Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site decwrl.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-banzai!fisher From: fisher@banzai.DEC (Ed Fisher, 381-2377) Newsgroups: net.bicycle Subject: Cold Toes Message-ID: <113@decwrl.UUCP> Date: Fri, 4-Jan-85 07:21:30 EST Article-I.D.: decwrl.113 Posted: Fri Jan 4 07:21:30 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 11-Jan-85 07:33:44 EST Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP Organization: DEC Engineering Network Lines: 44 Subject: COLD TOES >>Perhaps many of you will be surprised to find out that "cold toes" >>could be a problem in San Diego. At 6 AM the sun is not up and the >>... I'm not surprised -- The last ride of my recent visit was Buckman Springs-Campo-Jacumba-Live Oak Spings- on Dec 17, enjoyed it a lot. Two years ago I rode a lot in the fall and winter in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. At that time I used some vinyl shoe covers that I got from the Midwest; I think it was a place called Hartley's. On really cold days (-5 to 20 deg F) I would wear wool socks, Bata Wintours (touring shoe), a pair of heavy wool socks over the shoes, and the vinyl booties. My feet were often so warm that I could tip out the booties to dump the sweat (excuse me, perspiration). The weather would have to warm up a lot to make it worth removing them because my inner socks would be damp. Those booties cost about $17 but displayed very little wear from the toe clips -- pretty good considering that there is no cleat to keep them from moving and there was so much stuffing inside them that they were forced against the clips all around. There was more wear on the undersurface from the few times I had to step on the ground. They were zippo (terrible) for traction when I had to walk around ice (uphill, yuch). Total riding like this was about 400 miles. I now use cleats and have a pair of Duegi overboots and a pair of Brancales. I have not noticed any wear on them yet from the toe clips. Competition in the marketplace is great, these were about $18 a pair, I don't think anyone could sell the vinyl booties for $17 anymore. These are much more durable. Only problem I had was when I was riding in freezing rain on Jan 1. Water comes in the cleat holes and works its way through the shoes. That bothered me more than the icicles on my helmet. BUT my toes were warmer than my fingers. Neither combination is as good as the 4 layer approach above -- mostly because of the cleat hole. I have yet to cut a cleat hole in my oversized socks to try that out, but soon we will get the sub-zeroes and the chance will arise. Summary: I would not worry about the wear. I think most serious cyclists will go through bike shoes as fast as or faster than they go through overboots.