Cold feet me.

[LollyKat]

Thanks for the true explanation - I’m a musician, not a scientist. Wrist warmers help a lot when playing in cold churches, too.

[Bmblbzzz]

Lots of good ideas already. I'd just add that I see no reason why you couldn't use overshoes with flat pedals, but IMO they are less effective than actual winter boots. And if you're using flat pedals, good winter boots would be walking boots with thick woolly hiker socks. Make them long too.

[Jdsk]

Thanks for the true explanation - I’m a musician, not a scientist. Wrist warmers help a lot when playing in cold churches, too.

Some of that effect might work at a distance as it's mediated through the brain rather than locally. So wrist warmers could help with cold feet! I suspect that warm hats work this way as well as their direct effect on heat loss.

Jonathan

[slowster]

good winter boots would be walking boots

Until a couple of years ago I would have agreed, but I have since given up on wearing walking boots when riding in cold weather.

One of the common pieces of advice for someone who is experiencing cold feet, is to stop riding and walk for a while. Doing so reduces the higher rate of loss of heat caused by fast moving cold air over the footwear, and (I think) also promotes blood flow to the feet. In other words, footwear for cycling needs to be more effective at protecting the feet from cold than walking boots. Hence my recommendation above for 'snow boots', i.e. insulated boots designed for people who are standing around in the cold and largely inactive.

[Bmblbzzz]

I certainly find that walking produces much more foot warmth than cycling. I think it's to do with the motion rather than the airflow, primarily. My thinking about walking boots was that they tend to be much more solidly made than cycling footwear as well as a reasonably common and practical item. Snow shoes sound as if they should be even warmer.

[andrew_s]

Flexing the feet does make quite a lot of difference to how cold they get.

I went on a 10 km ski one time, in about -35°. I was using XC skis, and XC boots no more substantial than a decent pair of brogues, and was perfectly fine - felt a bit of chill, but that was all. My companion was using ski mountaineering kit, with rigid bindings hinged at the toe, and rigid double boots (Koflach, for those who may remember them), and he got proper frostbite, to the tune of black toes, medical attention, and the loss, eventually, of what had been the outer 1 mm or so of the toes.

For cycling in the cold, you want soles that are not too rigid (i.e. nylon rather than carbon), and are a couple of sizes larger than necessary in the summer, also not done up too tight.
You also want to make sure there's a decent amount of warm blood available, by keeping the body warm, so hands and feet can be used as radiators to dispose of excess heat. It takes a bit of practice, but you can persuade your body that doing so is better than sweating, and after that, gloves and winter shoes become much less of an issue.

[ferretdiver]

I also suffer with cold feetI agree with most of what has already been said.

I use walking boots in the winter, for foot warmth & because many of the trails I cycle on are rutted & quite muddy at that time of year.

I also use felt insoles to insulate from the cold ground.

Something like this, there are many brands available & different thicknesses.



I did consider heated socks, but price & durability put me off.


I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly bog brush using hovercraft full of eels

[PDQ Mobile]

There is also a benefit from technique IMHO.
I think deliberate strong "ankling",which uses the calf muscles more, and a higher cadence both help increase blood flow to the feet.

[thirdcrank]

Above all, nothing too tight. I'd go so far as to say that one pair of thin socks with comfy footwear is better than any amount of woolly layers in tight footwear. If your normal footwear including thick socks keeps your tootsies warm when walking, use them for cycling with flat pedals.

[Vetus Ossa]

20 mile or so ride today. Wore my walking socks which 6,000 odd reviews on Amazon tell me they are very warm.
Probably about 10c or so so not really cold, but my feet were nevertheless. They are now indoors with the heating on, so will switch to the thick warm knitted socks indoors. Will try a second pair with my walking socks for my next ride, but may have to try one of the other suggestions if that doesn’t help.

[axel_knutt]

I made a pair of pogies to go over the toe clips using sellotape and heavy duty polythene. They made a big improvement, and it costs nothing other than a few minutes to give them a try.

[CinnabarMoth]

I certainly find that walking produces much more foot warmth than cycling. I think it's to do with the motion rather than the airflow, primarily. My thinking about walking boots was that they tend to be much more solidly made than cycling footwear as well as a reasonably common and practical item. Snow shoes sound as if they should be even warmer.

Yes the reason that walking produces warmer feet than cycling is that walking requires flexing the foot which pumps warm blood around, when cycling the foot hardly works at all so blood flow is slugish.

[Bmblbzzz]

So it's possible that something "inappropriate" like trainers, which are far too flexible really, are warmer for winter cycling than more "appropriate" rigid-soled footwear.

[Vetus Ossa]

30 miles this morning. Beautiful sunny day, with a blue sky though a tad windy.
I wore my Hilly running socks under my merino wool walking socks, and during the ride my feet cot colder and colder, and were like ice when I arrived home.
I don't intend to go on like this all winter so have ordered these https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=DR.+WARM+W ... nb_sb_noss and they will be arriving tomorrow. They cost more than I wanted to spend, but if they work I will be happy.
Will report back should anyone be interested.

[ferretdiver]

I look forward to hearing your review of them, I have previously looked at heated socks but the ones I looked at they seemed expensive if you are after quality/durability.


I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly bog brush using hovercraft full of eels