Cold feet? Tips from the editorial team
Tip from Dominik Scherer: Grandma's socks!
>> Commutes the 50 kilometres between his home and the editorial office in Munich almost every day on his racing bike or gravel bike.
My lined Goretex winter cycling shoes are one size bigger so that granny's thick woollen socks still fit in. I wear thin functional socks underneath them. And underneath the orthopaedic insole is an iso insole. Only rarely, when it's really uncomfortable, do I put thick neoprene overshoes on the outside. The weak point is the metal shoe plate as a cold bridge - sooner or later the cold always creeps in. The only thing that helps is a coffee break in the warmth.
Tip from Angelika Rauw: Hiking boots!
>> Loves road or gravel bike tours in and around Munich in autumn and winter - as long as it's not slippery.
The colder it gets, the thicker the overshoes I put on over my cycling shoes - from protective caps for the toes only to neoprene overshoes. My feet are in merino socks. If that's no longer enough and the cold still creeps into my shoes via the pedal plates, I swap the clipless pedals for trekking pedals and the racing bike shoes for lightweight, flat Goretex hiking boots.
Tip from Jens Klötzer: Bundeswehr socks!
>> Can rarely motivate himself to train indoors in winter. Therefore rides a road bike as long as possible - but prefers technical gravel bike tours even more
My cycling coach gave me a particularly inexpensive recommendation against cold feet, which I still follow today: thick knitted socks - on the "outside". Of course, they have to be big enough for this. Simply cut holes in them for the pedal plates and your transitional overshoe is ready. They won't protect you from the rain, but they will keep the wind out and let the sweat out. Tip: army socks work best, are robust and nice and long.
Tip from Kristian Bauer: dog bags!
>> Prefers winter sports to cycling in winter. The multisports enthusiast prefers to be on touring or cross-country skis.
What do you do if it's colder than you initially thought? Ignore it and carry on driving - what else? But that doesn't always work. Once it got so bad for me that I had to find a solution after an hour and a half of driving. I finally discovered a dispenser for dog waste bags when I was driving through a town and wrapped both feet in bags. Unfortunately it was too late, the feeling in my feet was terrible. However, I didn't make the worst mistake of all: going straight into the shower with bloodless, half-frozen feet. But the slow thawing process is enough of a pain to make me pack thick overshoes next time.
Tip from Jörg Wenzel: MTB shoes!
>> Does not have one single tip to guarantee warm feet, but adapts flexibly to the circumstances.
Above five degrees and when it's sunny, thin merino socks and windproof overshoes over my road cycling shoes are enough for me. If it gets colder and freezing, I swap the windproof overshoes for ones with an insulating effect, such as thin neoprene. Below zero degrees, I rely on my tried and tested winter set-up: Shimano mountain bike shoes, because they have a wide cut and my feet fit airily with thick and long hiking or ski socks. That's important - shoes shouldn't be too tight in winter because of the heat transfer! The neoprene protects the outside again, but it's thicker. I make sure that the shoe doesn't rub against the crank.
Tip from Sandra Schuberth: Toe warmers!
>> Commutes the 25 kilometres between home and the editorial office and loves long bikepacking tours even in winter - including sleeping outside.
For the commute to the office, I slip into merino socks and winter shoes. On longer tours, I carry disposable toe warmers with me; the little heat pads have already helped me when I couldn't feel my toes from the cold. In general, I prefer to ride off-road or a mix of road and gravel on cold days, as there is less wind and the whole body is in action at the same time. Like my colleague Dominik, I also like to take a warm-up break - with hot coffee.
