How to keep your feet warm when pedalling in winter

There are few things more annoying than finding yourself well on the bike, having an incredible route ahead of you, and feeling your feet freezing. In the middle of winter, we give you some tips to keep your feet warm while you pedal.

How to keep your feet warm while riding in winter

You can't think well with cold feet. You can be as strong on your legs as Contador himself, but if your feet are two ice cubes, your head won't stop thinking about them.

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But there are ways, some of them very simple, to warm your feet up and to keep them warm during your bike ride to prevent them from suffering. Because, of course, it is not easy to keep the part that is furthest from any blood flow, the most compressed and the least mobile part, at a good temperature.

But there are things that you can do, and here is an interesting list.

A list of everything you can do to warm your feet on a bike

Shoe covers and winter socks

The first tip is the most obvious: keep your feet warm with good material that provides and maintains its temperature. You can opt for a pair of cover shoes, good quality winter socks or, why not, both. Good shoe covers can be more expensive, so start with the socks. If there's no rain, if it's mostly temperature, good quality winter socks, made of merino wool, will make a huge difference.

The holes in your cycling shoes

As surprising as it may seem, there are cycling shoes that are designed to cool your feet rather than protect them from the cold. In fact, most do. So consider sealing off those vents. And you'll find them so much in the instep that you can cover them up with a shoe cover, but also in the sole, so look for a way to block that ventilation as well. It's okay if your foot is a little less ventilated in the winter, just because the frozen air doesn't penetrate and cut like a knife.

Change your cycling shoes

We are referring to two ideas with this change of cycling shoes. Firstly, if you have a bigger pair of shoes, they'll go better. Because they will put less pressure on your foot, improving your circulation. Even if you think that this makes the fit of your foot worse, nothing could be further from the truth, because that small space will be covered with more warmth with thicker socks.

Secondly, when we talk about changing cycling shoes, we are also thinking of something more serious: specific footwear for winter. Of course, some people have already thought about it before you. It's usually much more closed, totally waterproof and warmer. If you live in a warm zone, you'll wear it for two or three months. If you live in a cold zone, four or five months. So look at it differently: it is a more than interesting investment. And don't be afraid, because its prices are very similar to other types of cycling shoes.

Other little tricks

Of course, sometimes you think only with your feet. Because if you widen the focus, there are more things you can do than just wrap your feet, protect your feet or isolate your feet. Put some mudguards, for example. Because the cold can be mitigated. But if your feet get wet, you'd better forget about getting warm again. A good mudguard prevents water from rolling off and splashing on your feet.

And if none of this helps, if the rain has caught you off guard, if you can't get socks or mudguards, you can always try the most functional thing: two plastic bags tied to your ankle. Of course, you'll be a laughingstock, but you know the saying: "who cares what people think, who cares what people say".