to keep dirt out and provide traction while walking.  I would put then on my cleats when I got off my bike, and stuff them into a jersey pocket when it was time to ride again.  My only mishap with the Coffee Shop Caps was that one fell off while I was walking around a rest area during a charity ride. I never found it, but later came across one that someone else had lost.

I found an alternative to the Speedplay branded covers while surfing the internet.

Kool Kovers make covers for Shimano and Look cleats as well.  I haven’t tried the Kool Kovers though.  I found a better option.

My go-to cleat covers now are these Keep On Kovers.

The big advantage of these covers is that are designed to stay on at all times.  No more muddy cleat covers in my jersey pocket.  I can clip in and out of the pedals with the covers on.  These covers still keep dirt and mud out of the cleat springs despite the opening for the pedal.  I have yet to lose a cover either.

I don’t leave home without them.  Ever.