cold hands and feet gear

[sick4surf]

what's everyone wearing for warm hands and feet? i can only ride nites these days and it's getting mighty cold out there....gear reccomendations?

[EVIL BOTA]

Seal skinz Gloves www.cabelas.com
Bought some nice wool socks for my feets..

[AGENTGRAPE]

i just got some chiba goretex windstopper gloves that work well also they are bright orange. try waterproofing a pair of thick socks its cheaper than buying expensive socks

[hogboy]

I just now got off a night ride in the snow in Stow with 2 peeps. 22 degrees

feet, the thing to get is Lake winter shoes

wear 2 thin wool socks and you'll be fine.

on the hands try pearl izumi lobster gloves. they work fine below zero. or you can get those big covers that go over you brakes and handlebars and you slide your thinly gloved hand inside and ride like that.

whatever you get you need to be able to sweat into it, without it freezing you later, so wool on the skin is the way to go. or silk. in fact silk under wool is unbeatable for getting warm, and then sweating, and then never getting cold or feeling clammy. bonus is silk and wool don't stink like synthetics after an overnighter or two. so try to find some fine thin wool or silk gloves and socks and use them as liners. it is really worth it

I use a cannondale thin wool sock, under a burton snowboard sock, under shimano dh100 shoes. I need to get the Lake shoes. I hear they are killer (the two on the ride tonight had them and they said the feets were seating in them. my stuff I had, err I wasn't frozen, but I wasn't sweating either. and Lobster gloves. man they are warm x2

anyhow, good luck

[hogboy]

I just went out and got Lake MXZ300 shoes, which
are as advertised. warmer than they need to be. I'll
never have cold toes ever again. These shoes
render cold toes unpossible ;D

online you can get them for 159, they retail for 200, and I
found them for 159 on the floor at BWW on sale
in limited sizes.

lemme tell ya about these shoes. they kick ass.
the sole insert is a honeycomb of heat reflective material
and air pockets. The inner tounge has laces,
and that is wrapped in a neoprene flap which is held
down by velcro straps. The heel has a cinch strap too.
You can buy a shoe 2 sizes
too big and still fit it perfect for 1, 2 or 3 socks.
I know I'll never need that in NE, but I did get oversized shoes and they
can be snugged right up like a 42 (these are 44).
amazingly versatile sizing. and for true arctic
conditions, 3 socks would fit right in. survey says 1 sock is all you need.

shoes also come with toe cleats, a full
set of 4, plus a spare set of 4. bonus !

it has an inner collar of neoprene
low on the ankle. the entire shoe has heat relective material
sending everything back to your foot.

thinking of new shoes and all, here is
here is a tip for anyone installing cleats
so they don't seize.

use the grease that comes with the shoes
and put a pea sized blob on each threaded hole
on the plate in the shoe (once you decided where you are
gonna fix the cleat for good) and then above and below
the grease, blob in some silicone adhesive and fill the slot.
then slap
the cleat on and lock it down. and then squeeze silicone
into all the air gaps around the bolts and sides of the cleat.
use a lot.
then q-tip out anything that is in the way of cleat engagement.
Done right you can stand in salt water for three winters and
still get that cleat off for replacement with no bolt seize and
no need for a drill.

[T Grimble]

I bought a pair of the Lake boots at Belmont Wheelwork also and they are a great winter shoe at a great price. I have found that proper sock choice is still very important though. I rode last week with a heavier pair of socks that were taller than the boot. It was very wet out and when the top of the sock (cotton) got wet it pulled the water down into the boot almost to my heal. The temperature was in the low 40's and my feet never did get cold. Last friday I wore them on a road ride where it was right around freezing but still wet. I decided to go with just a normal riding sock and my foot stayed dry but did get cold. I am going to try a light weight wool or synthetic sock that is tall enough to cover the inevitable gap between top of boot and wind pants. I have to say, even though my feet got cold they were not even close to frozen and I was riding in 30 degrees with a 10-20 mph head wind. I don't know what the wind chill would be on that but it was very cold.

[SloMoJo]

I'm glad to hear the good report on the Lake MZX300 shoe, since I just won an e-bay auction for a pair last night ($120).
Used a couple times, and luckily right size.

Since this will be my first year winter riding, I am also wondering the best sock combo, and would like to hear from anyone who has the bombroof combo.

Is it polypro liner then wool blend boot sock?
100 % wool or blend with acrylic, poly, thermal, or silk?
High quality socks are not cheap so I would like advice on getting it right the first time. I got a lil frostbite as a kid and the feet and hands are a bit sensitive to cold.
Thanks guys.
-SMJ

[hogboy]

I have yet another Lake shoe report

17 degrees, 1 1/2 hour ride. I put the shoes on at work and stood around about 1 hour before the ride. bad idea. my feet got wet. and I had 1 sock.

well, the shoes still worked better than my other system with 2 socks ! I was fine as long as I kept pedaling/hiking. Now I know, I need a thin liner sock and a thick wool sock for 17 degrees, and to put them on outdoors so my feet start out cold !


OK, socks, you want something that will last, find some thin silk socks, these will be your inner sock layer. trust me silk is incredibly strong if you don't snag it on anything sharp. and even then, it will be a bitch to tear it. silk is STRONG.

wool won't last as long as silk, but both last forever, so why worry ? wool will outlive you if you don't snag it (and I am not saying they are easy to snag, I am just warning you because you don't wanna unravel them for no reason)


anyhow, silk inner sock, get a thick wool outersock. and between these and your regular socks you will have all you need for biking. oh and the Lake shoes of course.

if you go with a blend, stop at 85% wool or silk. anything less than 85% is cheezy and not warm enuf when soaked. 100% is best though and you can find it if you hunt around. start at LL Bean for the silk stuff.I

am telling ya I had a wet single wool sock, I'd say as thick as 2 summer DeFeets (medium thick wool I guess youi'd call it) in 17 degree riding and yeah I was cold but not frozen up. my feet were not gonna freeze up. toes were borderline...do I go home or keep riding. well, I kept riding and boom, feet warmed up a bit. All I had to do was throw on a thin wool sock I would have been in heaven.

wool will last, silk will last FAR longer than any manmade fabric. If you want to make it last forever, which it will do, you don't snag it, and always hand wash it (because machines can sometimes snag it).


finally I do know the ultimate wool sock, they ain't cheap but they are the ultimate. Burton snowboard socks. they are FAT except in the toe (so you have toe wiggle room) and heel (so you don't bunch up the heel) Burton designed the toe and heel thinner and I am telling you, this design feature makes the difference. Most other wool socks are one thickness, and in the toes and heel you get circulation cut down and that will freeze you bad. lake shoes do have a larger toebox but they can't solve the heel-thickness-dilemma. not that you need to worry.

mmmmmmm Burton wool snowboard socks. I've been using mine for 4 years now. still as good as new.

[SloMoJo]

Thanks HB.
Thats good info, and I appreciate the personal experience there.

One last question on this topic...
Has anyone experimented with fleece socks?

[splat]

I have a Set of Gore tex socks ! they are awesome I have silk , I have wool, the gore - tex ones beat those big time !

nope never tried fleece.

[digger]

Just want to mention one foot solution that has not come up. While I am saving up for Lake or Sidi winter shoes, neoprene booties like this http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.html?SKU=1822 do work pretty well. Bought a new pair very similar at a local shop the other day for 30 bucks.

DS

[SloMoJo]

That's a good point digger.
Those look pretty good.

I did buy the Pearl Izumi version of neoprene bootie, which does not have that solid sole. The seams are ripping after just 4 rides. I'm planning to send em back.

But you're right another option.

[splat]

I have those Neoprene booties they work really well. I just got a pair of shimano High top winter Mt biking shoes. ( they look like brown Hiking boots ) they are suppose to be water proff and insualted, went riding today at lunch and my Toes stayed nice and warm. with No special socks or booties

[MissJean]

Rode in Musquash tonight, about 19 degrees, brrrrr. On the feet, I had tights then Smartwool socks, then those toe warmers things called "Toasty Toes" and regular Shimano shoes that have a mesh upper. I am sorry to report that the toe warmers did not live up to their name. They helped a little bit I suppose, but my toes were not toasty. :( The next step for me will have to be the booties.

On the hands, I had some wind blocker fleece gloves with non-slip palms that I picked up a couple of years ago to use when shoveling snow. They work great for biking. Once I warmed up, I had to take them off because my hands were too hot.

[hogboy]

fleece, no good for socks on an mtb

if they get wet, you will freeze fast. hint they get wet from sweat. hence, you will die.


wool wool wool silk silk silk nothing is better
except neoprene socks or wonder bread bags

but only wool and silk FEEL good when wet. the other things
will start a science project on your feet and be nasty. you'll
end up with peeling skin if you use plastic baggies or neoprene
socks all the time...but they are warm

[SloMoJo]

Thanks Hogboy.
Good info, and you saved me trouble of experimenting on my own.
Cheers
-SMJ

ps
I am finding it difficult to find silk socks.
My wife has some, but I don't think they will do. :)

I did order some nice wool socks.
I may go with coolmax liners, unless anyone has leads on the silk stuff.

[AA]

for silk socks...........


http://www.campmor.com/webapp/commerce/command/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=2114&prmenbr=226

[SloMoJo]

Thanks buddy.
Just order a couple pair.
Now I'm set.