Anyone else get cold toes easily on the bike? Today’s ride was mid 50F in carbon soled road shoes, and my right toe was almost completely numb after 2 hours as if I had spent the whole time standing in a snow bank in January. Even in the hotter summer months I notice some numbness, but of course it is much milder. It happens on all my bikes and shoes (commuter with soft mtb shoes and egg beaters, tri bike with Speedplays, and road bike with Ultegra). I try to ride year round, but last winter was brutal and I think I may have gotten frostbite from riding too long in the cold. I’m afraid I may have to give up on the winter riding this year unless I can find a solution.
My best guess is that the pedaling action puts pressure on a nerve or blood vessel and reduces blood flow to my toes, but I’m not sure what to do about it. Anyone have a similar experience and pro tips to share? Orthotics? Pedal fitting? Some other issue of fit?
If it’s coldness then as others have said, toe covers or booties will fix the problem. Merino socks also good. I have some nice neoprene booties which keep my toes snug and dry down to freezing point and a bit below which is about as cold as it gets in my area.
Does seem strange to be happening at relatively warm temperatures though. I’d have said it was down to a bad fitting pair of shoes if it wasn’t happening with multiple pairs. Is it just the feet or your whole lower leg? Could be a saddle/fit problem restricting blood flow from the top of the leg I guess. Are you generally a cold person compared to others?
Try the booties, if they don’t work it might be worth going for a good fitting session with somebody who can look at your shoes as well. I know a few people who simply don’t like cycling when it gets too cold, but never met anybody who couldn’t at least stay tolerably warm with the right clothing and equipment.
Totally agree on the toe covers. Makes a huge difference. With them, I’m comfortable and toasty in my super ventilated tri shoes all the way through the Canadian fall.
I definitely use toe covers + full booties for winter riding-- they help a little, but I don’t think my issue is insulation as much as I just have no heat source (inadequate circulation). In light of my issues, I should probably put my ego aside and try the booties in warmer temps.
The problem is isolated to my big toes. I do get cold toes easily in winter (XC skiing, general Wisconsin winter outdoor activities), but can usually manage. Cycling seems to increase the “problem” temps by a good 30 deg.
I’m thinking a formed insole/orthotic to distribute pressure might help. If anyone can recommend a good product, I would appreciate it. Also, what medical specialist should I consult? I went to my GP this spring, and he basically told me to stop doing things that made my feet cold-- yeah right!
Just grab some toe warmers. They make pretty flat ones now that work well. They help a ton. I started using a couple years ago and it is huge. My toes were/are always cold on bike.
it may be bad circulation in your feet. i freeze my feet on 60F days have tried everything and now I have given up and just accept that my feet will freeze during my bike ride. only thing that I have not tried are ‘hot shots’ but I am too cheap for that and choose to suffer instead.
otherwise it may be this:
Raynaud’s (ray-NOHZ) disease causes some areas of your body — such as your fingers and toes — to feel numb and cold in response to cold temperatures or stress. In Raynaud’s disease, smaller arteries that supply blood to your skin narrow, limiting blood circulation to affected areas (vasospasm).
Women are more likely than men to have Raynaud’s disease, also known as Raynaud or Raynaud’s phenomenon or syndrome. It appears to be more common in people who live in colder climates.
I wonder if you would benefit from going a half size bigger in your cycling shoes. I do not subscribe to the “your cycling shoes should be the snuggest shoes you own” mindset… I like to have enough space to wiggle my toes and shift my feet a little (but not so much that my heels slip). Also, I find having more contact surface on your pedal helps.
A nice cheap thing that works for me is, after putting on socks, put a bit of plastic food wrap around the toe area (stopping around the toe joints), then slip the foot into the bike shoe and put bootie/toe cover of choice over the shoe depending on the temperature outside.
The plastic wrap doesn’t take up any space inside the shoe, and keeps the wind out. But since it’s only wrapped around the toebox area, the rest of the foot can breathe and doesn’t feel clammy or “swamp feet”. The toes eventually get cold, but it takes much longer for it to become unbearable.
it may be bad circulation in your feet. i freeze my feet on 60F days have tried everything and now I have given up and just accept that my feet will freeze during my bike ride. only thing that I have not tried are ‘hot shots’ but I am too cheap for that and choose to suffer instead.
otherwise it may be this:
Raynaud’s (ray-NOHZ) disease causes some areas of your body — such as your fingers and toes — to feel numb and cold in response to cold temperatures or stress. In Raynaud’s disease, smaller arteries that supply blood to your skin narrow, limiting blood circulation to affected areas (vasospasm).
Women are more likely than men to have Raynaud’s disease, also known as Raynaud or Raynaud’s phenomenon or syndrome. It appears to be more common in people who live in colder climates.
Taken from here
I was diagnosed with Raynaud’s. Any temp below 70 and my toes will go totally white and numb. Oddly enough running doesn’t seem to bother me though, I routinely run in single digit temps in the winter without problem, but on the bike as soon as the temps drop below 70 I’m screwed. Chemical toe warmers with toe covers or booties works pretty good. I’ve given up fall riding and have already consigned myself to the trainer for the rest of the year.
If you get any kind of toe numbness during the warm season, I would suggest loosing your shoe straps just slightly (I did that and it made a huge difference) especially the top strap.
I’d be lying if I didn’t laugh a little at the people prepping for 65… where I live 65 is a beautiful day of riding!
I have a half this weekend and it is calling for lows of 39… Anyone have suggestions on a toe cover that is transition friendly? Or any other advice on how to stay warm without killing your time?
I have used toe warmers, booties and wool socks in cold weather but when it gets really, really cold, or conditions may more than those measures can deal with I have used Grabber toe warmers available from REI with good results. Just tear open the package, strip the cover from the sticky side and place them over your toes on the outside of your socks and enjoy up to 6 hours of warmth.
I used toe warmers, wool socks and Grabbers at IM Florida a couple of weeks ago and I stayed toasty all the way through the cold and windy ride. It helps to have shoes are big enough to handle the extra material, I would not try either wool socks or Grabbers with a shoe that was skin tight and could not be expanded.
I had the same problem. No amount of booties, socks, etc would ever work for me but I wanted to ride in colder temps. Finally, I went with the nuclear option: Battery heated socks. I am not kidding:
I had chronically cold feet as a kid and basically could never ski or skate. As an adult, I tried skiing again and when to a bootfitter. I knew I had high arches, but also have a very high instep and every single skate or ski boot I had ever worn had pinched off the artery that runs along the top of the foot and supplies blood to the foot. After I got a high volume boot, my feet were much warmer. Perhaps your cycling shoes are restricting blood flow at the top of the foot.