cold feet

cathald

Hi folks I have been using my new shoes and pedals for a couple of weeks now,I joined my local club and went out on my first club run on sunday but I had to stop after 15 miles as my feet were numb with cold,I had on a pair of thermal socks but they didn't help
I met up with the guys by cutting off some of the loop and made it back and feet were numb again.
Would a pair of overshoes help?To be honest it was not that cold 7 or 8 degrees

Cathal

kingrollo

cathald wrote:

Hi folks I have been using my new shoes and pedals for a couple of weeks now,I joined my local club and went out on my first club run on sunday but I had to stop after 15 miles as my feet were numb with cold,I had on a pair of thermal socks but they didn't help
I met up with the guys by cutting off some of the loop and made it back and feet were numb again.
Would a pair of overshoes help?To be honest it was not that cold 7 or 8 degrees

Cathal

They might,as would some decent winter socks ....woolie bollies are a good sock. Also be aware that tight fitting shoes can cut off circulation - you might want to go up a shoes size as well.

Anonymous

The NapD cold feet plan -

1 pair of socks (not thin lightweight summer socks but anything else will do)
1 pair of shoes - fastened LOOSELY (that's the important bit)
1 pair good thick overshoes (I use PRO NPU Tarmac)

I have terrible circulation to my feet and hands and have found the above works best for me. The biggest thing was making sure there was plenty of room for air to circulate, that warm air barrier keeps your feet nice and bonny. Plus you can wiggle your toes to keep the circulation going...

cathald

Thanks folks
My shoes are a great fit but I will try to loosen the shoes a bit as I had them tightened as far as I could
I will call to the LBS tomorrow and pick up a set of overshoes

Cathal

Anonymous

cathald wrote:

Thanks folks
My shoes are a great fit but I will try to loosen the shoes a bit as I had them tightened as far as I could
I will call to the LBS tomorrow and pick up a set of overshoes

Cathal

Can't remember who told me to keep the shoes loose. It is a bit weird at first as your foot moves about but it is this that creates the warm air.

giant_man

Having your shoes loose is just silly. You need to buy a pair of shoes one size larger than normal which together with decent socks create 'warm air space' and thus keeping your feet warm.

How are you supposed to feel connected to your pedals if you have your shoes loose? What's the bloody point then? Geez .....

Alinshearah

I think having your shoes loose helps due to not having your circulation cut off as opposed to any heat trap effect

Anonymous

Alinshearah wrote:

I think having your shoes loose helps due to not having your circulation cut off as opposed to any heat trap effect

Cut off?

Erm, no. I ride for up to six hours with them tight and I still maintain my circulation, no blackening or necrosis of the feet.

hopper1

Having your shoes ratcheted down too tight could cause you to have problems with circulation, thus cold feet!

bompington

-5 (with a bit of a headwind) by the time I got to work yesterday, I was beginning to wish I'd worn my overshoes.
My first cycling shoes were cheap shimano SPDs that were unbelievably narrow fitting, I used to get really interesting purple bits on my feet (along with severe pain) in the shower after getting to work. Now I've got DHB shoes that fit much better - but I still get the purple bits as the shoes are so nicely ventilated. I may be wrong but I suspect that the continuous pressure of pedalling also interferes with the circulation in some bits of your feet regardless of how well your shoes fit.

In short? Overshoes.

amaferanga

On very cold days I find that even Woolie Boolies and Endura neoprene overshoes with my normal cycling shoes still isn't enough. So last autumn I bought some Northwave Celsius boots and now I never get cold feet.

macondo01

If your feet are still cold after the good advice from above - buy some gel warmers from decathlon - they are about a £5 for a pack and last several hours. Put them on the upper side of your foot. Another tip for your hands though - decathlon sell silk undergloves for again about a £5 - they are great.

bobtbuilder

Definitely get some overshoes. Like NapD said, the PRO NPU Tarmac are a great pair. Completely block out the wind.

macondo01

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/5-foot-warmers-52259176/

These are the foot warmers ^^^^

kingrollo

Is there a difference between numb and cold feet ?

I reckon there is - what would anyone suggest if your feet go numb or cold - when it actually isn't that cold ?

stonehouse

Don't forget that racing style shoes are covered in ventilation holes. Therefore unless it is really warm your feet can get cold. Check to make sure that your cleats are positioned correctly, if the shoes are too far back you might find that you are pressing with your toes for instance. Also make sure as others have commented that you are not over tightening and cutting off your circulation. Overshoes are essential IMHO this time of year, certainly cured my cold feet issue, they were cheap ones too (Endura) even with thin socks they work well.

davis

Overshoes+

I've been out in the past and come back with actual ice between my toes (real, no fooling, lumps of frozen water, albeit only _tiny_). It was stunningly painful when they started to warm up.

I have apparently terrible circulation to my feet, so, two pairs of socks, summer-ish MTB SPD shoes, and neoprene overshoes. My toes just about avoid numbness most of the time.

cathald

Called into my LBS this afternoon when I finished work and got a pair of overshoes
So all being well I will give them a go on the club rides this weekend
Thanks for all the advice folks

Cathal

RichTL

When it's realy cold, I put my shoes and socks on the radiator for half an hour before going out.
This keeps them warm for quite a while.

Jeff Jones

I upsized my shoes this winter and have not had cold feet once. I wear normal socks, sometimes Sealskinz if it's cold and wet, and Endura or Trek overshoes. Job done!

Note: the shoes don't have to be that loose, just not super tight.

acidstrato

old football/rugby socks on top of shoes double em over if its exceptionally chilly. just needs to be cut fore the cleats. blocks the vents fine and keeps the warmth in.

kingrollo

Bit weird today - I felt my foot starting to go - but stuck a few intervals in , and it got toasty !

Philby

As well as good socks and overshoes I have put electrical tape over the ventilation hole in the sole of the shoe - not sure how much difference it makes, but seemed sensible at the time.

bigpikle

I experienced the same for my first winter of riding this season and found a few solutions:

1. merino socks
2. shoes comfortable but not over tight
3. Aldi £2.99 overshoes are BRILLIANT
4. I put insulation tape over all the front vents on the toe and sole of my shoes - possibly THE biggest single improvement of the lot

antlaff

cathald wrote:

Called into my LBS this afternoon when I finished work and got a pair of overshoes
So all being well I will give them a go on the club rides this weekend
Thanks for all the advice folks

Cathal

Hi cathal

some great pics on your Flickr a/c - are they your own? are you a photographer?

cathald

The over shoes seemed to help a great deal and I loosened the shoe's a little bit also.
Only done 20 mile yesterday as I am just getting over the ''man flu''

antlaff thanks for the reply about my flickr , to be honest there is not a great deal of good stuff on there but when I redesign my website I will have a link to it in my signature
And yes they are my own