Cold Feet

[KathiCville]

I had a chance to try my cheapy $20 heated insoles (see above) a few days ago and am pleased.....with caveats, of course. I tried them in place of chemical warmers tucked into the toebox of my shoes on a day when temperature was about 40, no wind. A few observations:

1) The insoles heat only to 98 degrees---body temperature. So if you crave that "ooooooh, that's toasty" feeling of more expensive systems, you'll be disappointed. (Unless you bear down, you won't feel warmth; instead, you'll just notice an absence of cold.)

2) Won't do much good in drafty "summer" cycling shoes, but work just fine in fully-enclosed, "windproof" shoes that are meant for winter walking or cycling. (I used them in my Sidi Winter Freeze shoes, to which I had previously added a 'real' insole to replace the skimpy one that came with the shoe.)

3) I barely noticed the velcro-strapped battery packs around my ankles. I strapped them on so the pack was on the outside of my foot, just behind ankle, out of way. Stayed secure throughout my 16-mile ride. Truly forgot it was there. Took me less than a minute to get each set up and plugged in.

4) Insole itself is surprisingly thin, so it doesn't take up valuable room in shoe. I put them right up front under my toes. I was wearing one light pair of Smartwool socks. Next time, on a colder day, I think I'll slip the insoles BETWEEN two pairs of light wool socks. Or between light wool socks and my Gore windproof socks, for good measure. Wire from insole to battery pack is thin enough that even if it's under your foot, you don't really notice it.

5) No temp controls, but if you want to turn it off, just pull out the little plug. Heats up quickly, within a minute of being plugged in.

6) Battery pack isn't waterpoof, but that's not an issue for me because I don't ride in wet weather. Each pack takes 2 AA's and is small enough that it could easily be worn underneath loose rain pants.

Naturally, the $20 insoles can't compete with the Sidi Toasters or the Hotronics system for serious riders, but if your winter rides are like mine---from 30 to 90 minutes long---you might want to give them a try, particularly in combo with wool socks.