Cold Feet
- Thread starter wyno70
- Start date
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RSV_Ecosse
Senior Member
- Location
- Bonnybridge, Scotland
Overshoes can really help.
I was using the Aldi ones up until I got a pair of Pro Tarmac H2O overshoes a few weeks ago :-
Roasty toasty. And that's just over a pair of Shimano RO99's which are not exactly what you would class as Winter shoes by an means.
Highly recommend the Pro Tarmac's.
I was using the Aldi ones up until I got a pair of Pro Tarmac H2O overshoes a few weeks ago :-
Roasty toasty. And that's just over a pair of Shimano RO99's which are not exactly what you would class as Winter shoes by an means.
Highly recommend the Pro Tarmac's.
LondonCommuter
New Member
Winter boots are good. Northwave Fahrenheit/Celsius + merino socks work well for me though on days like today my feet are starting to get cold towards the end of my 50minute ride
Keith Oates
Janner
- Location
- Penarth, Wales
I've tried many different ways to keep the feet warm but have yet to find one that is good for more than about an hour on really cold days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bikie
Über Member
- Location
- Northumberland
I too have a problem keeping my feet and lower legs warm, I sometimes have to get off and walk up a hill just too get the blood circulating around everywhere below my knees, it doesn't matter how many pairs of socks I wear. The best thing I have used are the disposable feet warmers but they are a bit uncomfortable in your shoe. Has anyone used the battery heated insoles and are they any good?
Auntie Helen
Ich bin Powerfrau!
- Location
- 47906 Kempen, Germany
I've been struggling with cold feet - even when wearing 2 pairs of socks, my SPD shoes and Altura Night Vision overshoes. Santa brought me Shimano MT90 boots which made things MUCH better on my ride today. Although my feet were still a bit cold, they were the same level of cold as they used to be with the overshoes on, and I hadn't used the overshoes (which I could add for long, cold rides).
I think the design of the MT90s is much better as there's no direct access to the SPD mounting plate from inside the shoe - it's bolted in place in the sole. With the old shoes it seemed irrelevant how many layers you put on as your foot was always just a thin insole away from the metal mounting plate, to which is screwed the cleat, which is clipped to the metal pedal, which is at the front of the recumbent trike and heading into wind. Clipping my feet to cold bits of metal seemed a bad idea - you may find getting similar shoes might help!
I think the design of the MT90s is much better as there's no direct access to the SPD mounting plate from inside the shoe - it's bolted in place in the sole. With the old shoes it seemed irrelevant how many layers you put on as your foot was always just a thin insole away from the metal mounting plate, to which is screwed the cleat, which is clipped to the metal pedal, which is at the front of the recumbent trike and heading into wind. Clipping my feet to cold bits of metal seemed a bad idea - you may find getting similar shoes might help!
Dave5N
Über Member
- Location
- Outside The Little Nibble
Blimey, I told you already. Polythene bags between the shoe and overshoe.
If you're rich, use clingfilm over your shoe before you put the overshoes on.
If you're rich, use clingfilm over your shoe before you put the overshoes on.
Angelfishsolo
A Velocipedian
- Location
- Cwmbach, South Wales
Same problem on a Boxing Day 40 miler. I found that the cold radiated from the cleats. I had two pairs of medium thickness socks on but my feet were still blocks of ice. Still thoughts of a bowl of hot water was a great help 
Okay, thanks for the suggestions, I've tried all of the above (platic bags, thermal socks etc etc etc) but only really cold days, nothing seems to really work on rids of more than a couple of hours.
I did find that decent wool socks (woolly boollies) and plastic bags inside the over shoe did improve things a bit but after a couple of hours the cold still kicks in.
As such, I've decided I have 2 choices, either put up with it, or get some winter shoes. At the moment, I'm putting up with it!!!!
I did find that decent wool socks (woolly boollies) and plastic bags inside the over shoe did improve things a bit but after a couple of hours the cold still kicks in.
As such, I've decided I have 2 choices, either put up with it, or get some winter shoes. At the moment, I'm putting up with it!!!!
andrew_s
Legendary Member
- Location
- Gloucester
Winter boots are best.
The troubles with trying to use your normal shoes are:-
a) they will probably have pretty open weave material above the toe that let the draught in and the warm air out.
they are generally a close fit to suit thin summer socks. If you try and cram thick socks in you just end up restricting the circulation to your feet and making bad worse.
c) stiff soles and the consequent lack of movement of the foot doesn't help.
The best you can do is to use medium thickness wool socks and neoprene overshoes, and to wear your shoes relatively loosely.
Walking for a bit to get the blood flowing does make quite a lot of difference if things get too bad.
One time when I was working in the Antarctic, two of us skied the 10 miles back to base in about -30. I was using XC skis, with flexible boots that were just a single layer of leather, the other chap used mountaineering skis and rigid double plastic boots. I was fine, he got frostbite to the tune of his big toe turning black.
The troubles with trying to use your normal shoes are:-
a) they will probably have pretty open weave material above the toe that let the draught in and the warm air out.
they are generally a close fit to suit thin summer socks. If you try and cram thick socks in you just end up restricting the circulation to your feet and making bad worse.c) stiff soles and the consequent lack of movement of the foot doesn't help.
The best you can do is to use medium thickness wool socks and neoprene overshoes, and to wear your shoes relatively loosely.
Walking for a bit to get the blood flowing does make quite a lot of difference if things get too bad.
One time when I was working in the Antarctic, two of us skied the 10 miles back to base in about -30. I was using XC skis, with flexible boots that were just a single layer of leather, the other chap used mountaineering skis and rigid double plastic boots. I was fine, he got frostbite to the tune of his big toe turning black.
Randochap
Senior hunter
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada
Use neoprene booties
and a pair of nylon shells over those.
Toasty!
If you add a pair of Sealskins inside a (loose-fitting) shoe, you would be OK in Canada ... unless all your blood circulation is somewhere else.
and a pair of nylon shells over those.
Toasty!
If you add a pair of Sealskins inside a (loose-fitting) shoe, you would be OK in Canada ... unless all your blood circulation is somewhere else.
HeartAttack
New Member
I did 4 hours today, starting out it was -2, at 12 noon it had risen to 0 which was the highest my Polar recorded (and thats normally within 1 degree of what a reg thermometer says), and my feet were warm in fact maybe a tad too warm.
All I used were some Black Mountain walking boot socks, pure wool and topped with Northwave's goretex road shoe (link) I have to say with reg cycling socks these shoes are perfect for down to about 0, below this better socks make life sweet, though even with thin socks my feet never get that chilly.
One point I will mention, I got the shoes 1 size bigger than normal, this allows me to wear thick socks and I also have an air gap which adds to warmth, they don't slide around on my feet even being larger, though I can feel they are slightly oversize if that makes sense, oh and so far they have not let water in either, but do put leggings over the outside if wet so rain doesn't run down the ankle and inside.
All I used were some Black Mountain walking boot socks, pure wool and topped with Northwave's goretex road shoe (link) I have to say with reg cycling socks these shoes are perfect for down to about 0, below this better socks make life sweet, though even with thin socks my feet never get that chilly.
One point I will mention, I got the shoes 1 size bigger than normal, this allows me to wear thick socks and I also have an air gap which adds to warmth, they don't slide around on my feet even being larger, though I can feel they are slightly oversize if that makes sense, oh and so far they have not let water in either, but do put leggings over the outside if wet so rain doesn't run down the ankle and inside.