i switched this season from the lake boots to the defrosters, and have found that the defrosters arent quite as warm as the lakes, but they are both MUCH LIGHTER and considerably more water resistant, which is a trade off i can live with.

yesterday when it got to -18F on my way to work, i had the defrosters plus two pairs of defeet wool socks and a pair of the eastman handwarmers that you can buy for 15 bucks a box at sams club, and i did ok. i was still pretty cold when i got there, but i had all my toes, which is no small feat after an hour of almost 20 below zero.

most days in the teens and twenties, i just do wool socks, sealskinz, eastman warmers and defrosters and i'm very comfortable. if you ziplock the warmers as soon as you take them off, you can get a lot of life out of a single pair which makes them a very economical option.

i've been reading a lot about the toasty feet lately so i think i'm gonna hit wallyworld on the way home and grab a pair.

cool idea, ziplock.

what is very economical is a box of handwarmers at costco. 40 pair for 16 bucks. or 30 pair
of toewarmers for 16 bucks. I got 1 box of each. when I stop by REI and see what they charge
for one pair I cannot believe it. stores selling single pair packs = what a ripoff

What are those things? I can guess, sort of. I did a quick search on-line and was not really able to figure out what they are made of, and where a good place to see them (order them) would be.

jim

This is what I have been talking about for a few months..........check out sorel boot liners........can get them at any sporting goods online-stp, rei, campmor, backcountry.com, etc........

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,...(13_mm_For_Men)

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,...(13_mm_For_Men)

your local outdoors store may have them as well.....

What I think works the best actually are ski boot liners......

I have an old pair of Scarpa T2 liners that I have placed in my oversized bike shoes and wear one thin wool sock and my feet are toasty and I don't need chemical warmers and I can use my spd pedals.....

http://forums.epicski.com/showthread.php?t=73979
If you have an consignment ski sales/shops you can find a pair of used ski boots and just use the liners

YMMV

Wool baby! I'm riding in wool socks for the first time this winter and it makes a huge difference. Just a single layer and over my shoes I wear Performance Neoprene Booties. My commute is 11 miles each way and temps have been consistently in the mid to upper 20s for the past month. Roughly 40-45 minutes of ride time.

One other thing I do is wear a slightly larger pair of cycling shoes in winter to allow breatheability (sp?) and maintain good circulation. That's key. Piling on layers doesn't do a thing if you cut off the blood flow. I actually have 4 different sizes of the same shoe: 42, 42.5, 43 and 44. (I get 'em used on eBay)

If temps drop to closer to 20 or down into the teens, I have a few different options:

1. Add a lighter pair of wicking socks under the wool
2. Add a pair of neoprene socks over the wool (largest shoe size for this)
3. Add a pair of thin, windproof shoe covers between the shoes and neoprene booties

I ride down into the single digits for up to 30 minutes and any or a combination of those options work well. Never done a ride below zero yet... it don't get that cold here.

One other thing I'd point out.. the coldest part of my commute isn't the last mile, it's the third or fourth one. Feet and fingers sometimes start to get cold and uncomfortable, but then it gets better as my blood starts a pumpin'. Not that I'm suggesting you go out of your way to ride further just to find out, but one way to warm up is pedal harder! :thumb:

Normally I avoid going outside on the bicycle if the temperatures are lower than the twenties. Today I needed to get a prescription for my dog. While out I went to three other stores to buy food. The high temperature was about nine degrees when I left home. When I arrived home the temperature was about seven degrees. At the last store I bought some chemical heaters for my boots because I wouldn't have enjoyed riding the last four miles.

I bought an extra set to keep in my tool kit just in case I need them. They worked OK. The two sock layer needed some help. When I removed my boots about an hour after getting home the warmers didn't seem to be putting out much heat. The label says they can last up to six hours. They had only been in my boots for an hour and a half. These were my first ever chemical heaters. I'll try a different brand if I ever buy more of them. These were called Toasti-Toes by Heatmax.

The chemical reaction needs air which it was not getting in your boots. That is the major problem with chemical warmers. Take them out of the package in advance so they can reach maximum temperature before you put them in your boots. Better yet, put them on top of your boots over the toes so they get air and produce maximum heat. You can hold them in place with a velcro strap or oversock or shoe cover. Heatmax makes good warmers so you don't need a different brand.

Read the directions. Different warmers - not just brands, but 'styles' as well - work with different amounts of oxygen and are intended for different uses.

Before attaching the toe warmers to each sock I let the air hit it and waited for them to feel warm. Since this was my first use I didn't really know how hot they could get and I still don't know. Each one was sealed in a plastic package. I just assumed that once the chemical began reacting that it would continue reacting. The instructions didn't say anything about continuous fresh air contact being necessary. After all they are designed to go inside shoes in cold weather.