Originally Posted by
daredevil
Nobody has mentioned good ole baggies yet? Talk about a cheap option.
Some decent Smartwool socks and baggies. That's all I've been using recently around 30 degrees F.
As it gets colder the shoes need to get bigger as you layer more socks.
One member of our club - the oldest club member - nearly 80 yrs old - commuted everywhere till a few years ago when a medical condition (had a small stroke when riding) derailed him - (he is back riding as he attended one of my rides that I led this past Summer with his daughter who helped navigate him) - and this guy would hold a commuting section of outdoor expos year after year because he was the best. To ask him when he first started commuting - he would answer - 5 yrs old - he rode to school and never stopped. I've seen his winter gear and him riding in some bad weather - guy is an awesome bicyclist. Seen a pic of him taken at night after riding in wintery weather and his bike is coated in heavy slush and ice. Amazing guy!
Anyway - he is one of those dang fangled engineers - and he even said - when he grew up - they didn't have much so they made what they needed.
Which meant his bikes were efficient and totally working sometimes-hodgepodges of bicycles, etc. His trunk - that was waterproof - consisted of two Tide clothes washing machine soap containers - - one was cut longer than the other to overlap - but brilliant orange nevertheless. He had an Amish triangle hanging off the back of his bike as well as a vibrant orange flat hanging off an overly long (snowmobile?) flag pole that bent in the wind.
AND why buy stuff when you can make it ---- Dick
never purchased booties, etc in any of the years, many years, he commuted. He bagged his feet up with baggies and/or grocery sack bags along with thick socks.
'k - I will shell out some $$ to be dry - as I'm out on and off road - and ... FINE ... don't want to deal with the bags and such - but I know one member of my club who would NEVER purchase them!