wet and cold!!

[boxer66]

Ok, more need for help here. I went out last week and was having a great ride until I had to go through a crap load of water and my feet got soaked to the bone. They were so freakin cold I had to stop the ride. Looking for suggestions. I have looked into the neoprene boots that pull over the shoes or something as simple as bringing like 3 pairs of socks to change if they get wet. Wondering what has worked for some of you guys out there.

[mntlion]

dont ride when it is that cold and wet?

Gtex socks work well for people on bike tours, but if this is for mnt bikin' and you have to walk anything they will be trashed fast.

[Yeti]

Bagel bag liners for your shoes... doesn't help with the cold as much, but keeps you drier. Just be sure to put them over your socks.

Thermos of hot beverage.

Neoprene socks? I use neoprene booties for surfing... but they don't have rigid soles, and they're thick enough that I would need bigger shoes to ride with them.

[maniloff]

Beyond "sit by a fire and drink hot toddies", I'm a fan of using plastic bags to line your shoes. Bagel bags, grocery bags, whatever. It's amazing how much it helps.

[kidwoo]

Learn to manual farther.

[homerjay]

cheapo neoprene booties from performance work really well for me.

[boxer66]

Learn to manual farther.

......Just to eliminate any confusion I was on the bike when I got wet. We ran into about 70 yards of water on the trail about 1 1/2 feet deep. Never actually stepped in water but was actually pedaling in it.

[bagtagley]

I bought a pair of waterproof, insulated socks from Performance a few years ago. They feel weird at first because they're an exact fit and have very little stretch, but they work damn well.

I think these are the ones (though, they touted them as waterproof when I bought 'em):

I like 'em because the fleece against your feet is nice and warm. Unfortunately, I can't manual for 70 feet (let alone 20) so these things have gotten some use.

[kidwoo]

......Just to eliminate any confusion I was on the bike when I got wet. We ran into about 70 yards of water on the trail about 1 1/2 feet deep. Never actually stepped in water but was actually pedaling in it.

Yeah but a good fast wheelie puts the water behind you as well as elevates your feet.







I can't go that far either

[springsproject]

i have some neoprene socks that i got at a boating store that work really well for that type of thing. probably the same thing you could find at someplace like performance.

[Pedro]

I think lake makes some winter cycing shoes, they look sweet.

[shirk]

air it out over the water dude.

[kidwoo]

air it out over the water dude.

I've been working on my 210ft bunny hops all summer.


Almost there.

[AKWL]

Now THIS is something I have a fair bit of experience in.

I spent several years training and racing in Victoria, BC. This was right about the time a lot of the really, really fast Canadian guys were all living in Victoria.

I was not one of them, more like one level down.

But I did train with them all winter. That meant hours and hours in very very wet conditions.

The two key things to staying comfortable in those conditions are:

a) footwear
b) fenders

Footwear

I had the best success with a set of neoprene booties and thin wool socks. They booties were made by a company by Gator, who I think still exist, but are really hard to find on the web.

(Actually, not that hard: www.gator-sports.com - check out the all-terrian booty.)

What you are looking for is a neoprene bootie that is a tight fit over your shoe, and has a lot of space underneath for walking. The road booties which are totally enclosed with just a hole for a road cleat get destroyed very quickly. You need a bootie that allows for as much shoe tread as possible, but still totally covers the tops of your shoes.

Wool socks like defeet's wool-e-ator I found were great.

The nice thing about booties is that they cover your shoe and, unless you totally submerge your feet, they can be pretty effective at keeping your shoe totally dry. This keeps you warm. It can also save you from having to put on cold, wet shoes the next day.

But even more importantly is a set of fenders.

Fenders

I'm going to catch flack from all the freerider guys, but by far the most effective fenders are the full coverage ones that you usually see on road bikes and commuter bikes. These can be a challenge to set up on an MTB, especailly if you're riding a full suspension bike.

A full front fender is the big foot saver though, and can be installed on virtually any suspension fork. It will take some effort on your part to get it to work, but if you are serious about riding through the winter, the time taken to set up a full fender is worth it.

You should go the extra mile and make your own mudflap for the bottom of the fender. The closer the mudflap gets to the ground, the drier your feet will be.

Have a look at the full fender mudflap setup the local road guys have. The mudflaps are usually made out of half a waterbottle.

I had a full front fender, with mudflap for several winters. We rode long, hard, technical singletrack rides on a very frequent basis and not once did my fender give me any headaches at all. They do not catch on things or require you to change the way you ride at all. The difference they make to keeping you dry is absolutely amazing. You just stay dry, no matter how wet the trail is.

I think planet bike is making good fenders these days:

http://www.planetbike.com/fenders.html

The only reason I can think of for avoiding fenders is if you insist on riding big fat tires (which suck in the wet anyway).

[DerJaeger]

I think lake makes some winter cycing shoes, they look sweet.

They do, and yes they look nice. Problem is, I could never find anyone who had them in stock. Sigh.

[AKWL]

I actually own a pair of the Lake winter shoes and ride them every day in the winter for my commute.

They are fine, but they are not going to keep your feet dry if it is raining.

They are warm if it is not raining, but if it's wet I put a bootie over them.

I bought them cheap on ebay. I do not think they are worth buying at retail prices - see my epic post above.