UKC

Last winter was my first winter of road biking and one of my abiding memories is that my feet got really, really cold. Do I need some neoprene (or something else) overshoes, or woolly socks, or what?

In reply to tony:

Last year I got a pair of winter boots which are great for cycling in cold weather although a bit costly. Even when the water in my bottle had turned into slush my feet were toasty warm and dry.

Previously I'd used overshoes which are great for the cool days but once it starts to get down to around freezing the winter boots came into their own.

In reply to tony:

Defeet Woolie Boolie socks and neoprene overshoes. Works most of the time.

In reply to nniff:


My combination exactly

In reply to tony:

Good socks, not tight shoes and neoprene overshoes for me. You can get some pretty reasonable overshoes for not much these days.

In reply to tony:

When it's cool and dry (i.e. the nicest time to ride) a good pair of socks and neoprene toe thingies are a god-send.

In reply to tony:
Hiking/wool socks and windproof overshoes
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-windproof-overshoe-1/

Aldi had overshoes last week - they looked a bit bulky & flappy which might make them less hassle to get on & off.

In reply to tony:

I am going through my usual Autumn progression of nothing to toe covers to light windproof overshoes to heavier waterproof shoe covers.

I am giving serious thought to buying a proper pair of winter shoes this year, as it's less fiddle.

I've never needed neoprene overshoes, although I might have been glad of them in snow a couple of times.

I'm assuming you're using road SPDs with plastic cleats? If you're using MTB ones with metal cleats, they can really suck the warmth out of your feet - better innersoles can help.

I have tried SealSkinz socks in the past, but found them too bulky in my shoes, but they were an early pair and there are better fitting options now.

In reply to tony:

I use winter boots, bit bulkier than normal cycling shoes but by far the easiest way to keep your feet warm and dry.

In reply to tony:

I always carry emergency freezer bags.... It's not comfortable duet o the lack of breathability, but when you have ice blocks instead of feet, sticking your feet in freezer bags can make a world of difference....

And if your hands are cold stop at a petrol station for a pair of free plastic gloves

In reply to tony:

Decathlon overshoes work for me. Decent price, around £10. Big plus factor is they are very easy to put on. They have a velcro fastening strap in the middle of the sole, so no Yeti gaiter like struggles to put them on.

In reply to tony:
slightly looser fitting shoes / boots, socks and overshoes as everyone else has said...

if you are using clip less pedals, especially clip less with a metal cleat, think about adding a thermal insole to the bottom of the shoe, that metal cleat is a very effective heat sink.

In reply to tony:

A pair of these:
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CLPXOSH/planet-x-neoprene-overshoes
Cheap and functional.

In reply to tony:

I've never found a solution. So I don't cycle in the winter anymore. Maybe I need a pair of winter boots but I doubt they would work, my feet are always cold even in summer.

In reply to elsewhere


I've got these ones, which are a bit more substantial/warmer/expensive. They do the trick to about -2 or so, and colder than that I'd mostly not be going out on account of ice.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-extreme-weather-neoprene-overshoe/

In reply to everyone:

Many thanks everyone. I think my current shoes might be a bit small, so circulation isn't as good as it should be, and some of the overshoe solutions look good and affordable.

In reply to wilkesley:

That velcro bit to avoid the faff sounds bloody brilliant!

In reply to tony:

Last winter I bought Endura overshoes, with Velcro strap across sole, to keep my feet warm, but, to be honest, I think they were only partially successful. I do suffer from cold feet and liable to get cramp after an hour or so. My current shoes are a bit wider than those last winter so I'll be wearing as thick socks as I can, plus the overshoes.

In reply to tony:

Oversocks (Defeet)

still cold or wet?
Foil under the insoles

Wet? then go with neoprene, yes feet get wet but they stay warm. (I have castelli)

Also make sure your core body is running hot so the body isn't taking blood from hands/feet

In reply to tony: Don't leave the house between November or March? Move somewhere warmer

In reply to tony:

I've managed to get actual frost nip cycling before (it was about -15 or colder), so have thought a lot about this issue! My attempts to recount what I've found to work in the past are here http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/trail-riding-and-avoiding-c... but I must say, I've not had big problems since being back in the UK. In the winter on my commuter I use Shimano MTB shoes, the ones with flaps over their laces and them with some decent socls have been fine.

In reply to tony:

Piss on them.

In reply to tony:

I got a chilblain a couple of years ago and don't want one again. I bought many many socks last winter to try to avoid it happening again. I finally settled on the On One thick merinos as doing a really good job. The other thing, and it's not going to fit with roadie rules, was walking boots and flat pedals. I just want warm feet ... overshoes are good, but actually having boots with proper wind proofing seems to do the same job without you looking like some weird character out of bat man.

In reply to wilkesley:

I use them too . very good . much better than the pair of planet x ones I have.

In reply to tony:

Having quite poor circulation to my extremities the first thing I do with a new pair of shoes is tape up all the vents in the soles. I have Endura neoprene overboots and these are enough to keep my feet warm in moderately thick socks.

In reply to AlisonSmiles:


That's surely half the appeal, although I usually fancy myself a Bond frogman fresh from a beached mini-sub rushing a vial of snakebite serum secreted in a downtube cavity to some remote location on a blasted moor.

In reply to tony:

When it's really cold I wear knee length lambswool socks + winter neoprene overshoes.

Keeping your calfs warmer can help keep your feet warm.

http://www.aidansweeney.co.uk/products/73-wolseymorley-grip-top-knee-length...

The sort of thing you'd get in an 'old school' Gents outfitters.

"Suits you Sir."

In reply to tony:

Despite wearing good socks and having neoprene overshoes I always used to feel the cold on the very coldest days commuting to work (best tyre for 6" snow? Conti gatorskins), until I learnt a tip from a former pro. Cover your toes with tinfoil before putting your shoes on. Yes you'll feel a prat the first time you do it, and the same again if anyone witnesses you taking your bike shoes off. But on the bike - toasties warm! Try it, you'll very quickly be won over.

In reply to radar:

That's a good tip. It wouldn't be too difficult to make something more hard wearing from one of those foil blankets.

In reply to tony:
Got a pair of these last winter off sport pursuit for about £30 , well worth twice that .
http://www.pearlizumi.co.uk/product/unisex-pro-softshell-wxb-shoecover-var1...
First time I've had comfy feet in winter, but there weren't really that many proper cold days last year . However according to the daily express..........