Keeping hands, feet dry

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Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

I'd be very interested in suggestions for keeping hands and feet dry in the rain..... for both mild and cold temps.
My Sidi winter boots are good for awhile, but only awhile....even with rain resistant booties.
I'm starting to wonder if clipless pedals are not the way to go in such conditions.
Also would much appreciate any waterproof glove recommendations.
Thanks!

Ellen

Anonymous's picture
Steve (not verified)

There are a few brands that sell waterproof booties - but they are not likely to be as warm as others. You could also look into some gore-tex socks.

As for gloves, look into a gore-tex model.

Anonymous's picture
some other guy (not verified)

A front fender with a mudflap helps a lot in the rain

Anonymous's picture
Jersey Guy (not verified)
Latex gloves

Buy a box of latex gloves at the pharmacy and wear them under your regular gloves in wet cold weather. They insulate beautifully. I rode 195 miles last April in 35-40 degree downpours for 16 hours and my hands were fine.

Anonymous's picture
Bob Ross (not verified)
re: latex gloves

You don't find that your hands sweat profusely to the point of discomfort when you ride with latex gloves? My hands get all icky & clammy after wearing latex gloves for 5 minutes, I can't imagine what a 4 hour ride with them would be like!

Anonymous's picture
Rob Marcus (not verified)
Ditto

I guess Sweaty does not equal Wetty.

Rob Marcus

Anonymous's picture
Jersey Guy (not verified)
Don't knock it till you try it

Any time you bundle up in layers for the cold, you're going to sweat inside those layers. The more important concern, for me, is keeping my fingers warm. I'll settle for warm and sweaty over cold and watery.

Anonymous's picture
Katie (not verified)

"Dag's bag rule for keeping your feet dry and warm and you can keep them in your back pocket in case of emergencies. they also work if you get caught and start getting really really cold - even if your feet are wet they will warm up when wrapped in plastic.

i use dish washing gloves on the outsides of my biking gloves although they don't last more than one 200k. hardware stores have thicker green colored gloves that might last longer.

if the weather is iffy i usually bring 2 dag's bags and three fedex kevlar envelopes (1 for each thigh and 1 more my chest) and the gloves. all take up little room with huge payoffs.

oh and fenders are a ""must have"""

Anonymous's picture
Ellen (not verified)

Katie.....
New high-tech cycling esoterica, I thought, until I realized you mean a grocery bag.
I know some of the Brevet riders in last Spring's miserable snowy, rainy, icy 200K were saved by hardware store gloves.
I wonder if there's something more comforable, breathable out there.
Seal Skinz is what I've found online.... but maybe no better than dish washing gloves. Surely more $.
I do have fenders, an effective and cheap rain jacket....the rain shield OS2(around $30).....and a variation on your FedEx kevlar leggings called Rainlegs....http://www.rainlegs.com/

Thanks to all for the tips!

Anonymous's picture
Katie (not verified)

"Hi Ellen!

I was on that icy 200K. completely under prepared. dropped out wisely at the first controle. Now I will never ride without my ""high tech"" Dag's bags. LOL

I have Seal Skinz socks and personally find them uncomfortable as the seams hit me in the wrong place. try campmor they have a ton of types in the back of the store in the sock department all for cheap and you can try them on.

I'm a wool sock girl through and through so fenders, wool and bags are pretty much all i need to keep the feet in ok shape.

I also have rainlegs. haven't worn them yet as admittedly I'm a bit of a slave to biking fashion. I will let you know how they pan out. I have waterproof tights from Pearl Iz that I purchased last year and work like a charm. waterproof front, elastic back panels, unpadded.

my best investment has been my Showers Pass jacket. perfect for me. expensive, but worth every last penny. i know some other NYCC'ers and breveters that would agree (but then i know some that would not)

what it boils down to is
it's all about what works for you.

good luck and see you on the road. don't forget the brighter the color of the rain gear the better a chance you have to be seen.

be safe (and dry)"

Anonymous's picture
el cheapo (not verified)
Sidi's

my Sidi's straps have nappy velcro. does anybody know a way to wake up the hooks and loops a bit?

Thanks

Anonymous's picture
Kay Gunn (not verified)
EMS paddlers gloves

"
I picked up a pair of paddlers gloves from EMS for $25.
I wore them Saturday under a light lobster claw glove. I was out all day long, and my hands stayed bone dry without getting too hot. They are a very soft neoprene glove - 90% neoprene, 10% nylon. I was surprised that my hands didn't overheat. I guess that little bit of nylon helps them breathe.

EMS gloves"

Anonymous's picture
Dennis Wiener (not verified)

Ditto the paddling gloves. I bought a pair of NRS neoprene gloves at cammpmor for $13. While I haven't used them for biking or paddling yet I did wear them for 8 hours in the rain New Years day, handling wet steel. My hands while wet stayed warm but were completely pruned out when I finally removed the gloves.

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