Toe Warmth 1.0 : Duck Tape and Waterproof Socks

12/10/11 #236

Rode 15 miles in 1h20 min, 30F. Committments to be hither and yon constrained my ride but it was a great short ride on the Montour Trail. One great thing about riding on cold days is that the people you meet are either (1) true believers, (2) nuts, or (3) both.

Today was an experiment in Toe Warmth, or more to the point Avoiding Toe Discomfort. Toe temperatures are diminished by the wind chill (top of the feet) and the effect of the clipless pedal clips (argh!).

I know that proper investigation involves changing one single variable while holding all other factors constant, but I'm more focused on creature comfort so today I implemented two changes. I covered the screen-vents on the top of my shoes with (hi-viz orange) duct tape, and inside of my shoes I wore SealSkinz waterproof / breathable socks which I've had in my bag for quite a while.

The duct tape across the upper vents on the shoes seemed to confer some benefit; my feet stayed warmer, longer. The SealSkinz waterproof socks are more of a moisture barrier than a thermal barrier, and at about the one-hour mark the bottom of my feet were quite cold, which I attribute to the heat sink of the shoe-clip-pedal connection.

I use Crank Brothers pedals and cleats, which provide a fairly direct metal-to-metal connection between my feet and the steel bike frame. I have read that a plastic cleat (ie Look) may be better, and another option is to go with traditional rubber pedals - but I am loath to change pedals and fool with my bike's seat height, which I've pretty much got dialed in.

12/10/11 Week 48

this week: 44 miles

[4th quarter: 1081 miles]

2011: 4347 miles