Hi,
Can anyone recommend some good cold weather socks? Are there any socks that have a fleece lining? The weather where i am seldom gets below single digit, but i get chilblains pretty easily, and often get red/purple toes at the end of my bike rides. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.
Merino wool socks ? Lewis Tri Kit in UK does them.
DeFeet makes some great merino wool cycling socks. They come up higher then most socks (just above your shoe covers) and they are very toasty … if it’s really cold I add toe warmers, which you can get at any outdoor outfitter store like REI.
Warning - you may need bigger shoes for this:
Regular, thin cycling socks.
Then tape one of those toe-warmers they sell for skiing to the top of your toes.
Gore-tex socks on top.
Works a treat, unless it is raining. If it rains, water runs down inside the waterproof socks and just gets cold and horrible. Ugh.
Smartwool makes some pretty nice ones. Try Campmor.com.
Get a good shoe cover.
I use wigwam. I also have a pair of NB socks that are pretty warm.
Thanks for all your replies people. I think i left out an important piece of info on my part, and that is that i am already using toe covers (like those sold by Desoto) AND thick neoprene overshoes at the moment, and i’m still getting cold purple toes. How pathetic is that?!
Anyway i will try the wool socks for a bit. And hopefully the weather will start to take a turn for the better by Feb.
I second the recomendation for the chemical foot warmers. I put mine on the bottom of my toes. I have terrible cold feet issues after many years of night skiing and frostbite and this works great. If you buy them in large packages they are less than a dollar a pair and stick to the bottom of your sock. Thin socks, then the warmers than thick socks. Good Luck
I have found that the number one reason most recieve cold feet is due to your feet becoming wet, ususally due to perspiration. The trick is to have a sock that moves moisture rather than a sock that holds the moisture (merino wool) or anything that generates further heat which can not only cause more sweat but also can prevent the proper fit of cycling shoes. I live in Michigan and train all year long using booties and my standard cycling shoes and my sock of choice is the wigwam ultimax style called the running mini crew. It is part of their Ironman collection and does the best job of moving moisture away from the bottom of your foot keeping your foot dry and therefore warmer.
DeFeet WoolieBoolies. Love them. AP
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I found that an insulating barrier between the shoe sole & the foot helps alot. I bought a set that is a felt liner with a foil top. Works great.
Make sure if you add bulk (i.e. thick socks that you have a bigger shoe. Cutting off blood circulation willl make you feet cold.
I have a pair of sock liners. They are just a little thicker than silk & do a great job of wicking moisture away which can lead to cold feet.
I bought a pair of dedicated winter shoes (Boots actually) from Sidi.
Windtek/Windstopper booties
Head gear. I wise man once told me “If you have cold feet, wear a hat”.
There’s a bunch more but that should get you started.
I use a larger pair of shoes that have some lining and are higher than summer shoes. Mine are Gaerne, but there are also Lakes and Sidis. In winter, I put on some reasonable thick Smartwool socks that do down to -5 or so C for up to a couple of hours. If it’s colder, I use a liner sock and the thinnest Smartwools. If it gets really cold, I put booties over top of the boots.
You can also buy the type of battery powered wamers that skiers use. My wife used to use these for downhill skiing.
remember that you have a large hunk of metal connected to the bottom of your shoe with screws that run up through the sole into a metal plate right under the ball of your foot. All of this is out in the cold. Speedplays are especially bad, but even Looks can conduct a lot of heat away from your foot.
It sounds like you are protecting your foot just fine from the elements. You just need to insulate it from your cleat. I find that a very thin piece of closed cell foam or a thicker insole really does the trick
" I bought a pair of dedicated winter shoes (Boots actually) from Sidi."
GSX’s? How do you like em?
Pearl Izumi winter training sock, its wool and warm, also great for x-country skiing!!
It’s been a while, but I think the model is/was “Storm”. I haven’t seen the GSX’s yet. Sidi distribution in Canada seems bit hit & miss.
assos makes some with fleece lining. They are amazing, but cost around $55.
Exactly. To make the point more clear I tell my kids, “You lose 80% of your body heat through your ass, if you go outside with your pants down.” Cover the bare parts up to keep everything warm; I see lots of people riding/running with bare necks and wonder if they get cold fingers and toes.