Idea for Foot "Fairings" for Warmth Only - Bar Mitts

[david_kcmo]

S40. Bar mitts keep my hands warm in <30 degrees. I don't even wear gloves. Looking for "bar mitts" for pedals. Don't care about speed. My idea: PVC pipe (10 inch). Pedal would sit slightly inside. Cut out on top for shin bone. Cap the front facing part. Thoughts?

 

[Frito Bandito]

There are some shoe covers made of neoprene in various thicknesses that work very well. I've only been out a few times when it is around 0C or even slightly below and I wore snowboard socks that are long enough to cover my calves and some neoprene toe covers that helped, but the full "boot" looks pretty effective. I think the material is about 5mm thick and they have holes cut out on the bottom for the cleats. 5mm doesn't seem like much but it stops the wind from getting through really well.

 

[Henri]

Something like this?

Probably noting as extreme as this

There are some more profesionally molded covers for the pedal fronts (would be bottoms) than Saukki's bottles, somewhere on the internet, but I don't quickly find them right now.

 

[Steve Heywood]

There are some shoe covers made of neoprene in various thicknesses that work very well. I've only been out a few times when it is around 0C or even slightly below and I wore snowboard socks that are long enough to cover my calves and some neoprene toe covers that helped, but the full "boot" looks pretty effective. I think the material is about 5mm thick and they have holes cut out on the bottom for the cleats. 5mm doesn't seem like much but it stops the wind from getting through really well.

I used Sealskinz neoprene covers with my road shoes and they were ok.. (still have them here in the UK if anybody needs some) but I now use a double sided metal spd pedal and find that the pedal acts as a heat sink and draws heat from my foot.. I cut pieces out of an old insulated table cover using my shoe insoles as a template and they help when fitted to my shoes.. next time I buy shoes I’ll go another size up then I can wear thicker socks

 

[david_kcmo]

Something like this?

Probably noting as extreme as this

There are some more profesionally molded covers for the pedal fronts (would be bottoms) than Saukki's bottles, somewhere on the internet, but I don't quickly find them right now.

I am forever indebted to you, kind sir. This was exactly what I was thinking about and I never even considered plastic coke bottes! This is the answer.

 

[david_kcmo]

I recently purchased heated insoles. They have a battery pack that attached to my calf muscle (so that there is no unusual rise in the heal where the other brands are at). It worked at 30 degrees but after 1 1/2 hours I was starting to feel a little bit at the edges of the toes. I think Henri's post will be the answer. More to come!

 

[david_kcmo]

Something like this?

Probably noting as extreme as this

There are some more profesionally molded covers for the pedal fronts (would be bottoms) than Saukki's bottles, somewhere on the internet, but I don't quickly find them right now.

I was thinking about using those rubber over shoes - maybe buy a few sizes too big - cut away all but the sole and a iittle around it.

 

[Frito Bandito]

I was at the DIY shop yesterday for something else, but in the gardening section there was a hand scoop kinda like what you'd use for an ice machine. I wasn't wearing my cycling shoes of course, but it looked to be almost the perfect width. Heavy, but durable and you'd need 4 of them to cover the toes and heels.

 

[david_kcmo]

So, I think we are moving in right direction. I'm thinking PVC pipe, ripped long ways.

 

[david_kcmo]

The questions I'm struggling with - and I want to avoid too many trials/errors - are as follows: (a) to what extent does the windshield have to extend farther out in all directions than my foot to avoid wind curving back up to my foot as it follows the windshield path (I don't know aeorodynamics at all (or how to spell it!); and (b) related but somewhat different - to what extent should the wind shield curve up past the pedal base so as to keep some warmth in - or is keeping warmth in handled by my socks, overshoes, etc.

 

[Frito Bandito]

Since my cycling shoes usually have a pretty thin upper layer (top) and a thick sole, if I were to make some kind of hard cover connected to the pedals, and depending on the coldest temps you expect to ride in, I'd probably make one that my cycling shoes would slip in like a pair of closed toe slippers. My heels never got cold enough to be a nuisance, only my toes since they have the least amount of warm blood circulating into them. You might want to consider something like these if your temps are really low...

Then you don't have to worry about making something, figuring out how to connect them, hoping they stay on... etc.

 

[Steve Heywood]

I've just invested in some Shimano MW5 waterproof boots for the winter... Second hand but only used once and I paid £55 including the postage... They are £120 new with retailer discounts so I'm pleased with that... I'll give them a go and see how they perform

They have the 2 bolt metal cleat but I prefer the cross country pedals on my Bacchetta Aero and I'll swap them over to the V20

The reviews mention very slight water ingress in heavy rain as water droplets travel down the rider's leg when wearing bib tights on a DF bike but hopefully on a bent they'll be absolutely fine because of the reclined angle.. Time will tell

 

[david_kcmo]

Since my cycling shoes usually have a pretty thin upper layer (top) and a thick sole, if I were to make some kind of hard cover connected to the pedals, and depending on the coldest temps you expect to ride in, I'd probably make one that my cycling shoes would slip in like a pair of closed toe slippers. My heels never got cold enough to be a nuisance, only my toes since they have the least amount of warm blood circulating into them. You might want to consider something like these if your temps are really low...
View attachment 14167
Then you don't have to worry about making something, figuring out how to connect them, hoping they stay on... etc.

So, I see what you are saying, rather than attach to pedals, just slip shoes into something more like slippers. I guess the issue - and maybe even something like tape could work is the wind somehow gets in the exposed areas- like in your pick - there exposed areas on the sole,

 

[McWheels]

S40. Bar mitts keep my hands warm in <30 degrees. I don't even wear gloves. Looking for "bar mitts" for pedals. Don't care about speed. My idea: PVC pipe (10 inch). Pedal would sit slightly inside. Cut out on top for shin bone. Cap the front facing part. Thoughts?

What bar mitts are you using? I've had to hack some on a sewing machine out of a charity shop kid's jacket.

 

[david_kcmo]

What bar mitts are you using? I've had to hack some on a sewing machine out of a charity shop kid's jacket.

So, I use the brand name bar mitts. They work. I just rode this morning in 20 degrees (KCMO). I have an S40 and the bar mitts fit just fine. I'll post a pic of the type of bar mitts i have. This is not an actual pic of my bar mitts. I don't know the names of the various bike parts. But whatever the part with the brake levers and the rubber hood - the smaller opening of bar mitts goes over that. The wider opening encloses where I keep my hands.

 

[david_kcmo]

Here is an actual pic:

 

[david_kcmo]

When I get home I will also post my answer to foot issue. I was out today in 20 degree weather and I was using heated insoles + regular bike shoes + neoprene shoe covers. This is the answer. I'll get the brand later.