How do you stop your feet from freezing?

[virek]

I don't know if it just me, but no matter what I wear I can't seem to stop my feet from freezing in any temperature below 10C after about an hour of cycling. I think they'drop off one day when I need them on an uphill bit

Anybody have some tips (or perhaps electric heated shoes)?

Matthew

[siwickm]

I have the same problem as well. I think you have to have shoes which are not too tight so you can wear two pairs of socks without constricting the blood circulation too much. Then whack a pair of decent overshoes on, I only have neoprene ones, but they are ok. Overall I think that freezing feet is part of the fun of winter training and you will just have to get used to it. Before long you won't think anything of your freezing feet, you will be worried about your freezing fingers too much. Changing gear with numb fingers ain't fun.

Cheers

Marek...

[David Lombari]

Virek, I find that keeping your feet within an inch of the hot water bottle and UNDER the duvet at 10 am on a winters Saturday morning works a treat. Having said that, that could be why I'm a stone overweight......

[Tamar]

On no account let your feet get wet. I was training at Hillingdon last night and got caught in a light shower en route. I thought it was OK but by the time I got there my feet were blocks of ice. I was already wearing 2 pairs of socks so I put my thick neoprene overshoes on but it was too late. 50 miserable miles later I finally got home and found my socks were really damp and cold. I think if they hadn't got wet in the first place it might have been OK.

I've got some waterproof sealskin socks and they're quite good, but a bit thick - I'm going to buy some of the thinner ones this year. I've also got a pair of shoes a size too big that I can wear lots of socks in and they're useful for the winter.

But sadly that's about it. You just have to live with it I think.

Also got sealskin gloves. Keep fingers reasonably warm and dry and are thin enough to use brakes and gears with confidence, but do tend to get v smelly - anyone recommend any others?

[siwickm]

I recently got some Dolphin skin gloves, but I gave up with them as my hands started to play tricks on me.

Cheers

Marek...

[virek]

I was beginning to think it was just me, that I was being...er...a bit of a girl.

I've now got some wool-e-ators and they're ok, but I still get cold. Legs body, face, ears, hands no problem just my sodding feet.

Oh well, I'm out on the training run on Sat with 2 or 3 pairs of socks and I'll probably bring my overshoes aswell...maybe I should double-up on overshoes in case

Cheers all.

Matthew

[David Lombari]

nice one Marek.....like Tamar, I've got the sealskin gloves and socks but I only use them for clubbing!

[Climber]

Campag have just released a new boot covers. Apparently they've got metal bits in them for extra insulation. Only prob is that they're £35

[siwickm]

Are the metal bits basically an Element, and you have to attach wires from your feet to a dynamo which charges up the element to heat your feet. If not £35 is a lot to pay for a couple of lumps of metal to drag around.

Cheers

Marek....

[Dan B]

There's a waterproof shoe out there. It costs about £100. I found it in a catalogue put out by a store in Brighton - I'll see if I can find it for next week ... essentially it's a neoprene sleeve inside a plastic (possibly carbon) shell.

[David Lombari]

Northwave are advertising the 'Husky' winter shoe at the moment.
http://www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk/public/i ... uskyshoes/

[AodanH]

I read this theroy somewhere, not sure how valid it is, but ......

There is a metal plate and holes in the soles of most clipless pedal shoes. The metal plate can act as a heat sink taking heat form your foot. If the other side of the plate is being cooled by cold wind then this continuously draws heat from inside the shoe. Extra socks will help but these tend to lose their insulation when you press on the pedal. Better still is a second insole which does't compress as much.

Apart from that tape over any holes around the cleat bolts, to stop the cold air getting in and cooling any metal.

Not sure how this effects carbon shoes though.

That said, Mr Lombari obviously has the most reliable method of avoiding cold feet.

[Tamar]

Not convinced by your theory Aodan. I already have an insole between the metal and my foot, and it is my toes that get cold rather than the sole of my foot. Guess there could be some limited effect but not enough to warrant fannying around with tape and extra insoles. Mind you - cheaper than £100 on new shoes!

[ajay khandelwal]

Geoffrey Butlers has some Planet X overshoes in for good value price of £20. They rec. a 5/5 rating from Cycling Plus. I bought a pair and wore them on the last club run. I found them excellent, with a really snug fit around the shoe and look cleat; and also a good wrap and insulation around the achilles tendon.

[siwickm]

Aodan, you are basically saying are shoes are sucking the heat out of us, blimey you learn something new everyday.

I like the sticky back plastic option, very Blue Peter. Maybe we can write to them and ask them to show on their next show how to insulate your cycling shoes with a toilet roll holder and some sticky tape.

Maybe that is the answer, just stick a toilet roll holder over your shoe and then wrap a shed load of tape over, then make a hole for the cleats in the bottom and you are sorted.

Cheers

Marek...