Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Winter Cycling
Reload this Page >

Chemical Warmers and You

Notices
Winter Cycling Don't let snow and ice discourage you this winter. The key element to year-round cycling is proper attire! Check out this winter cycling forum to chat with other ice bike fanatics.

Chemical Warmers and You

Old 01-01-18, 05:08 PM
  #1  
wipekitty
vespertine member
Thread Starter
 
wipekitty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Land of Angora, Turkey
Posts: 2,476

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 687 Post(s)
Liked 220 Times in 163 Posts
Chemical Warmers and You

I decided to try something new today...chemical warmers for my boots. Usually my feet are just fine, but knowing that I was going to be outside for 2+ hours at 0F, it seemed like a good idea. I got a pair of Hot Hands footwarmers - the toe warmer kind that stick to the bottom of your sock. Out of the package, they started heating up...on the sock and into the boot they went!

They didn't seem to do much. With about seven miles left to go and pretty cold feet, I pulled out a pair of hand warmers (designed for hands) and sort of stuffed them in my boots around my ankles. It helped a bit. When I got home and took my boots off, the hand warmers were warm...but the toe warmers were cold as ice. I put the toe warmers in my shoes to wear around the house, and they've heated up a bit now, so they obviously weren't defective.

So, I'm wondering if anyone has had good luck with chemical warmers. Would it be effective to use the (obviously much warmer) hand warmers in boots? Or are warmers in boots just a lost cause, given the low oxygen environment?
wipekitty is offline  
Old 01-01-18, 05:34 PM
  #2  
GadgetGirlIL
Full Member
 
GadgetGirlIL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Lisle, IL
Posts: 407

Bikes: 2003 Litespeed Vortex, 2017 All-City Mr. Pink, ~1997 Trek Multitrack 700

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 139 Post(s)
Liked 93 Times in 56 Posts
How snug do your boots fit? I went up a size when I got my winter cycling boots and the toe warmers are working for me. Same with my hiking boots. I use the Hot Hands brand toe warmers.
GadgetGirlIL is offline  
Old 01-01-18, 07:37 PM
  #3  
Spoonrobot 
Senior Member
 
Spoonrobot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,049
Mentioned: 63 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1210 Post(s)
Liked 167 Times in 107 Posts
The hot hands toe-warmers have been pretty abysmal for me as well. I don't think there's enough material in them to allow them to create heat in spaces that do not have very good airflow. The handwarmers in shoes work better but are still much less effective than when used in open air or in gloves.

I did discover that placing the handwarmers on the major arteries in the front and rear of my ankles between my sock and shoe-cover, seems to work much better than trying to warm my toes. They seem to get additional airflow and stay hotter as well.
Spoonrobot is offline  
Old 01-01-18, 07:48 PM
  #4  
prathmann
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Bay Area, Calif.
Posts: 7,239
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 659 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times in 6 Posts
Note that these depend on oxygen from surrounding air to work. They're basically finely ground iron which rusts when exposed to oxygen and therefore gives off heat. In a tight-fitting shoe they might not be getting enough air to generate enough heat.
prathmann is offline  
Old 01-01-18, 08:27 PM
  #5  
wipekitty
vespertine member
Thread Starter
 
wipekitty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Land of Angora, Turkey
Posts: 2,476

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 687 Post(s)
Liked 220 Times in 163 Posts
Originally Posted by Spoonrobot

I did discover that placing the handwarmers on the major arteries in the front and rear of my ankles between my sock and shoe-cover, seems to work much better than trying to warm my toes. They seem to get additional airflow and stay hotter as well.
Nice - I was thinking this might be an option, so I'm glad that it worked out.

The boots I wore are not particularly tight, but are rather tall. Perhaps something lower would allow enough air to keep the toe warmers in action.
wipekitty is offline  
Old 01-01-18, 08:52 PM
  #6  
mcours2006
Senior Member
 
mcours2006's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 6,198

Bikes: ...a few.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2009 Post(s)
Liked 405 Times in 231 Posts
It helps if you can crack them open perhaps an hour ahead of time. And also placing them next to your bare skin works better, and for the toes, place them on top of your toes instead of underneath.
mcours2006 is offline  
Old 01-02-18, 09:25 AM
  #7  
TimothyH
- Soli Deo Gloria -
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Northwest Georgia
Posts: 14,782

Bikes: 2018 Rodriguez Custom Fixed Gear, 2017 Niner RLT 9 RDO, 2015 Bianchi Pista, 2002 Fuji Robaix

Mentioned: 235 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6844 Post(s)
Liked 736 Times in 469 Posts
Originally Posted by prathmann
Note that these depend on oxygen from surrounding air to work. They're basically finely ground iron which rusts when exposed to oxygen and therefore gives off heat. In a tight-fitting shoe they might not be getting enough air to generate enough heat.
Originally Posted by Spoonrobot
I did discover that placing the handwarmers on the major arteries in the front and rear of my ankles between my sock and shoe-cover, seems to work much better than trying to warm my toes. They seem to get additional airflow and stay hotter as well.

This has been my experience as well. They don't seem to work when stuffed between sock and tight fitting shoes. There isn't enough air flow for them to activate.


-Tim-
TimothyH is offline  
Old 01-02-18, 10:35 AM
  #8  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,528

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5219 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
toe warmers for mildly cold days, hand warmers for the brutal stuff. despite instructions I put them on top of my toes. the hand warmers require masking tape. if using a sock liner & thicker sock over, put the warmer in between them



rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 01-03-18, 06:43 PM
  #9  
shelbyfv
Expired Member
 
shelbyfv's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: TN
Posts: 11,461
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3638 Post(s)
Liked 5,316 Times in 2,701 Posts
Another vote for on top of toes. They really don't put out the heat of the hand warmers.
shelbyfv is offline  
Old 01-06-18, 09:33 PM
  #10  
Mounttesa
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 31
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
I tried chemical warmers for the first time this holiday. They were Hot Shots hand warmers stuffed into my boots. Outside my socks on top of toes to start, but ended up crunched into the toe box as I didn't adhere them.

It was -11C/12f and 45 minutes in I had to start actively paying attention to and warming my toes by vigorous wiggling etc. I suspect this is an improvement to not having them at all, and I had read about the airflow issue prior, but I was still hoping for better. 3 hrs later I got home after the last 1/2 hr of hiking the bike due to miscalculating the snow fall (I'm on semi slick tires) with one foot warm and the other what felt like brink of frostbite.

Looks like I found my cold limit with my level of gear/body.

Last edited by Mounttesa; 01-06-18 at 09:37 PM.
Mounttesa is offline  
Old 01-06-18, 10:46 PM
  #11  
TimothyH
- Soli Deo Gloria -
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Northwest Georgia
Posts: 14,782

Bikes: 2018 Rodriguez Custom Fixed Gear, 2017 Niner RLT 9 RDO, 2015 Bianchi Pista, 2002 Fuji Robaix

Mentioned: 235 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6844 Post(s)
Liked 736 Times in 469 Posts
Originally Posted by mcours2006
It helps if you can crack them open perhaps an hour ahead of time.
This was great advice. Thank you.


-Tim-
TimothyH is offline  
Old 01-07-18, 11:54 AM
  #12  
cyclebycle13
Super WW
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: NY (state)
Posts: 669

Bikes: A really light one and a really heavy one.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 43 Times in 15 Posts
I use them for winter commutes/rides. I almost never put them in my shoe unless it's extremely cold out and then they're on top of the toes. Usually they go between the top of the shoe (by the toes) and held in place by thin shoe covers (as in toes/front of shoes only). Then I cover that with another (full) shoe cover and then garneau neo protect neoprene covers. If it's really cold (like these past couple of weeks in NY I went w/ the toe warmers in the shoe, on top of the shoe and instead of the first full shoe cover I went with the neo protect covers and on top of them were some old performance neoprene booties (which are much thicker). It makes for a bulky setup but it works, feet were nice and toasty.

I also let the toe warmers warm up for 1/2 hour before I put them on. It's interesting what people say about using the hand warmers instead - I find they're a total waste. They don't stay warm at all in that enviroment - no airflow. The toe warmers are designed to work in low oxygen environments (if you read they wrapper). I've actually used them in gloves because I found them to actually work - although I have electric heated glove liners that have replaced that fiasco.
cyclebycle13 is offline  
Old 01-20-18, 10:49 AM
  #13  
Facanh
Full Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 413
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 121 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
I just bought some toe warmers for the first time. Towards the end of a 1,5-2 hour ride they stopped producing heat, but when I took them out of my shoe, they started heating up again so the problem is airflow. They were under my toes.

I'm using summer shoes (Shimano XC5) with overshoes, when using overshoes what is the best place to put the warmers?

Last edited by Facanh; 01-20-18 at 11:57 AM.
Facanh is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Ogsarg
General Cycling Discussion
69
12-19-17 07:38 AM
riko
Fifty Plus (50+)
9
01-16-13 02:45 PM
teamtrinity
Road Cycling
16
11-06-12 08:14 AM
bnelson
Winter Cycling
9
12-17-10 04:36 PM
rumrunn6
Winter Cycling
4
01-05-10 12:50 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.