Chris!

Seems as I age a bit my feet get colder, and I'm really not that old.... Today I did a ride in the 50s and thats about the lower limit of my shoes. Anyone have any experience with the 45nrth ragnarok? I'm also looking at lakes. I don't need anything crazy like a boot just something to get me down around freezing. I have an overshoe and I've done with thick wool socks but doesn't breath at all and I end up with wet cold feet.

billnuke1 

I ride the most in the winter on the Cape...Socks + newspaper bag + my Merrell hiking boots/shoes...I use half toe clips...No more trying to walk in road shoes in the freezing winter weather...also have some old C’dale MTB shoes in I ride one of the clipless bikes...I have the shoe covers for those...I still use the bags...my hands get cold before my feet do now...I have great gloves...exam gloves work great under those...

Ed Wiser

I use neoprene shoe covers that make your feet toasty. Even on the coldest day. As I get older I ride more inside on my Kickr bike in the winter.

Steve B.

There a whole thread on winter shoes and such here:,

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycl...es-way-go.html

wolfchild

Insulated hiking boots and wool socks.

Toespeas

well ill give you my experience

the winterized pre-made shoes are always going to be less stiff than your basic cycling shoe , if you dont care about that then lakes and 45s will be ok as spd ,
fizik has an actual road thats made for winter artica5 or something like that ,
these are types are a decent choice for commutes or short rides ,
but there is no shoe that will insulate your feet like you will want them too ,
i find some people just have really good circulation in their bodies ,
and they can ride in the cold without being bothered ,
my feet are my biggest weakness ,
a few years ago i started just using my basic road shoes and a double layer of wool socks with strips of emergency blanket between ,
sowed up with a hole cut in the bottom , i also glue insulation to the bottom of my insole ,
add for the finishing touches you can add a usb powered heating element and duckt tape for water proofing ,
there are a few videos on youtube on how to build a simple and effective one ,
so you could choose the pre-mades and get suffer in performance but have a complete and easy product ,
but not be fully protected from the cold paying 200 plus or build your own heated booties for the shoes you use now for lets say under 100 ,
every year i try a new design and you are really good at design you can make your own over sock with a heated element and never worry about cold toes ,
me i have had 3 hour rides and almost got frostbite so i need a heated shoe ,
i can last maybe 2 hours in 30f before my feet just go numb and dont come back ,
its the only thing that keeps me from winter rides outdoors mostly because of the wind chill ,
i just loose more heat than i can generate !

Chris!

Thanks for the input. Im very interested in making my own. My biggest issue with spending a lot of money is that cold weather riding is one thing but here in the northeast we get some much snow often when cold its not practical to ride.

cb400bill

I have ridden with a pair of the black 45nrth Ragnarok shoes for a couple years and I love them. I find them to be very comfortable on rides up to about 60 miles or so. They work great for me with a pair of thin smart wool socks from about 35F to 55F. Below 35 and I have added a pair of Grabber peel and stick toe warmers. I have used them then down to 20F.

Chuckles1

I'm going to try wrapping aluminum foil over one, or between two layers of socks this fall. Read about it in another thread and sounds like a good idea. So far I've used a pair of cool max socks with some long rayon or wool blend socks over them, thin ones so my regular shoes still fit. The longish socks keep lower leg warmer, which helps feet as well.

Age is a factor. The older I get, the more I need to bundle up my feet after a ride, or I have cold feet the rest of the day.

Flip Flop Rider

insulated hiking boots and wool layers

Flip Flop Rider

plastic bags work but you will sweat under them

skidder

I'm in Southern California where it gets down near freezing. I don't use clip-in shoes/pedals, but use a tennis court-style shoe made of all (synthetic) leather, and its a size larger than my regular casual shoes. Works great with a thicker sock, or two sock layers (usually a wool and a synthetic). Pedals are flats with adjustable pins (set screws) on the platforms.

BobbyG

FWIW I commute down to 5F, but it averages in the low teens, deep winter mornings here in Colorado Springs. I ride with toe clips and straps and wear stiff-soled sneakers. In the winter I wear sneakers with light-up LEDs (it's dark on the ride home then).

I've found that cotton socks with medium-weight wool socks over them work for me, while making sure the shoes stay loose enough for good circulation, which aids in keeping my feet warm. In snow, I wear a plastic grovery or store bag over the wool sock.

My 9 mile commute averages ~40 minutes out to work, and 45-50 on the way back (uphill) and can be up to 75 minutes or more in snow over 3 inches.

I've tried the wool socks on my feet and the cotton socks over those, but it seems to be warmer with wool over cotton.

I know I should get wicking socks next to my feet in case of moisture but cotton works, as long as my feet stay dry.

wolfchild

Yes there is. There are plenty of winter specific boots out there that are warm enough to ride for many hours in sub zero temps....The biggest problem is clipless pedals and cleated shoes which are not designed for cold weather riding. The best way to keep warm is platform pedals with winter specific boots and wool socks.

JohnDThompson 

I wear fleece-lined shoes when the temperature goes below about 50°F, and add shoe covers when it goes below freezing.

ofajen

Any specific boots you could mention to help me start my search? Thanks!

Otto

wolfchild

Take a look at brands such as: Merrel, Keen, North face, Salomon...all of them make great quality boots for cold weather activities.

billnuke1 

I’ll wear these with my Merrells, too...

Old C’dales MTB’s...warm...stiff...easy to walk in/on snow and ice... Can’t find the latest road shoes...most of my bikes are sportin the half toe loops...
The shoecovers fit my low/high hiking Merrells...

Oh, yeah...too cold...shorten the ride! You can die!

Chris!

I'm thinking a lot more about the 45nrth ragnarok shoes. I want to be able to clip in and ride for a few hours. Plus they sell them at REI, so if they suck there is that return policy. I see a lot of comments about hiking boots. I wanna be able to clip on on my road/gravel/adventure...its a bike. If you really need boots and want to clip on there are some 45nrth boots..

rsbob 

I too use neoprene cycling booties over my cycling shoes. Bought Specialized and they do the job. Add some thick socks, and it works to the low 40s just fine. Still can clip in and out of my deltas with no issues.

topflightpro

Chemical toe warmers. I buy them in bulk from Amazon or Costco. Stick them on top of my toes - the instructions say to stick them under your feet, but I find they work better on top in cycling shoes. Paired with Neoprene toe warmers or booties, my feet generally stay pretty warm on most rides.

ofajen

Thanks! I remembered that I also have my old Vasque leather hiking boots that are just above ankle height with fairly stiff midsoles. They are really old. I had them resoled with a fairly smooth rubber sole that is not actually that great for normal hiking or anything involving snow or ice. OTOH, they may actually may work great for winter biking on my big platform pedals.

The weather is cooperating, as it just turned much colder, so now I can try out gear for cold riding. If these boots work ok for riding and particularly for very cold, I’ll also need very warm gloves. I have Bontrager JFW and they get me down to about freezing, but I will need something more to go a lot colder. The 45NRTH Sturmfist 4 is one that looks good.

Otto

msu2001la

I must wear my cycling shoes tighter than most other people, because there is no way I could cram a chemical hand-warmer in there. My shoes start to feel too tight even with wool socks, and I feel like the restricted circulation just makes them feel even colder.

For winter riding, I've been using toe covers and shoe covers, sometimes both. I've been thinking of buying a second set of shoes for winter riding in a bigger size that have more room for thicker socks and hand warmers though.

billnuke1 

I like to dress for the occasional walk home...icy spots on the Canal...oh, yeah, I can also wear the C’dale MTBs without the cleats...

BrNorton007

Thanks a lot!