cool weather road shoes

Quoted message said:

After a 3 hour ride today with temperatures in the 40s and a cold wind,
I'm convinced I need to buy a another pair of shoes that are large
enough to allow me to wear two layers of socks. I wore Polarfleece
socks today, and my toes were still pretty cold. I've got Look pedals
and Shimano shoes (which are actually cut a bit narrow in the toes for
my wide feet even wearing a men's model). I'm content with my pedals
and don't want to change to a mountain bike style. I'm in western South
Carolina, so I don't face serious cold, don't need boots.

Have you considered using a toe cover, something like Pearlizumi CalienToes?

When I rode last week it was just slightly above 32F when I left the house
wearing my well-ventilated Sidi's (In the summer that ventilation is a
must-have for me), thin wool socks (Smartwool RBX Racers), and my toe
covers.

My feet were pretty cold until I warmed up, and later in the morning when
the temps climbed into the 40's my feet felt fine.

A nice feature about toe covers is while they keep the wind off your feet,
they don't lock the heat and perspiration in like a bootie, so they can be
comfortably worn in the 50's and possibly low 60's. If you do need to take
them, they are small enough for a jersey pocket.

Chris Neary
[email hidden]

"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

"pam_in_sc" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

After a 3 hour ride today with temperatures in the 40s and a cold wind,
I'm convinced I need to buy a another pair of shoes that are large enough
to allow me to wear two layers of socks. I wore Polarfleece socks today,
and my toes were still pretty cold. I've got Look pedals and Shimano
shoes (which are actually cut a bit narrow in the toes for my wide feet
even wearing a men's model). I'm content with my pedals and don't want to
change to a mountain bike style. I'm in western South Carolina, so I
don't face serious cold, don't need boots.

If I'm going to buy a pair of larger shoes for winter use, I would like to
buy a shoe that doesn't have a lot of ventilating mesh. Are there any
road shoes that aren't ventilated? Local stores have a very small
selection so I'm probably going to have to buy mail order.

Pam

Pam,

I rode 3 hours today. Started in Anderson, swung up through Pendleton and
towards Central before heading back to Anderson.

I doubt you need new shoes. Get a few good pairs of winter-weight Smartwool
socks. They have a light weight summer sock and a heavier weight winter
sock. Be sure to get the right ones. Then get a good set of toe warmers.
You'll find both at www.performancebike.com. The toe warmers that I have
are neoprene rubber that have a cutout for the cleat. That's all it takes
to hold them on and they don't come off. They cover the entire front and
top of the shoe. They're wonderful and completely effective. When it gets
down below freezing, it's time for full shoe covers. Performance also sells
a number of different kinds of those at reasonable prices. They cover the
entire shoe and zip up on the side or back. They have a cut-out for the
cleat. They go right over your shoes. You could buy all of this stuff for
less than half the cost of a good pair of shoes.

So where were you riding today?

--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)

Chris Neary said:

Quoted message said:

After a 3 hour ride today with temperatures in the 40s and a cold wind,
I'm convinced I need to buy a another pair of shoes that are large
enough to allow me to wear two layers of socks. I wore Polarfleece
socks today, and my toes were still pretty cold. I've got Look pedals
and Shimano shoes (which are actually cut a bit narrow in the toes for
my wide feet even wearing a men's model). I'm content with my pedals
and don't want to change to a mountain bike style. I'm in western South
Carolina, so I don't face serious cold, don't need boots.

Have you considered using a toe cover, something like Pearlizumi CalienToes?

When I rode last week it was just slightly above 32F when I left the house
wearing my well-ventilated Sidi's (In the summer that ventilation is a
must-have for me), thin wool socks (Smartwool RBX Racers), and my toe
covers.

My feet were pretty cold until I warmed up, and later in the morning when
the temps climbed into the 40's my feet felt fine.

A nice feature about toe covers is while they keep the wind off your feet,
they don't lock the heat and perspiration in like a bootie, so they can be
comfortably worn in the 50's and possibly low 60's. If you do need to take
them, they are small enough for a jersey pocket.

Chris Neary
[email hidden]

"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

When the temps get cold, but not enough for the booties, I put some masking tape
over the toe and on the sole vent holes.

Ben

Quoted message said:

If I'm going to buy a pair of larger shoes for winter use, I would like
to buy a shoe that doesn't have a lot of ventilating mesh. Are there
any road shoes that aren't ventilated? Local stores have a very small
selection so I'm probably going to have to buy mail order.

Overshoes?

I have some and they keep my feet dry & warm.

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
to get correct one remove fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

pam_in_sc said:

If I'm going to buy a pair of larger shoes for winter use, I would like
to buy a shoe that doesn't have a lot of ventilating mesh. Are there
any road shoes that aren't ventilated?

I recently bought a pair of Northwave ankle-high waterproof road shoes
that are really impressive, very warm and windproof. Only one drawback:
they are fitted for delta cleats only. Not a problem for me, as I have
a set of Look pedals and cleats, but not everyone gets on with deltas.

You can get an adaptor plate to SPD or whatever, I think.

They are brilliant shoes, though.

--
Guy

psycholist said:

Pam,

I rode 3 hours today. Started in Anderson, swung up through Pendleton and
towards Central before heading back to Anderson.

I doubt you need new shoes. Get a few good pairs of winter-weight Smartwool
socks. They have a light weight summer sock and a heavier weight winter
sock. Be sure to get the right ones. Then get a good set of toe warmers.
You'll find both at www.performancebike.com. The toe warmers that I have
are neoprene rubber that have a cutout for the cleat. That's all it takes
to hold them on and they don't come off. They cover the entire front and
top of the shoe. They're wonderful and completely effective. When it gets
down below freezing, it's time for full shoe covers. Performance also sells
a number of different kinds of those at reasonable prices. They cover the
entire shoe and zip up on the side or back. They have a cut-out for the
cleat. They go right over your shoes. You could buy all of this stuff for
less than half the cost of a good pair of shoes.

So where were you riding today?

I bought some toe covers and the various replies convince me that I
should try them again before I invest in another pair of shoes.

I had several concerns. They didn't seem that warm--I wondered about
lining them with fleece. Also, the cold coming through the bottom of my
shoe bothered me particularly. Maybe I should try masking tape over the
vent hole on the shoe bottom and see if that helps a little. I use
special orthotics that already pretty well fill the shoe so can't add an
insulating insole. Most of all, I worried the toe covers would jam in
the cleat.

I ordered some wool over-the-knee socks thinking I would wear them with
shorts, but maybe they would keep my feet warmer with tights over shorts
too.

I rode yesterday from Clemson to Central, down Sims School Road, and out
to Ruhamah Road on roads on the north side of 123, then back on the
south side--mostly this route
http://www.electriccitycyclingclub.org/routes/central_liberty.htm
without the furthest loop into Liberty and going home by way of
Pendleton rather than by way of Central. I wanted to ride with the
Cyberspinners, but I had to go to my kids' activities both Saturday and
Sunday afternoons.

Pam

Quoted message said:

Most of all, I worried the toe covers would jam in the cleat.

I've had various brands and styles. None of mine ever have.

Quoted message said:

I ordered some wool over-the-knee socks thinking I would wear them with
shorts, but maybe they would keep my feet warmer with tights over shorts
too.

Smartwool socks are amazingly warm ... and they're just typical cycling-cut
socks. The winter variety are slightly heavier than the summer weight.
They work without a lot of thickness. I've never needed more than one pair
of Smartwool socks, plus either toe covers (above 32 degrees) or shoe covers
(below 32 degrees). If you feel you need more, you can get ultra-thin,
wicking polyester liner socks to go under the Smartwool socks.

Be sure you're not overtightening your shoes. That's a big mistake some
folks make in winter. They think their toes are freezing when they're
really just cutting off circulation and making them numb. Start off with
your shoes a bit looser than normal in winter. Your feet will swell a bit
as you ride.

Quoted message said:

I rode yesterday from Clemson to Central, down Sims School Road, and out
to Ruhamah Road on roads on the north side of 123, then back on the south
side--mostly this route
http://www.electriccitycyclingclub.org/routes/central_liberty.htm without
the furthest loop into Liberty and going home by way of Pendleton rather
than by way of Central. I wanted to ride with the Cyberspinners, but I
had to go to my kids' activities both Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Pam

I was on Ruhamah for a short patch at around 1:00. Got on it just above
Liberty Hwy. and stayed on it until it became ... well, whatever it becomes.
Melton?

--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)

psycholist said:

I was on Ruhamah for a short patch at around 1:00. Got on it just above
Liberty Hwy. and stayed on it until it became ... well, whatever it becomes.
Melton?

I was there around 10 am. I particularly like Sims Mill Road off
Ruhamah just south of 123--almost no traffic.

If you are coming up this way another day before Christmas let me know
and maybe we can meet for coffee or lunch somewhere. Maybe Roger Zoul
can join us too.

Pam

"pam_in_sc" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

psycholist said:

I was on Ruhamah for a short patch at around 1:00. Got on it just above
Liberty Hwy. and stayed on it until it became ... well, whatever it
becomes. Melton?

I was there around 10 am. I particularly like Sims Mill Road off Ruhamah
just south of 123--almost no traffic.

If you are coming up this way another day before Christmas let me know and
maybe we can meet for coffee or lunch somewhere. Maybe Roger Zoul can
join us too.

Pam

Pam,

I know Sims Mill Rd. That's the first right turn just south of 123?

There's a ride out of Clemson that I used to do when I lived up there. It's
called The Chicken Ride 'cuz the guy who hosts it puts this chicken in the
oven and roasts if for the 3 hours it takes to do the ride. When the ride's
over, it's Chicken time and he has a fabulous recipe. This guy is a masters
national champion mountain biker. He knows pro riders from all over the
country and sometimes some pretty famous riders show up. There's a guy
named Chris Eatough who comes down and stays in Clemson to train here every
year in January. He's the reigning world 24-hour mountain bike champion.
He's always on the ride when he's here. Plus lots of the guys who race for
Clemson attend. Anyway, you're likely to encounter that group along those
roads you're riding.

I'll let you know if I'm up there with enough advance knowledge for us to
get together.
--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)

"pam_in_sc" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

If I'm going to buy a pair of larger shoes for winter use, I would like
to buy a shoe that doesn't have a lot of ventilating mesh. Are there
any road shoes that aren't ventilated? Local stores have a very small
selection so I'm probably going to have to buy mail order.

Pam, my standard commuter shoe is an older version of what is now the
Shimano M038 Womens SPD Shoe. They sell them at REI:
http://www.rei.com/category/4500790.htm. My version I found on clearance
last spring, and I really regret now not simply buying another pair at $20
clearance price, as these are wearing out, and it appears the replacement
cost is $80 for the latest model. They have no toe or foot ventilation, they
stay relatively dry, and the cleats are recessed. They look "normal" enough
you can wear them into a store and not feel like a freak -- at least, as
unfreaky as you'll feel in a pair of lycra tights and a lime-green jacket.

I only wear my mesh-footed roadie shoes for longer (50+ miles) summer rides.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
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Home of the meditative cyclist:
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