Originally Posted by
Squeezebox
Put on a heavier pair of wool socks, or shoe covers! problem solved. !!! DUH!!!
Have you tried this, or are you just treating this as a thought problem?
Trust me, I have tried this. I've ridden centuries in sub-freezing temperatures every winter for five years now, and I have a pretty good idea what works and what does not. I have not found a way to make SPD's work in really cold weather.
You are of course free to disagree, but my point was: it's not a matter of insulation. I already have shoe covers. Thicker socks inside the same shoes do not insulate any better, especially if they restrict circulation.
Originally Posted by
staehpj1
How cold was it? I have seen that be a problem but not until it is pretty cold, like maybe single digits F or lower. The coldest I have seen on tour was probably 18 F but even then it warmed up pretty quickly once the sun was up, so for me the heat sink thing has never been an issue on tour.
You are quite right to emphasize that these conditions are rare
on tour. My experience with this phenomenon has been on one day all day rides from home, not touring. Some such rides have been down in the single digits F, and indeed below zero.
But I believe I've experienced this even in comparatively mild conditions. On New Year's Day this year I rode 115 miles, temps above freezing, wearing good neoprene shoe covers and puffy smartwool socks. My feet just got cooler as the day went on. Not brutally cold, but I could feel that cold spot in the bottom of my foot, gradually spreading.
Maybe it was in my mind, but in my mind it was in my feet, so what do I know.