Cold weather advice thread

[hozn]

@Paytonb33 183814 wrote:

Any suggestion for keeping feet warm and dry when temperatures are below 30 degrees? I currently use neoprene toe covers and high viz pearl shoe covers with merino wool socks. But after 45 mins, my feet are freezing. Any help would be appreciated.

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I also can’t keep warm with just shoe covers below 35°. I have two sets of boots, which both work well. One pair of fairly old Northwave Celcius boots are comfy for 25-45°. After a couple hours at 25 my feet will be chilly, but nothing too bad. They are not fully sealed (my feet wouldn’t stay dry if I stepped in a puddle) but the uppers are goretex (they kept my feet warm and dry in rain on Friday, for example).

I also have a set of Specialized Defroster boots which are good down into the teens. I am sure after a couple hours in the teens my feet are cold, but I try to avoid ling rides in those temps. The Specialized are really nice boots, but they are a bit bulkier/heavier and so I tend to default to the Northwave when temps are not extreme. I believe these are fully sealed/waterproof too, though not sure I have really tested that.

[ChristoB50]

@Paytonb33 183814 wrote:

Any suggestion for keeping feet warm and dry when temperatures are below 30 degrees? I currently use neoprene toe covers and high viz pearl shoe covers with merino wool socks. But after 45 mins, my feet are freezing. Any help would be appreciated.

Will be watching the responses! I’m still wearing my biking/clip shoes (which have tiny perforations all over the upper face) — so I’ve taken to wearing over-shoe waterproof covers (well, they’re still open along the bottom/sole, of course) to act as a bit of wind-block… and combine that with ShowersPass 3-layer waterproof socks.
Longer rides (over an hour) my toes will still get cold, but basically a manageable level. (In contrast to my first-ever cold ride; made the rookie mistakes of cotton socks and baggies inside, so the socks got damp and BOY did my toes freeze; I was actually somewhat concerned when I got home and realized they’d been wind-chilled while wet!)

Anyway – I’d love to hear how effective some of the specifically-for-winter cleat-compatible shoes or even boots are… {Edit: Like the Shimano MW5 shoes: https://www.rei.com/product/121535/shimano-mw5-mountain-bike-shoes-mens}
I’d seriously think about investing the dough to keep my feet warmer than “manageable” throughout winter, especially as I have yet to bike into the low 20s or teens.

[dbehrend]

I’ve also had good experience with hiking boots and hiking socks keeping my feet comfortable through the winter. When it gets under 20, I double up on socks.

[dbehrend]

@Christob50 183893 wrote:

… and combine that with ShowersPass 3-layer waterproof socks.

I’m a big fan of Showers Pass. Their waterproof socks are great. However, I don’t find them that great at retaining heat. When it gets cold, I usually put another layer on underneath.

[mstone]

@Christob50 183893 wrote:

Anyway – I’d love to hear how effective some of the specifically-for-winter cleat-compatible shoes or even boots are… {Edit: Like the Shimano MW5 shoes: https://www.rei.com/product/121535/shimano-mw5-mountain-bike-shoes-mens}

I’ve got the older MW81’s. They’re worth it for me vs hiking boots because the cold often comes with ice and I’ve got enough to worry about without my feet sliding off the pedals. They’re warm, and much more breathable (i.e., less sweaty) in my experience than shoe covers over warm-weather bike shoes. It doesn’t help you now, but the end-of-season discounts on bike boots tend to be significant.

[Hancockbs]

@Paytonb33 183814 wrote:

Any suggestion for keeping feet warm and dry when temperatures are below 30 degrees? I currently use neoprene toe covers and high viz pearl shoe covers with merino wool socks. But after 45 mins, my feet are freezing. Any help would be appreciated.

I’m in this boat too. I recently found out based on another thread, that I need to keep my lower legs warmer to avoid the radiator effect on my feet. When I changed from uninsulated tights to Amphib with light fleece, I easily added 20 minutes to my toe comfort. I’m going to try sock liners next. After that I will go full rain cover for the shoes.

[Emm]

@Paytonb33 183814 wrote:

Any suggestion for keeping feet warm and dry when temperatures are below 30 degrees? I currently use neoprene toe covers and high viz pearl shoe covers with merino wool socks. But after 45 mins, my feet are freezing. Any help would be appreciated.

2 suggestions:

1. proper winter cycling shoes
2. Chemical toe warmers

I don’t like that the chemical toe warmers are 1 time use, BUT they are incredibly effective. Costco carries them for pretty cheap during the winter (I think under $15 for 30 pairs). Last year I kept forgetting I had already stocked up and now I have like 3 boxes of them…which is unfortunate because my commute is now shorter and I honestly don’t need them daily like I used to. So of anyone wants to try them out, you’re welcome to a few pairs if you meet me at one of the coffee clubs or happy hours I attend. One thing to note though is they don’t actually work that well inside my winter cycling boots. The toe warmers need air to work, and the cycling boots are so insulated that no air really gets in…so I’d warm the toe warmers up, put them in my boots, have them stop working, and then they’d heat back up AFTER I took my shoes off. Not helpful…

@Christob50 183893 wrote:

Anyway – I’d love to hear how effective some of the specifically-for-winter cleat-compatible shoes or even boots are… {Edit: Like the Shimano MW5 shoes: https://www.rei.com/product/121535/shimano-mw5-mountain-bike-shoes-mens}
I’d seriously think about investing the dough to keep my feet warmer than “manageable” throughout winter, especially as I have yet to bike into the low 20s or teens.

I have the Shimano MW7s, and they’re worth it if you can get them for below $200. After an hour my feet get cold anyways even with these on, so I find long rides below 35 degrees to hurt no matter what. The good news is they never have gotten truly painfully cold like they have with normal bike shoes/toe covers, but my toes definitely begin going numb after 60-90 min on really cold days. They’re a big improvement on regular cycling shoes though, and they are pretty waterproof as I found out last night while biking through the flooded 4mrt. And as I noted above, because they are so insulated/water proof, they mean chemical toe warmers don’t work. I’ve considered upgrading to the Lake boots, but we’ll see if they go on sale this year. The MW7s are definitely heavy, which also influences how much I enjoy using them.

[n18]

More tips:

Coughing = Torso too cold, go back and wear another layer.

Breathing from your mouth? Cover your nose and mouth. This warms the lower part of your head, so your nose is less likely to get congested. I use this balaclava(REI/Amazon), which can be lowered down to cover only the bottom half of the head when it gets warmer.

[dbehrend]

@mstone 183921 wrote:

… I’ve got enough to worry about without my feet sliding off the pedals.

I haven’t had a problem with my feet slipping when it’s wet or icy. I use flat pedals that have a large surface area and pins. They’ve been great for commuting and everyday riding.

[drevil]

@dbehrend 183949 wrote:

I haven’t had a problem with my feet slipping when it’s wet or icy. I use flat pedals that have a large surface area and pins. They’ve been great for commuting and everyday riding.

Yup, a good set of platform pedals with spikes will grip your shoes extremely well. My favorite pair are the Spank Spikes.

For added anti-slip-ness on ice when walking around, I’ve put a few shorter Kold Kutter screws into the outer edge of the shoe and a couple in the heel.

Kold Kutter Screws in My Shoes by ricky d, on Flickr

[Crickey7]

@Emm 183944 wrote:

2 suggestions:

1. proper winter cycling shoes
2. Chemical toe warmers

I don’t like that the chemical toe warmers are 1 time use, BUT they are incredibly effective.

I don’t buy the foot warmers, but I do buy the hand warmers. You can use them several times if as soon as you finish your ride you stick them in a Ziploc bag and squeeze out all the air.

[dbehrend]

@n18 183947 wrote:

More tips:

I use this balaclava(REI/Amazon), which can be lowered down to cover only the bottom half of the head when it gets warmer.

I picked up the half-balaclava version of this last year ( https://www.rei.com/product/725711/seirus-neofleece-combo-scarf ). Relative to the Buffs I also use, it has been a game changer at keeping me comfortable when the temperature drops below the mid-20s.

[hugopatacon]

What about black ice? any suggestions?:confused:

[Hancockbs]

Decided to break down and buy some cold weather shoes. I found Shimano MW5 for $125 including shipping at bikeinn.com.

https://www.bikeinn.com/bike/shimano-mw5/136224930/p

[ChristoB50]

@Hancockbs 184018 wrote:

Decided to break down and but some cold weather shoes. I found Shimano MW5 for $125 including shipping at bikeinn.com.
https://www.bikeinn.com/bike/shimano-mw5/136224930/p

Please report back with your experiences with that shoe, after you’ve got a few cold rides — I’m curious if they make a measurable difference over “plain” bike shoes like my Shimano ME3’s, particularly on longer rides (1hr+) in low 30s or colder…

[Author]

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