I get cold feet thinking about getting cold feet while riding my Fat Bike (Pugsley) in below freezing conditions. My toes are the only parts that I can’t seem to keep warm while winter riding. For years I have been on a quest to eliminate this problem. I was hot (pun intended) to try a pair of the new Lake MXZ303-X winter cycling boots, to compare them to the 45nrth Wolfhammers, but alas our shop is not a dealer.
Have I been wearing the right sox? Polypropylene? Wool? One of each? My theory is that when my feet sweat, the socks get wet and my feet get cold. I have even put Mitchum antiperspirant all over my feet to avoid moisture. Maybe my old Lake MXZ302s winter boots are too thin and they let the sweat soaked socks chill my toes? Should I pedal more gently and try to avoid perspiration? Should I drill holes to vent the top of my boots to let moisture escape?
A company called Therm-IC makes heated insoles for ski boots. My colleague Nic Nic was using a pair of their heated insoles in his trusty Shimano SH-MW81 cycling shoes to good result. I could do that too, or go to a flat pedal and wear some sort of winter snow boot, or a snowshoe boot. But, Homey don’t play that flat pedal thing, he wants to clip in when he rides.
Just when I thought all was lost, the clouds parted and our Therm-IC rep. entered the shop to show us what was new. He was talking to the important people at the store while I was mounting bindings on skis. My ears perked up when I heard him say heated socks. “Would any one want to test drive our new product?” Was manna falling from heaven? I leapt from my workbench and over the front counter screaming: “pick me, pick me, pick me, I want to try your new heated socks” Frightened, the rep. acquiesced to my request only if I promised to go back to my bench and leave them alone.
Everyday after that I asked everyone if my socks had arrived yet. Our Dave, who checks in the millions of orders that land at the shop daily, gently and repeatedly said no.
Global Fat Bike Day was coming up fast and my toes were getting very nervous. They wondered if they should buy a new pair of 45nrth Wolfhammers to protect themselves again this year. We retried on a pair in size 44. They fit my toes perfectly with my poofy Surly wool sox, but what I did not like about them came back to me. The tongue did not set well on the top of my foot and it was difficult for me to zip them up. I realized that these were personal problems, not the fault of the boots. But maybe I should buy them just in case the Therm-IC PowerSocks never arrived.
One sunny day when I walked into the shop, everyone screamed “ Your damned socks are here, Your damned socks are here, Your damned socks are here!” Thinking back, I guess I might have been a bit of a pest about them. Cold toes can make men do strange things.
I was so excited that the potential champion of my cold feet had arrived. I stared at the package marked Therm-IC PowerSock Set ic1200 wondering if they would solve my problem. Let me rephrase that. My cold toes while winter cycling problem.
Contrary to popular male practice, I read the entire PowerSock manual in 3 of the 37 languages it came in. Then I charged the batteries.
The toughest part was the PowerSock washing instructions. They don’t just say wash cold, hang dry. No, they have these ancient Greek symbols that mean nothing to me or anyone else.
The instructions also forbade you to wash the socks with the batteries still in them. Really, I hope people do not need to be told not to wash the batteries with the socks!
On Global Fat Bike Day I dressed in a Lifa base layer, a light fleece top and my Foska pirate jacket. Below, a pair of bib shorts and a med. weight tight were donned. The temperature was supposed to be right around freezing.
What was funny were the lumps from the switches and the batteries that the PowerSocks made from under my tights. I could not see the indicator lights that would tell me what power level the PowerSocks were at. To make matters more difficult was that the batteries were identical. So on my right leg the plus button was up and minus was down. On my left leg was the opposite. I pulled down my tights to check and then I asked She Who Must to write on my tights which was what on both legs with a silver Sharpie.
In the parking lot just before the Global Fat Bike Day ride started, I poked at the buttons on my socks. I think I put them both on the lowest range.
After riding a bit, my left foot, you know the big one, felt a bit cold so I clicked both buttons up to level two on the PowerSock batteries. My right foot was toasty as the ride continued especially after my fall. My left foot was a bit chilly but ok.
After the ride, when I got home and took off my tights, imagine my surprise when I saw that the right sock was on level 3 and the left one was off. My guess is that when I crashed I fell on my right side and pushed the button to level 3. I don’t know what happened on the left side. Maybe I pushed on the sock/battery connector instead of the switch.
Once it gets cold again my plan is to wear long underwear with the PowerSocks on top and a loose wind pant with a side zipper over the whole mess instead of tights. This way I will be able to zip up and see what is going on.
Armed with PowerSocks, I may never get cold feet thinking about winter cycling again.
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