cold toes?

[wnowak06]

i live in connecticut and when i try to ride in cold temperatures (<40 degrees) my body seems to hold up well, but my toes freeze....i've tried wearing two pairs of socks but it still didn't help....any ideas on how to keep my toes warm so i can ride in the winter?

thanks

 

[buckybux]

Get some shoe covers, they help a lot. The problem with two pairs of socks is that often your feet fit into the shoes tightly, constricting the movement of the toes. The key is to get some cover on the outside of the shoe. You can also cut the toe part of some old wool socks and put that over the shoes, that works too.

 

[ohgodnooo!]

Buckybux pretty much covered it. You definitely doen't want to restrict blood flow to you farthest extremities ( fingers and toes) because the body automatically reduces bloodflow to those areas to retain as much warmth as possible to vital organs which are centrally located in the chest cavity. Keep your layers loose and use a shell type external insulation- like neoprene shoe covers. But I will often wear a pair of thin polyester socks under a regular pair of wool socks. That gives me the benifit of layering ( especially effective with polyester) without making my shoes much tighter which would reduce circulation. The warmer you keep your legs also the warmer you will keep your feet so look into leg and knee warmers. They are relatively cheap and infinitely valuable.

 

[when eddy ruled]

wear 2 pairs of thin socks with a plastic bag between them, obviously tucked in the bag wont let wind in and wont let heat out. ok you can end up with sweaty feet but i'd rather have sweaty toes than cold ones

cheaper than booties but the added advantage of booties is they will also keep your shoes clean

 

[bobke]

i live in connecticut and when i try to ride in cold temperatures (<40 degrees) my body seems to hold up well, but my toes freeze....i've tried wearing two pairs of socks but it still didn't help....any ideas on how to keep my toes warm so i can ride in the winter?

thanks

Looks like in CT where this March is colder than Jan.
Have researched this at length.
1. Thin to medium wool socks, then shoe covers. Or thick wool socks and shoes 1-2 sizes bigger than summer shoes.Allow the circulation to occur. 2. Always with shoe covers the best I've found are Pearl Izumi and Cannondale.
Not the neoprene which make your feet sweat after an hour.
3. Winter cycling shoes are also good.
4. Then Can also use chemical toe or footwarmers available in ski shops and when really cold
5. electric footwarmers also in ski shops work great.
If you lose feeling or toes go numb, I just read this on paceline.com clip out of pedal, then extend leg rapidly 10-20 times until feeling restored...actually works

 

[kspangler]

i live in connecticut and when i try to ride in cold temperatures (<40 degrees) my body seems to hold up well, but my toes freeze....i've tried wearing two pairs of socks but it still didn't help....any ideas on how to keep my toes warm so i can ride in the winter?

thanks

I recently read an interesting piece on this topic, the suggestions were: wear a heavy sock and make sure your shoes are loose so the blood can flow. Try it; you'll feel the difference. The article said that wearing a bigger shoe - one size bigger than normal - makes a big difference. I tried it and it worked. Also, I routinely use the booties over my shoes and that seems to work well. On really cold days I actually put pieces of newspaper into my socks as a wind barrier. It works! Just wrap you piggies in the newspaper then stick them in your socks - no joking.

Where are you in CT I visit up there a lot - Waterford, CT.

 

[wnowak06]

Thanks for all of your help...I live in Guilford, in the southern part of the state...it's a pretty nice place to ride...

 

[oldtimer1]

Hi.
I have found through trial and error the thing that works for me.
Assoss airblock socks, with neoprene overbooties.
No more "Frosty the Toe Man".

 

[Powerful Pete]

If you consistently ride in cold weather, you may also want to consider winter-specific riding shoes. Here is one example from my favorite shoe manufacturer :


http://www.sidi.it/ita/cycling/art_d.asp?ATp_ID=C01&Art_ID=MCFREEZE
I have an older pair and they are fabulous (used them in NYC in graduate school).

 

[bobke]

Thanks for all of your help...I live in Guilford, in the southern part of the state...it's a pretty nice place to ride...

Guilford is pretty...the hills out to the west/north and the ride out 146.

Also, main point I forgot...from wilderness expedition days:
cold hands+cold feet=put on hat!!!
Proper head gear keeps heat loss much lower.
I find the major warmth improvement is a Gore-Tex helmet cover and then whatever head cover, if really cold balaclava, if fairly cold, goretex head cover.
This has made a big improvement.