Conference noted::bicycle

    I have these special socks that I wear.  There very thin, made out
    of some  type of nylon material, which silver sparklies in the weave.
    I wear them under my "real" socks, and they are thin enough to not
    make a difference (unless you have tight shoes).  My mother got
    them for me, ordered from the back of Parade magazine, or something
    else like that.  They were marketed as some type of thermal sock,
    and they work beautifully.  They don't work unless you wear them
    under your real socks.  I have 2 pairs and wear them all the time.
    
    My SO has some polypropeline socks which he got at either Gamache's
    or Pedal Power.  They seem to work pretty well, but not as good
    as mine.  His feet will still get cold after an hour or so.
    
    	-Nancy

I read in the latest issue of Bicycling Magazine about a very simple but 
seemingly effective way to beat cold feet. The  article describe a guy who 
trains in Minnesota or Montana or something.

He takes a thick pair of oversized wool socks that fit over his bike
shoes. Then he uses Duct Tape and custom builds a shoe out of the tape
and sock. He claimed it lasts all winter and works very well. I think
that it would be pretty easy to make something that will work with
cleats. I guess the idea is to keep out the wind more than anything
else. 

JC

RE.0

>    What do people wear on their feet in the winter?
 
         
>    I currently ride with LOOK shoes that are only large enough to
>    accomodate 1 pair of socks.  I have 2mm neoprene booties over them.
>    After and hour and a half, my feet get cold while the rest of me is neither
>    tired nor cold.  
    

>    Are there warmer booties around?
    
>    JD

I have booties over cleats with thin wool socks on. I was going with
just the wool socks untill I went out on a -1C ride. I was fine except for my
feet. I went out and bought a pair of PEARLAZUMI (sp?) booties. They were
already cut out for LOOK cleats. I did trim some more of the sole off 
so the bootie wouldn't rub on the crank arm. They are really warm, they are
made out of nylon with thinsalite insulation and zip up in the backs. I needed
size XL for my size 9 cleats. I got them at Bike Alley, I think they were
$42.00. Expensive, but I figure they'll pay for themselves over the years.

    It has been a good winter for biking.
Tom   

    Try a pair of gortex socks. You can get them at EMS.
    
    PAUL

    goretext socks.  at $40 a pair.
    
    Did I really type "goretext"?  Well, I just finished the article
    on the MAC with the Uzi.
    
    ed

    Hi,
    
    I used some Perfromance Neoprene Booties and my feet sweating when
    I finished.  The big problem as I see it with LOOK cleats is that
    there is much larger area of the bottom of the shoe which has to
    exposed as opposed to regular toe clips, on the other hand regular
    toe clips made of metal seem to cause cold spots on my toes.
    
    Joe

    Putting a thin pad in the bottom of the shoe to also helps, provided
    that it doesn't crimp your feet.
    
    steve

    I use a pair of electric sox (no, I'm not kidding) that I picked
    up at KMART for $4.97.  They fit inside the shoe (Specialized) 
    and are comfortable and warm.  I use nicads (D cells) so I don't
    go broke buying batteries.  They aren't chic, but are very functional.
    
    Mark

My Experience leads me to do the following, in order.  How far down 
the list you go depends on the temperature and wind conditions.

1.	Wear non-porous shoes, in the winter I don't believe bike 
shoes are important, I use sneakers etc which will still fit in the 
toe clips.  The use of toe clips may not even be that important in 
winter if distances are moderate.

2.	Wear one or two layers of wool sox, and shoes that are big 
enough to not hinder circulation.  My experience is that the 
man-made wool substitutes are not as good as wool sox.

3.	Wear a cycling bootie (Sidi makes a good one) which goes 
over the show.  These are waterproof and insulated.  Make sure it's 
big enough to slip over the shoes you will wear.  I haven't found 
the cleat holes to be a problem, but you could tape them over with 
duct tape.

4.	If you are on the road with cold toes go to a supermarket.
Sit on the bananas, remove your shoes, put a plastic produce bag
over socks for each foot, replace shoes, and make a strange face at
those who are staring at you.  The plastic bags really do help. 

	~Mike

    	I had this problem on really cold rides (down to 20 deg F) until
    I bought some cheap shoes - drilled for Looks - *one size larger*
    than my usual summer shoes. This allowed one extra sock and it took
    care of everything.  - Chris

    Chris missed one piece of advice I had expected him to give....ie:
    go with him to the Bahamas!!
    

    I also use neoprene booties (by Cannondale). When I wear polypro
    or thermax socks (under another sock), my feet freeze! I switched
    to wool socks (mostly wool, some polypro), and it made all the
    difference; no more cold feet. 
    
    My guess is that wool does a better job keeping you warm if you
    are wet, and my feet DO sweat no matter how cold it is.
    
    Mark
    

    
    After checking out models by Duegi, Sidi, Nashbar, and a no-name
    or 2, I ended up with Performance Booties.
    
    From what I found:
    
    The Duegis weren't waterproof.  They're a mix of nylon and vinyl.
        
    The vinyl Sidis with Thinsulate look good.  Found tons of size 38.
    
    The Nashbar booties were crap.  Thin neoprene.  Stew had them, and
    the zipper broke on the first ride.
    
    Various no-name neoprene booties were in shops for $25 and up.
    
    Performance booties were $16.95 and twice as thick as my previous
    booties (as well as Nashbars).  They're the cheapest, and thickest.

    Dr. Scholls' Warm-eez inserts help alot as well.
    
    Thanks for the help.
    
    JD

    I use the Performance (made-in-France) thick Neoprene booties
    John D refers to.  They ain't half bad.
    
    And... most important, they *almost* match my new blue bike.
    
    -john

    But, John, we know it ain't cold enough in NC to matter.
    
    The match is important, though, I just cannot find hot pink booties:-)
    
    ed