Winter freezing feet

mabbo

Anyone got any idea how to keep my feet warm on an 18 mile commute in winter? In the summer I ride with clip ins, and posh shoes, etc,ect,etc. But in the winter I have my full winter hack, with flat cage type pedals. So I do not use my cycling shoes. Instead I have a pair of old walking boots, that are reasonably light. But..............after about 10 miles, when morning temsp are about 2 - 3 degrees, my feet are still freezing. Any ideas on the best way to keep them warm? I use two pairs of socks as well !!!!!

craigmamakin

Use foil to cover your toes...

WindyG

Sealskinz socks keeps your feet warm and dry, not cheap but work. You cam wear them over your normal socks to.

rubertoe

oxoman wrote:

Go back to your shoes and use neoprene overshoes, best thing I ever did. Used to wear ski and walking socks but still suffered with cold feet till I discovered overshoes.

this.

end of thread/

kurako

Yeah get a pair of neoprene overshoes. Need to make sure they have a heavy duty zip. Every pair I have ever had the zip has failed at some point. I just ordered some BBB ones. Have read good reviews. Will see how they go...

Sealskinz I tried. Didn't like them. They still let water and dirt into your shoes. At least overshoes offer some protection in all but the wettest weather. If you want a cheap alternative to Sealskinz just put on one sock, then a plastic bag then another sock over the top.

Bordersroadie

My commute's 12 miles, down to minus 10 or so in winter, so I've given this matter a lot of thought and experimentation!

The starting point is space in your shoes for air to warm up and toes to wiggle. Tight shoes will mean cold feet no matter how good your overshoes.

For very cold conditions, layering is key. Those BBB neoprene overshoes are superb. If you can fit thin overshoes under them even better, and put plastic foodbags over your road shoes first - this makes a big difference and who cares about lack of breathability in such weather? Also make foil insoles and fit them under your normal shoe insoles.

If two pairs of socks makes your shoes too tight, try all the overshoe layers above but just one pair of socks.

Finally, if possible, make sure your feet and all socks/shoes etc are warm when you go out!

fatsmoker

Neoprene overshoes are bloody hot when the temperature is around 1 or 2. As a massive cheapskate :oops: I cut the toes off a pair of socks and put them over my shoes, under the velcro strap. Just keeps the chill off at those temperatures for a hour hour commute. Any longer and I'd be popping the overshoes on.

jonnyboy77

I found that making sure my lower leg was covered helped to keep my feet warmer, along with a pair of Woolie Boolie socks (http://road.cc/content/review/51277-def ... olie-socks).

So on a cold day, I wear a pair of Nike DriFit Football socks that are all the way up to the knees, over the top of the woolie boolie socks.

Or as, today, tights, shorts & wooluie boolie socks

- Jon

andrewc3142

rubertoe wrote:

oxoman wrote:

Go back to your shoes and use neoprene overshoes, best thing I ever did. Used to wear ski and walking socks but still suffered with cold feet till I discovered overshoes.

this.

end of thread/

Or maybe not ….

The other route, which I went down, is to get winter boots. I have the Northwave Celcius Gore-Tex ones and like them a lot.

chris_bass

I suffer really badly with cold fingers and toes, its that sydrome thing i can never remember the name of, reynolds or something along those lines.

used to be really painful, but i find, sealskinz socks, winter boots and thing overshoes do the trick for me, might sound a bit overkill but beats having the pain of slowly regaining the feeling in my toes and then the pain that follows.

neoprene gloves seem to work really well too.

gbsahne001

Oversize Northwave Fahrenheit Winter shoes, thick pair of Sealskinz socks and thermal socks under these. I also have some toe covers for the shoes, should conditions warrant it

socistep

I suffered last winter and only added neoprene overshoes after the worst of it, this winter I'm a bit better prepared and have been combining my normal road shoes with defeet woolie boolie socks and overshoes, so far so good for me

extrusion

Chris Bass wrote:

I suffer really badly with cold fingers and toes, its that sydrome thing i can never remember the name of, reynolds or something along those lines.

ryan reynolds syndrome?

mabbo

oxoman wrote:

Go back to your shoes and use neoprene overshoes, best thing I ever did. Used to wear ski and walking socks but still suffered with cold feet till I discovered overshoes.

Not really an option without swopping pedals over as well. Also I have overshoes and used them a previous winter using my best bike, before I put the old hack back on the road. To be honest, my feet were still freezing.

gbsahne001

extrusion wrote:

Chris Bass wrote:

I suffer really badly with cold fingers and toes, its that sydrome thing i can never remember the name of, reynolds or something along those lines.

ryan reynolds syndrome?

Raynaud's Syndrome

jimmypippa

Bordersroadie wrote:

My commute's 12 miles, down to minus 10 or so in winter, so I've given this matter a lot of thought and experimentation!

The starting point is space in your shoes for air to warm up and toes to wiggle. Tight shoes will mean cold feet no matter how good your overshoes.

For very cold conditions, layering is key. Those BBB neoprene overshoes are superb. If you can fit thin overshoes under them even better, and put plastic foodbags over your road shoes first - this makes a big difference and who cares about lack of breathability in such weather? Also make foil insoles and fit them under your normal shoe insoles.

If two pairs of socks makes your shoes too tight, try all the overshoe layers above but just one pair of socks.

Finally, if possible, make sure your feet and all socks/shoes etc are warm when you go out!

Yes, except I think it is blood supply - my left hand is warmer when I take my watch off on very cold rides.

I agree with the rest though.

flywheel88

I ride in boots in the winter. The ones with the fur inside. I also wear two pairs of socks. I have gotten some snickers and been the butt of jokes for wearing these kinds of boots but the feet stay warm.

kingofthetailwind

Never let me down:

Vladimir2007

Another vote for winter boots. I have Shimano MW81 Gore-Tex Winter SPD Boots which work very well. Sometimes I use them with sealskinz socks, but mostly just use them with football socks.

Btw, the shimano boots have weird sizing, there are threads about this all over the "interwebz" and I forget whether they run large or small - I was reading all about this over a year ago. I will tell you this - I have a size 9 foot and the MW81s in a size 44 fit perfectly. size 45 are too big. Yes - I bought both sizes and had to send the 45s back.

Kieran_Burns

flywheel88 wrote:

I ride in boots in the winter. The ones with the fur inside. I also wear two pairs of socks. I have gotten some snickers and been the butt of jokes for wearing these kinds of boots but the feet stay warm.

I prefer kitkats, but that's very generous of them.