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It’s that time of year again when I get home from a ride with 2 ice blocks in my socks ? I’m sure it’s Reynauds ? Before anyone asks I’ve tried almost everything, I’ve now bought some heated insoles to try but they are single use only which seems a waste . Haven’t tried them yet but if they work better than the little pads I’ve been using I’d consider a more long term solution but boy do they vary in price ! So is it a case of you get what you pay for ?
Yes they do work! If anything the ones I had were too hot. Only real problem is how wasteful they are.
Haven't tried the rechargeable ones but would be interested to find out if they're any good also. I did see that some have bluetooth so you can control the heat level.
Keeping ankles and shins hot keeps my feet warm
Mine make a difference. Heat to just behind your toes and enough to keep toes warm. They do take up more space than regular insoles so need roomy shoes.
I have Warmawear ones. They last an hour each way commute plus the faff on AMD off the bike. Turn on through a switch on the side. Take your foot out of the shoe, lift the insoles up and flick the switch. Simple but effective.
Edit: mine are USB rechargeable so v. cheap to run.
My wife has them in her ski boots.
First time she used them she burned her feet!
What shoes are you using?
I have Reynauds. I find Shimano 'winter' boots are fine on dry days in the spring and autumn. Northwave Celcius with merino socks have been really good in the winter. I've just bought some more merino socks and two pairs of 45Nrth big winter boots for the Strathpuffer, they claim to be ok down to -15 so hopefully alright me at or around freezing.
I've got Northwave and Shimano , I can guarantee that every ride I start with cold hands and warm feet then after about an hour it swaps round?????
I haven't tried them but I ride with a friend who really suffers from the cold. He has rechargeable insoles and gloves which are controllable without removing them and are excellent.
My judgement is based on nothing more than the absence of his constant moaning about cold hands and feet,
I've got rechargeable heated socks, and they're great! Feels a little odd at first with the weight of the battery, but on low heat there's several hours of lovely warm feet... I can't remember the brand - my kids bought me them after getting fed up of my whinging about frostbitten toes - but I can have a look later once the rest of the house wakes up!
Scrunch up your toes inside your shoes while riding, and that will help to keep the blood moving.
I’ve used the generic rechargeable hand warmers strapped* to my ankles under trousers for really cold weather (you are wearing trousers, right?) and would agree that keeping your ankles warm makes a big difference, so yo don’t necessarily need to go with shoe warmers.
*more of a faff than I’d be prepared to do for every ride but nice for snowy night rides.
A thin pair of socks under neoprene socks were a game changer for me.
I used to use them with Shimano MT91s and XM9s. They were worked "for a while", but I've found that properly insulated boots are better (current boots have inner neoprene booties). They work down to about -5°C and about 2-3 hours. Colder or longer than that, frozen feet time. Looking at heated socks as the insoles don't work with the insulated boots.
I second the heated socks
my feet would be like ice blocks too,hot heated socks and wow,run mine on Medium and get 4 hours out them
my first pair had the wires all over the places and felt like a cheese cutter
they new ones have a strip running from toe to heel and work way better
there are proper expensive ones sold with Reynauds in mind but at £200 it’s steep but I feel when my feet are cold and my ass is wet it’s game over
I got some heated socks and rechargeable batteries off eBay and they've been a game changer for me as I can now enjoy a ride when it's below 7 degrees. I use them on the lowest heat setting and they last more than 3 hours. They are a bit thick but fortunately my Defroster boots have plenty of room
Well I've been trying the "disposable" insoles . At last toastie tootsies! I found if I put them back in their wrapper and seal they've worked twice and when I removed them yesterday they were still warm so I'm now going for a hat trick!
I think the rechargeable insoles will be more practical for regular use . Looks a bit of a minefield though , prices all over the shop and some potential scams as well?
Just as a heads up, I don’t generally suffer with cold feet.
But, on the occasional time that i do (for example when it’s-25c) i find what works best is roomy boots, with socks thin enough to allow easy movement.
ankles/shins need to be draught proof too.
same principle as lofting in a sleeping bag, if your boots are too tight, extra insulation won’t help.