when I was pulling into the parking lot the garmin said it was 26.5 degrees. legs/hands were fine, upper body a touch chilly but acceptable, legs cold but not uncomfortably so, feet/toes on the other hand were DAMN cold.

any suggestions on some shoes covers? I know I wont need them all the time so I don't wanna break the bank on 'em. was lookin at the Pearl Izumi Select softshell covers, any others that are worth while??

Thx!!!

Were you at least wearing quality socks? Most cycling socks do everything but insulate.

they aren't biking specific but they were wool. mostly the 'cold' had to do with the venting on the shoes, commute is only about +/- 9 miles each way so I wasn't exactly sweating and getting them wet anyway.

Do you have to put your feet down often on your commute?

If so, don't go cheap on shoe covers. Even expensive ones that are "wrong" will fall apart under usage like that. The only shoe covers I've ever had that lasted more than a month or two of commuting were the Ventura shoe covers in Shimano's Pro line. And they ain't cheap, if you can even find them any more.

i use gore oxygen covers. they zip up the back and cover all but the very bottom of the boot leaving the cleat and heel exposed. a massive improvement over my LG winter boots that just aren't as insulated as the softshell covers.

i use a bit of electrical tape inside the boot to cover any toe vents left exposed underneath, also. for extreme cold, 26 or below, i'll throw in a set of toe warmers since my commute is about 13 miles. during the warmer months it's not a big deal, but keeping your foot a bit active in the boot(wiggling your toes, finding different pedaling positions) will increase blood flow and keep your toes warm, too. seriously cold toes and feet can ruin any ride.

for 26 degrees I would pick a neoprene cover like the Elite Barrier. ExcelSports has a bunch of options on sale:
Shoe Covers - Excel Sports

found a neoprene cover on amazon (Louis Garneau) for $23, should be adequate as often as I'll need them. I only get to commute about 2-3 days per week and generally only if its gonna be warm enough to ride home in relative comfort without the 'cold gear' on.

Chainlove had the LG neoprene covers for half price this week. They might pop up again. I have them, and they're toasty in 40s. I never get the opportunity to try them in freezing temps, though.

given the time of year I doubt I'll get more than a couple chances to use them in sub-freezing temps, but it'll be nice to have them available if I have a chilly morn and a warm up in the afternoon (which are usually nice rides home)

Amazon.com: HotHands Toe Warmers (40 pairs): Sports & Outdoors

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I have an older version of these: (I also use toe covers underneath the shoe covers for most of the cold winter days)
Bontrager: RXL Stormshell Road Shoe Cover (Model #11348)

they both work wonders in cold temps

I got a down vest at Costco for $35. It stuffs into an old silnylon sack I have, and that fits securely into a bottle cage. Below freezing, sometimes I'll wear the vest over my jacket.

When your core is cold ("upper body a touch chilly but acceptable"), your body wants to conserve heat for what's most important and that means less for your extremities.

Just get toe covers. Not as warm as full shoe covers, but you won't need them for a ride like yours and they're cheaper. The nice thing about the toe covers is that they can be stowed in your jersey/pack when it warms up in the afternoon.

I hear ya SF, what I meant by that is that I started off the ride a bit cold, once my body warmed up later in the ride maybe by about mile 4 my upper body was no longer even really chilly. my body heat had most parts of my core sweating pretty well. I am going to add an extra layer for days that dip below freezing though to get me thru that first 15 mins of the ride.

i have to carry a full pack with my laptop and etc in it so I'm not to worried about the extra storage space needed, i have PLENTY with room to spare.

Another vote for the LG neoprene covers. I rode many miles in temps below 25 with these and never had an issue.

The key to staying warm, for me, was toes, fingers, and ears. If I kept those guys happy and used a sensible base layer and LS jersey, all seemed to be fine.