Interesting. The thing about keeping your core warm definitely works for my hands, but doesn’t seem to for my feet. I’m generally ok inside in my unheated shed, but after a couple of hours on a spin outside is when I begin to notice my feet. Generally, heated socks go on at the coffee stop until shower (avoiding the cold to hot shock as well, but I’ve never really experienced chillblains as far as I’m aware).
For the chilblains issue specifically, this stuff was recommended by my podiatrist and works really well:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Akileine-Winter-009890025-Cream-75ml/dp/B003OCVIRA
I also suffer from poor circulation and sometimes get cold feet on the trainer but only when it’s very cold so manageable. As others have said, maybe try some toe covers like Velotoze and make sure your fans aren’t blowing directly over your feet?
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Toe covers, shoes as loose as they’ll go at the ball of my foot, and thin socks. Thick socks just increase the pressure so reduce circulation.
Wow, it’s so nice to read about other people who have the same issues as me! (@SeanHurley I always thought I was the only one as well!) I use chemical heaters for my feet, and put them on the top of my feet. That works very well for my feet.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G7QKU0
but as @autonomatic said, not jumping into the hot shower right away (or even walking around with bare feet) is also really important to preventing chilblains, in my experience.
Recently I’ve had more issues with my hands as it seems I’ve solved my foot issue (generally… I still run into some issues periodically, but not to the extent that I used to have). We just ordered some heated gloves (@Macy I’d be interested in your specific purchase for heated socks, just for curiosity’s sake), and I really hope they can help. @tuff_plantano does that cream work for hands as well as feet? (I need to look for a US version…)
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I have toe covers that I use. Especially with the fan on my toes and hands freeze while the rest of me drips sweat.
Toe covers + wool sox and full finger gloves.
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I’ve found that keeping my shoes slightly looser while riding in cold weather helps stave off cold feet. Basically, I just dial back from wherever I would typically start. If ever I start to notice movement in the shoe, then clearly I’ve gone too far. Keeping the circulation going from the get go seems to work much better than warming up later
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No, I’m saying the arch, ball, widest point, drop, or curve of the sole maybe the wrong shape or the shoe doesn’t tent right over your foot.
I had a pair of Shimano shoes that fit, but caused me a lot of problems. They’d get sore just working from my desk chair even with the insoles removed. A bike shoe is a practically unforgiving shoe. After trying a bunch of things, I learned the issue was the arch was too far rearward, I sized up that same model of shoe, and the world was a better place.
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Curious what heated gloves you ordered. I am a long time sufferer from poor circulation and I’m also a skier. It took a while, but I finally got my foot and hand warmth dialed for skiing, and heated gloves were a game changer there. I don’t ride in cold weather too often and my indoor setup is in the basement so not really cold at all, but there have been days where I’ve thought a set of heated gloves for riding outside could be really helpful.
Yep, suitable for hands, feet and face. Also known as Akilhiver / Alkiwinter
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My experience is that long socks > thick socks when it comes to keeping feet warm. I was still getting cold feet in my shoes with covers on so I gave my ski socks a go (they’re pretty thin ones) and it was a definite boost. My best guess at the mechanism is that warmer calves means less restricted blood flow to the feet.
The added bonus is that ski socks look super cool with cycling shorts, obvs.
I’ve these ones, but I was limited to what would deliver to Ireland. Amazon UK had loads of options, but a lot of items with batteries won’t deliver outside of the UK. I’ve sealskin heated gloves, but was close to pulling the trigger on ekoi ones.
Have experienced this in the last few days after moving my setup into a shed in the back. The cold snap over the last few days left me without using a fan, wearing a hoody to warm up and unable to feel my feet throughout. Thought it was just me and my poor circulation. Overshoes might be a good shout, ive tried the looser shoes with no luck.
Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions and thoughts. I rode this morning and tried out the following:
- 3/4 length bib shorts
- Thin bamboo socks
- Shoes looser than usual (and the toe box area very loose)
- Thick neoprene overshoes
- Hoodie on for the warm up
- Warm base layer on throughout to keep core warm
- Making sure my fan (when on) was in no way blowing any air on my legs/feet
This seemed to work. My feet felt ok and I didn’t have any numbness. I’ll probably try this again going forward and hopefully it solves the issue of cold toes and painful chillblains.
Thanks, all.
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Today is the first day in 4 days Ive not used overshoes, but then it is 8 degrees warmer today.
Thanks! I think I found this on the US Amazon site, so I’ll get some.
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I have ordered these:
https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/71400297/guide-pro-smart-heated-lite-gloves?sp=1&color=Black
but please know that I just ordered them last week and theoretically they should arrive on Friday, so I haven’t been able to try them yet. @Macy I looked at the sealskin gloves, but they didn’t seem to have heating elements in the fingers, which is where I have the biggest issue. I’ve tried the chemical heaters in my gloves, but the heat never made its way into the fingers - my palms or backs of my hands always were toasty, though! I seem to need heat directly on my fingers, so I am hoping the Eddie Bauer ones will work. I didn’t find the Ekoi ones before, but now that you point them out, those may be another good option - my main concern about these gloves is that it’s going to be too hard to grip my bars or brakes or even change gears. The Ekoi ones look pretty interesting.
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I’m an extremely warm person, like a cauldron. But my hands and feet are always cold.
Cayenne pepper helps a bit, and stopping smoking if you do. Also a few other things help circulation, but I find cayenne pepper easy to add to whatever I’m eating.
Got a related question and wasn’t sure that it need its own thread. It’s related to being cold in the trainer. My trainer is in the garage and it’s always cold in there in winter. I too suffer from cold feet and wear overshoes or toe covers and it helps. But my main question is about fans. In the summer, I have two Lasko blowers running full blast the entire ride. But in the winter, even a single fan on the lowest setting is too cold. It’s just blowing the cold garage air and it’s actually like painful cold. Ok maybe not painful but it’s uncomfortable. To the point I prefer no fans. But then I get hot. And then it’s even worse when I’m covered in sweat and turn the fan on. So I get in this cycle where I’m turning the fan on for 1-2 minutes until it’s unbearable, then I turn it off until it gets unbearably hot, and I go back and forth.
Any ideas? I was thinking of like a heated fan that would give me air circulation but would be warm so I don’t freeze.
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Could you try offsetting the fans so they are not blowing directly on you…so maybe you are only getting 1/3 - 1/2 of the wind velocity?
If you are close to a wall, another option could be to turn it facing the wall and then let air rebound off the wall and come back over you. Again, would diminish the effect and spread the air across a larger area instead of a concentrated stream.
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Covering up bare skin with lighteweight baselayer tights and a long sleeve top solved this issue for me.
I tried a heated fan, I do not recommended unless you want heat stroke.
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