Bikewolf

Another way to go about things is to leave your house already warmed up. It gives you a head start. E.g. warm glove liners.

Notso_fastLane

This is my winter commuting strategy. Since I have a velomobile that is mostly enclosed (by next winter, it will be fully enclosed!), I go out first thing in the morning, set a space heater in the velo and put the manhole cover on to keep the heat in.

I go back inside, get dressed, get all my stuff together. This gives the heater a good 15 mins to get warmed up nicely. I climb in and get the cover on before I ever open the garage door. It's got enough airflow that in a few miles, it's cooled back to 'ambient' again, but by that point, I'm usually warmed up.

I just got my new winter bike shoes, added an insulated insole, and even at 12F, I was reasonably comfortable for my 5 mile ride in. The 12 mile ride home, it was ~22F, and my feet stayed warm, so I'm pretty happy with my current setup.

bpcyclist

Well, as the weather has finally seemed to have changed, I have been getting cold feet (literally, not figuratively). Looked around and decided to splurge on some socks that are well-reviewed. They allege to be waterproof and our issue here on this side of the Cascades in winter is not so much snow as, say, mid- to upper thirties with steady rain. So, I went in to a nice, reputable bike shop here called River City and got a pair of Showers Pass Crosspoint Lightweight socks. Even though they are the lightweight version, they are still fairly thick. My shoes don't run tight and it was no problem fitting into them with the socks on. Took them out for a little more than two hours in a downpour with no shoe covers. I arrived back home almost completely dry and not cold in the least--temperature was upper thirties.

So far, these seem to have been a wise purchase, even though 37 dollars for socks seems rich for me.

79pmooney

Another trick: Gaiters. on,not big baggie hiking gaiters (though they would work). Simple, clean, snug fitting ones that start under your tights or legwarmers and go over your boot or shoe tops. Done right, they keep the wind off your ankles and your boots or shoes dry inside. Keeping the wind off means your feet get warm blood, not cold.

I made a pair from stretchy outdoor fabric, sizing the top half to fit my ankles snugly and the bottoms to fit close over the boot tops. Velcro fasten along the back. Go on quickly and make a big difference, wet or dry.

Ben

Junkbeast

I'm in Lansing, MI and I used to hang the bike up around October but this year I've still been riding up to this point. It helps when it's like 55F on Dec 22! I'll be honest though, I haven't been riding when it's "too" cold. I use the "feels like" temp which takes wind chill into account so the coldest I've been out is a feels like 25F and had to push it to reach 30 minutes. If the feels like temp is about 30-35 I can do a more normal 60-120 minute ride but I'm getting damn cold after an hour.

I don't have a stitch of bike-specific cold gear. I wear the Costco socks someone else mentioned with a normal pair of white crew socks over them, my bike underwear with a pair of sweatpants, a normal performance fabric t-shirt, a Menard's high-vis long sleeve t-shirt, a Menard's high-vis hoodie, one of those ear warming headband things under my helmet, and my full finger bike gloves with a pair of thin Nike fleece gloves over them. It's really hodgepodge and looks stupid but I'm too old now to care I guess. The only things that get cold are my fingers and toes. Maybe next year I'll invest in some actual real cold weather bike gear so I can ride more than when it's only 30 or higher.

bpcyclist

Thank you for this. My "base layer" consists of whatever old tee shirt I can find and some ten year-old running tights--when needed. Very cost effective. I am sure if I had spent $500 on Rapha that my times would come way down, though...

at_hiker59

I have found that my feet get colder when damp. So now I use antiperspirant on my feet and find it really helps.

alloo

Has anyone tried UCG boots when riding? Sheepskin boots. They might keep your feet warm and dry. Just a thought.

ironwood

Think about your body's core temperature, not just the extremities, like hands and feet. If your core loses heat, your body will try to conserve heat by slowing blood flow to your extremities; Your body will sacrifice your toes and fingers if necessary. If your core temperature is too low all the socks and insulation won't keep your fingers or toes warm.

Daniel4

I wear wool socks and winter hiking boots for cycling in the cold. And if there's ice, don't forget the spikes for walking after you get off your bike.

parkbrav

My "Dry-Guy" boot covers finally arrived in the postal service yesterday! Shout out to rumrunn6 for the great suggestion!

Unlike the Gore-Tex booties I got last winter, the Dry-Guys are adjustable and fit my boots!

Parenthetical comment: the Dry-Guys are geared towards cross-country skiing, which makes yet another interesting connection between cross country skiing and winter cycling!

rumrunn6

oh that's interesting, had to look those up tho cuz I didn't see me mentioning them in this thread. must have been another thread (from last year?) (got a link to that one?) cuz they look familiar. by all means share more with us as, you use them, maybe w/ pics. what size did you get & what size shoe/boot are they going over?

these things, right?

DryGuy BootGlove Ski Boot Covers, Keep your Feet Dry and Warm

noglider 

parkbrav please let us know how well they work. I also want to know how easy the on and off are.

parkbrav

I haven't officially used them yet. I tested them out though. Compared to the Gore-Tex Booties I used last year (and broke almost immediately), I think the Dry-Guys are easier to fasten and remove.

You slide on the Dry-Guys from front to back and fasten them with an adjustable velcro strap in the back. I have big feet and wear hiking boots, but even so I think if I tried harder I could get a pretty snug fit.

parkbrav

Yep! I haven't used them yet so I don't know how well they work, but they at least fit. (My Gore Tex booties were a size too small and broke right out of the box).

parkbrav

Believe it or not, I found the thread from last March 2019 (!):
https://www.bikeforums.net/winter-cy...ot-covers.html

Buglady

I have a pair of these and they're fantastic. I bought them for winter Girl Guide camps (because I am, apparently, insane) and then wore them for several winters of commuting by bike and bus in Calgary. I now have the lighter weight quilted fabric ones with 200g insulation and a layer of reflective material inside, which does make a significant difference in heat retention. Those, along with ski socks and flat pedals, are my winter cycling setup now.


The best tip I ever got for keeping feet warm came from Machka, a randonneur who used to live in Edmonton (she's in Tasmania now, lucky thing) - anyway, she taught me to take one of the chemical heat pack *hand* warmers (not the toe ones) and tuck them beside the pulse point my ankle, NOT all the way down by my toes. This allows the blood going into and out of the foot to be warmed, rather than forcing the capillaries in the foot to expand as the direct heat from a toe warmer does - that always makes my toes itch and and has even given me blisters before. It is also a lot easier to fish the heat pack out of the top of your sock if it starts being too warm.

parkbrav

I tried out the dry-guy boot covers in "light rain" this morning. They kept my Waterproof hiking boots bone-dry for the course of the 15 minute commute. I am planning to use them again this winter.

Caveat for the skin-sensitive: they are made from neoprene

rumrunn6

sock liners, light hiking socks & toe warmers. good for a cpl hours at 40 degrees with vented, cleated, uncovered MTB shoes