Chemical feet warmers

[indysteel]

One thing my fitter told me (he also happens to be Catrin's) is that the charcoal warmers will not work as well (or at all) if you use them in conjunction with full shoe covers. They need air to work. I use them alone or with toe covers and they work pretty well. Any by well, I mean that I can ride semi-comfortably for a limited amount of time. I've yet to find anything (sort of winter shoes) that keep my feet warm indefinitely.

[OakLeaf]

I can't even think how to get the hand warmers in and still have the use of my hands, so I've never tried them, but the foot warmers are good for four to six hours on a motorcycle. No room for them in my cycling shoes.

[Crankin]

It is a bit tricky to get the hand warmers in, but generally, I put the liners on, pick up one glove and slide the warmer in, while it's off my hand. I kind of hold the glove vertically and drop it in, so it's resting against the top of the glove. Since my outer gloves are a little bigger than usual, when I slip the glove on, I can move the warmer into place a little, but since it's on the top, not my palm, the placement isn't as critical. I do the same with the other hand.
Sometimes the warmers don't work as well, for whatever reason. Some brands work better than others. The cheap ones I have need to be activated for a longer time.
I haven't noticed any difference with my booties. I wore the warmers when I commuted, with the booties in the AM when it was often in the high 30s.

[withm]

I went back to DC for Thanksgiving and had planned to ride on Saturday. I realized I had forgotten to bring my floor pump, so stopped at Citibikes to top off my tires. Saturday was fairly chilly, and VERY windy (30m,ph+), and I recalled that I had not brought my warm gloves, nor toe warmers. So I bought the Cannondale toe warmers, and a pair of "winter" gloves that may have been Specialized, can't remember. I passed on riding in the wind but on Sunday I rode 30 miles at St. Michaels on my way back to Deleware.

One mile into the ride I realized the new gloves needed liners to be of any use at all - the wind just went right through them. I knew I'd never make this ride if my hands did not get warmer fast.

I keep a wadded up plastic grocery bag tucked up under my seat for occasions when I need to buy or carry something home on my bike with no rack. So I tore off a couple of squares of the plastic, wrapped them around my index fingers and put my gloves back on. Presto chango - this turned my ride into an enjoyable outing and my hands, especially my index fingers were comfy cozy for the duration.

The Cannondale toe warmers were way better than the PI ones I've been using for many years, and I'm sorry I did not buy them sooner.

Still I'm anxiously awaiting my new winter shoes....

[Catrin]

Someone contacted me via a PM and told me that the warmest combination she has so far tried has been hiking boots with platform pedals. My new hiking shoes are just that, shoes...something to consider.

I also have to keep in mind that my leg is still healing. It seems to me that my tendons are going to take longer to warm up under the colder temps and wondering if that increases the odds of re-injury before they are fully healed. Something to consider...am starting to wonder if I shouldn't ride in <40 degree temps for now.

[Eden]

That has to have been Lisa....

Chemical toe warmers work great with booties if you put them between the shoe and the bootie, instead of inside your shoe. They get enough 02 there, they still warm your toes and you don't have to cram them inside your shoe. If they aren't the adhesive kind, you might need to use a little tape to hold them on....

Hand warmers do expire. We had a big box of them from Costco. After about 2 years (I think, maybe it was only one) a lot of them got hard and wouldn't activate when opened. Seems the more "fresh" they are the better they work.

[nscrbug]

That has to have been Lisa....

Chemical toe warmers work great with booties if you put them between the shoe and the bootie, instead of inside your shoe. They get enough 02 there, they still warm your toes and you don't have to cram them inside your shoe. If they aren't the adhesive kind, you might need to use a little tape to hold them on....

Hand warmers do expire. We had a big box of them from Costco. After about 2 years (I think, maybe it was only one) a lot of them got hard and wouldn't activate when opened. Seems the more "fresh" they are the better they work.

Ok...I'm trying to visualize where to put the toe warmers in this scenario? Do I stick them to the tops of my shoes? Seems like the only obvious place, since I wouldn't be able to put them on the bottoms because my cleats would be in the way. I'm just having a hard time seeing how the warmth would transfer through the shoe material...

[Eden]

Yep - you just put them on top of your shoes, over your toes, between shoe and bootie. It actually works pretty well.

[Owlie]

I'm actually strongly considering switching back to platform pedals for the winter so I can wear boots with hiking socks. My MTB shoes are a little big, but not big enough that I can fit my socks in there, and winter shoes are out of my budget for right now.

Now the knitter in me is thinking of glove liners with a pocket on the back for the hand warmer. Hmmm...

[nscrbug]

I'm actually strongly considering switching back to platform pedals for the winter so I can wear boots with hiking socks. My MTB shoes are a little big, but not big enough that I can fit my socks in there, and winter shoes are out of my budget for right now.

Now the knitter in me is thinking of glove liners with a pocket on the back for the hand warmer. Hmmm...

Actually, I have a pair of these that I bought several years ago from a sporting goods store. They have a pocket that sits right over the back of the hand, where you can slip in a warming pack. Unfortunately, they are a tad bit too snug and they cut off my circulation...otherwise I'd be using them. Great idea, though!