Keeping feet warm

Anonymous

Can anyone recommend a good set of socks and overboots to use so my feet do not become blocks of ice again?

The current (supposedly thermal) boots I have do very little to keep my feet warm. I have 2 sets of shoes. Sidi Millenium III's and Scott Carbon Pros and they are equally cold with boots on top. I am thinking I am probably in need of some top quality socks underneath but I dont have any experience in finding good ones to wear so have no idea where to start.

FitzM

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/insigh ... the-bike-0

jordan_217

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/defeet-woolie-b ... uff-socks/

alex222

jordan_217 wrote:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/defeet-woolie-boolie-2-4-cuff-socks/

Have just bought these. Haven't managed to test them out yet but get great reviews

keef66

Woolie boolie socks, shoes with a bit of wriggle room, and simple neoprene overshoes.

Last Thursday night I went out for a quick spin round the block. Found out my gloves weren't up to the job and my hands were excruciatingly cold; cut the ride short because of the pain. Feet however were toasty warm with the above combination. Later downloaded the Garmin log to find that the temperature had been down to minus 5 for most of the ride.

It is crucial that you have enough room in the shoes so that you don't constrict your feet and the socks have the space to trap a layer of air.

cadseen

The wiggle socks are great, a cheap option for the very bad days is also to wrap a carrier bag around each foot under the overshoe.

I also Like the Merino Wool Socks as well. @ http://bit.ly/1zNgjo3

Anonymous

cadseen wrote:

The wiggle socks are great, a cheap option for the very bad days is also to wrap a carrier bag around each foot under the overshoe.

I also Like the Merino Wool Socks as well. @ http://bit.ly/1zNgjo3

Thanks for the link. Socks look pretty decent. As far as the carrier bag goes, does it not cause problems with clipping in? If you have to make a hole in them, does that not defeat the point of them in the first place?

cadseen

Just make a little hole in them if you need to. My SPD SL cleats fit in without cutting them.
Any small hole underneath wont let the water in. Water will come always get in, usually down your leg :-)
If extreme bad weather I would tape them at the top ...

FitzM

[/quote]Thanks for the link. Socks look pretty decent. As far as the carrier bag goes, does it not cause problems with clipping in? If you have to make a hole in them, does that not defeat the point of them in the first place?[/quote]

Put your feet into the bags before you put your shoes on :idea:

ai_1

I use Grip Grab HammerHead overboots which I'm pretty happy with. On really cold days I pair these with a pair of Giro merino wool socks and I'm okay down to 0 degrees C. Obviously tape up any vents in the sole of your shoes too!
One thing to be aware of is that chunky socks can be counterproductive and actually make your feet colder if they're a tight fit in your shoes. I and others have had this problem where using bulkier socks in the hope of warmer feet has in fact resulted in colder feet presumably due to reduced circulation.

dgstewart

Depends just how cold your feet are getting but I use these:
http://www.costco.co.uk/view/product/uk ... 8.1/759175

Thin merino socks and warmer thermal outer socks with the heated sachet stuffed in between the two socks, and flattened out a bit along my toes. Then shoes (one size bigger than normal ), then overshoes (neoprene usually) over the top. They last for ages - easily over 6 hours, sometimes still warm after 10 or 12.

I suffer from seriously cold feet/hands, and these are the only things that allow me to ride for several hours in cold temperatures (below 5 degC or so) without getting ice blocks for feet - very painful. It seems to be a extremities circulation thing as it can happen even sitting indoors in fairly warm rooms sometimes.

ai_1

A couple of years ago I was considering the practicality of designing and selling electrically powered foot and hand heaters for cycling. I think it's definitely feasible but I suspect the safety side of things might make it a bit of a headache to get to market.

cougie

You mean a bit like these - http://www.primrose.co.uk/-p-2203.html? ... AnKi8P8HAQ

jaxf

Have you tried lining your shoes with tin foil? The heat reflection is good, for almost no space taken up. I am wearing my woollie boolies now (inside) as they leave so little space in my shoes that my feet wind up colder.

ben-----

As well as a pair of woollen socks I use some waterproof (and therefore also windproof) neoprene socks over the woollen ones. These have made quite a difference. The various woollen sock suggestions, on their own, IMO, won't make hardly any difference at all.

IanRCarter

I'm similar to dgstewart, I get very cold feet even around the house, let alone on the bike. I use the foot warmer sachet things which are designed to stick to the bottom of your socks, they're good but not perfect due to the shape not really being designed to cover the toes.

I've tried many variations to try and get something right but once it's below 5C, I just have to put up with cold feet and try to do enough to keep them warm enough so it's not painful. DHB merino socks, quite thing and not really the warmest, not very stretchy and mine have shrunk in the wash. I now use Woolie Boolies but still have problems, I'm definitely not in the 'my-feet-were-numb-icicles-but-then-I-tried-Woolie-Boolies-and-my-feet-feel-like-they-are-in-the-toaster' party (for the record, I think the people who experience such a drastic change after switching to Woolie Boolies must have been using lightweight summer socks before). I bought a pair of the Northwave GTX boots, they are no warmer than normal shoes with overshoes (although a little easier). I've tried windproof overshoes over these boots, it was difficult to tell whether they made much difference. I think neoprene overshoes would be too bulky over the boots.

The only thing I can really try now is carrier bags over my socks. Roll on Spring/Summer!

ben-----

IanRCarter wrote:

I now use Woolie Boolies but still have problems, I'm definitely not in the 'my-feet-were-numb-icicles-but-then-I-tried-Woolie-Boolies-and-my-feet-feel-like-they-are-in-the-toaster' party (for the record, I think the people who experience such a drastic change after switching to Woolie Boolies must have been using lightweight summer socks before).

Absolutely. They're just OK standard not too thick woollen socks. Nothing special what so ever. Many other woollen socks are just as good. Plus, woollen socks as a solution on their own, is not the answer. Not for me anyway.

ai_1

ben----- wrote:

As well as a pair of woollen socks I use some waterproof (and therefore also windproof) neoprene socks over the woollen ones. These have made quite a difference. The various woollen sock suggestions, on their own, IMO, won't make hardly any difference at all.

Are you talking about foot socks or shoe socks?
Warm socks inside the shoe will make a significant difference if there's space. I've never seen a neoprene sock except for the "booties" used to extend protection over your feet when using a wetsuit. There's no way my wetsuit booties would fit inside a shoe that wasn't several sizes too big for me. So do you mean overshoes or are these REALLY slim neoprene socks (like 1mm)?

Anonymous

jaxf wrote:

Have you tried lining your shoes with tin foil? The heat reflection is good, for almost no space taken up. I am wearing my woollie boolies now (inside) as they leave so little space in my shoes that my feet wind up colder.

Yes I have tried this before but after a while the foil disintegrates and you are left with little bits of foils inside your shoes and on your socks. I tried with a few wraps around and the same thing happened so I wont ever be doing that again.

I think I am going to have a look at the DHB merino wool socks. I have a lot of merino wool base layer stuff so I know the properties are good. Thanks for the input .

ben-----

Ai_1 wrote:

ben----- wrote:

As well as a pair of woollen socks I use some waterproof (and therefore also windproof) neoprene socks over the woollen ones. These have made quite a difference. The various woollen sock suggestions, on their own, IMO, won't make hardly any difference at all.

Are you talking about foot socks or shoe socks?
Warm socks inside the shoe will make a significant difference if there's space. I've never seen a neoprene sock except for the "booties" used to extend protection over your feet when using a wetsuit. There's no way my wetsuit booties would fit inside a shoe that wasn't several sizes too big for me. So do you mean overshoes or are these REALLY slim neoprene socks (like 1mm)?

Yup, foot socks, not overshoes. They're not that slim (like 1mm) but not that thick either. Maybe 3mm at most at a guess. I happen to not use proper cycling shoes, I use old fashioned clip pedals. So my shoes are just trainers. The trainers I use when using woollen socks and the neoprene socks are slightly larger than my other trainers but hardly. They're fine with normal socks, just a fraction larger.

mfin

Also see this thread http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40013&t=13013807

ai_1

Maglia Rosa wrote:

....I think I am going to have a look at the DHB merino wool socks. I have a lot of merino wool base layer stuff so I know the properties are good. Thanks for the input .

I bought 2 pairs of DHB merino socks a couple of years ago and 3 out of 4 socks developed holes in the toes after being worn twice! These are the only DHB products I can think of that I've been disappointed with but they really weren't fit for purpose. I don't know if their current version are the same design or an improved update but have a look at reviews in case others have had this problem. I later bought some Giro merino socks and these have proved far more robust and have served me well.

ai_1

ben----- wrote:

Ai_1 wrote:

ben----- wrote:

As well as a pair of woollen socks I use some waterproof (and therefore also windproof) neoprene socks over the woollen ones. These have made quite a difference. The various woollen sock suggestions, on their own, IMO, won't make hardly any difference at all.

Are you talking about foot socks or shoe socks?
Warm socks inside the shoe will make a significant difference if there's space. I've never seen a neoprene sock except for the "booties" used to extend protection over your feet when using a wetsuit. There's no way my wetsuit booties would fit inside a shoe that wasn't several sizes too big for me. So do you mean overshoes or are these REALLY slim neoprene socks (like 1mm)?

Yup, foot socks, not overshoes. They're not that slim (like 1mm) but not that thick either. Maybe 3mm at most at a guess. I happen to not use proper cycling shoes, I use old fashioned clip pedals. So my shoes are just trainers. The trainers I use when using woollen socks and the neoprene socks are slightly larger than my other trainers but hardly. They're fine with normal socks, just a fraction larger.

3mm is pretty substantial! There's no way I could wear them inside cycling shoes.

lostboysaint

Ai_1 wrote:

ben----- wrote:

Ai_1 wrote:

ben----- wrote:

As well as a pair of woollen socks I use some waterproof (and therefore also windproof) neoprene socks over the woollen ones. These have made quite a difference. The various woollen sock suggestions, on their own, IMO, won't make hardly any difference at all.

Are you talking about foot socks or shoe socks?
Warm socks inside the shoe will make a significant difference if there's space. I've never seen a neoprene sock except for the "booties" used to extend protection over your feet when using a wetsuit. There's no way my wetsuit booties would fit inside a shoe that wasn't several sizes too big for me. So do you mean overshoes or are these REALLY slim neoprene socks (like 1mm)?

Yup, foot socks, not overshoes. They're not that slim (like 1mm) but not that thick either. Maybe 3mm at most at a guess. I happen to not use proper cycling shoes, I use old fashioned clip pedals. So my shoes are just trainers. The trainers I use when using woollen socks and the neoprene socks are slightly larger than my other trainers but hardly. They're fine with normal socks, just a fraction larger.

3mm is pretty substantial! There's no way I could wear them inside cycling shoes.

3mm is a standard 3/4 season wetsuit thickness! It's miles too thick to get into a shoe that's even two sizes too big! I think you have your measurements wrong!

qube

How about these...

http://tinyurl.com/p6dax79

I use them up here in the winter for cycling and hillwalking.... toasty.

They last for hours as well, way better than the rechargeable ones.

ai_1

lostboysaint wrote:

Ai_1 wrote:

ben----- wrote:

Ai_1 wrote:

ben----- wrote:

As well as a pair of woollen socks I use some waterproof (and therefore also windproof) neoprene socks over the woollen ones. These have made quite a difference. The various woollen sock suggestions, on their own, IMO, won't make hardly any difference at all.

Are you talking about foot socks or shoe socks?
Warm socks inside the shoe will make a significant difference if there's space. I've never seen a neoprene sock except for the "booties" used to extend protection over your feet when using a wetsuit. There's no way my wetsuit booties would fit inside a shoe that wasn't several sizes too big for me. So do you mean overshoes or are these REALLY slim neoprene socks (like 1mm)?

Yup, foot socks, not overshoes. They're not that slim (like 1mm) but not that thick either. Maybe 3mm at most at a guess. I happen to not use proper cycling shoes, I use old fashioned clip pedals. So my shoes are just trainers. The trainers I use when using woollen socks and the neoprene socks are slightly larger than my other trainers but hardly. They're fine with normal socks, just a fraction larger.

3mm is pretty substantial! There's no way I could wear them inside cycling shoes.

3mm is a standard 3/4 season wetsuit thickness! It's miles too thick to get into a shoe that's even two sizes too big! I think you have your measurements wrong!

Yep I think my wetsuit has 2 or 3mm arms and 5mm front. Pretty sure my wetsuit boots are 3mm and there's no way they'd go inside a shoe anywhere close to my size. Also given I have wide feet, I'd need to be wearing clown shoe length items before there'd be much hope of the width being sufficient!