DoninIN

I went 107 miles today, managed an average speed of about 13.6, which was not my focus, got rained on several times, stopped, got lost went up and down the wrong stretches of highway, saw all kinds of cool birds and rabbits and whatnot. Had a great day all told.

There were, as predicted scattered thunderstorms all over central Indiana today, as predicted and I got wet, several times, very wet a couple of times. No big deal. The shirt (Not really a jersey, just some underarmour t-shirt that wicks and is cool) and the shorts worked fine, I was quite comfortable. However my shoes, once they got soaked through stayed wet, they're still wet, drying in front of a box fan as we speak.

How do you guys deal with wet feet? Are there special socks? These are cheapish perfomance mountain biking shoes, are there better options?

Also I went ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN MILES! I'm pretty pumped about that. I've been weighing in at 258 the last few mornings which means I'm down 22 since I really started on this. My drivers license still says I'm 46 though so I didn't get any younger.

Bluish Green

Congratulations on the 107!! And the weight loss. That is spectacular.

When it is hot weather outside and the forecast calls for chance of rain/storms, I wear sandals on my feet. I have a pair of Teva's that are typically used by kayakers and river outdoorsy types. Teva Tanza to be exact:

https://www.amazon.com/Teva-Mens-Tanz...rds=teva+tanza

The soles are super-grippy. The only part that stays wet is the straps, but they dry fairly fast.

My commute is 6 miles, and I've never tried them for long-distance riding.

For colder weather, I have a pair of "waterproof" hiking shoes that are pretty good... unless water runs down the shins and seeps in that way. Others use covers, booties, etc.

Congratulations again, 107 is a lifetime type mark.

johde

Congratulations on your first century ride. Wicking socks and carrying a second pair can help a little in light to moderate rain. There's not much you can do once the shoes are soaked. To dry out the shoes afterwards stuff them full of crumpled up newspapers and set them out in the sun.

Ursa Minor

107 miles! thats great. In my recovery I have yet to do more than 100K

Charlie

WonderMonkey

Wow! I'm shooting for my first METRIC century!

10 Wheels

Good miles for a big guy...

bhchdh 

Well done. As for the wet feet, sandals and synthetic socks.

nkfrench 

Bike sandals dry fast. I wear them with synthetic socks - they don't soak up extra water and also dry quickly. I have SPD clipless pedals (MTB).

TrojanHorse

I have shoe covers for the rain... but it only rains here when it's also cold so yeah, I doubt you're going to ride with shoe covers everywhere.

Bike socks are shamefully expensive but they seem well suited to not getting soggy. I have no complaints with anything from "Sock Guy" or "De Feet"

indyfabz

As noted, there are numerous brands of "waterproof" shoe covers. However, they are likely to make your feet warm. If it's going to be warm and wet, just accept it.

Chitown_Mike

Plastic grocery bags....they are everywhere! I kid, I kid. Like some said there is plenty of cool add-ons out there for cyclists. My buddy who commutes has some nifty shoe covers for rain in the summer and snow/cold in the winter.

But more so, CONGRATS on the 100+!! I remember when I did that, such an accomplishment especially being a Clyde and congrats on the weight loss too!

Fastflyingasian

the best thing i did for rain is fenders on my touring bike. that holds off the water for a while and reduces the direct splashing. i have some aero shoe covers i have also used with a plastic liner underneath but if the water finds a way down from the leg into the shoe its gonna be miserable anyways. i stopped wearing anything because i found for me the covers also held in the water too. id rather have wet feet compared to a sloshing puddle in my shoes. perhaps i need better covers.

volosong

Congratulations on the milestone. You never forget "your first".

Never rains around here, but like TH, I have some shoe covers for when it gets cold. They also work as rain covers. They are a pain to get on, but once on, work pretty well. Biggest disadvantage is that you can't reach down while riding and easily tighten/loosen the buckle.

Pamestique 

DoninIN - awesome job!

Wet feet... as a mountain biker I generally deal with wet feet all the time... for some reason its not a problem for me. I do tend to wear wool blend socks or socks made especially for cycling - they are intended to wick away moisture. I also wear leather Sidis - the leather materials is very breathable and does well when wet... other than that you just have to deal with the wetness. You can always carry an extra pair of socks and change out when the rain stops.

Mr. Beanz

I did an organized century once where it rained for the first 20 miles. I wasn't expecting rain in June (this is SoCal ) but I wear cycling socks and mesh mtb shoes. I didn't even notice the wet feet.

DoninIN

Recently I got some DeFeet socks on sale for like $4 a pair, and while I haven't been AS wet as I was that day since, I've had them out in the rain a bit, and they do dry better than plain socks. The wet shoes experience isn't the worst thing in the world, it just seems like with all the cool "technical" fabrics for the rest of your kit which will blow dry in say fifteen minutes, it just seems like there should be a way to do the same thing with your shoes.