Never too early for winter- Lake boots sizing and advice?

[GuyContinental]

I swore to myself during last winter that I wasn’t going to get frostbite on my toes again this year (yeah, mild though it was it still got cold a few times). So, I’m looking at a set of Lake boots as my Christmas present to my feets or alternatively the super swanky 45Nrth boots (that seem impossible to find). Does anyone have any feedback on the fit of the Lake’s (I’m an average 44) and which model to look for? Anything else I should be looking at? I’ve used shoe covers for the last few years but they really don’t play well with my MTB shoes.

Also, has anyone snagged a good deal on boots anywhere?

Topic

[eminva]

@consularrider 30202 wrote:

Liz: Swapping pedals is so easy

In theory you are correct, however, it didn’t work out that way for me! I just attempted to remove the Look Keo pedals from my bike so I could put on flat pedals for my Confident City Cycling class tomorrow. I could not get the right one off for the life of me. I consulted a wide variety of web resources to make sure I was turning the correct way. No go.

So I’ll be the one taking the Confident City Cycling class on my kid’s mountain bike (the only bike around here with flat pedals . . . )

Thanks. Guess I will sheepishly head to the bike shop to get these things changed when boot weather rolls around.

Liz

[Certifried]

I had a problem swapping my pedals once too. The right side is “regular” threads, the left is “left-handed” threads, so backwards from “lefty loosy righty tighty”. I knew all that, but still couldn’t get the pedals off until I bought a larger parktool pedal wrench so I could get the necessary leverage to remove them.

[off2ride]

Lake shoes run slightly bigger/roomier that other cycling shoes. As far as frostbite is concerned, wear merino wool socks. I use tall ski socks for winter riding. Everybody has a different sweat level. If your socks are able to keep your feet DRY, then it won’t be uncomfortable.

@GuyContinental 30176 wrote:

I swore to myself during last winter that I wasn’t going to get frostbite on my toes again this year (yeah, mild though it was it still got cold a few times). So, I’m looking at a set of Lake boots as my Christmas present to my feets or alternatively the super swanky 45Nrth boots (that seem impossible to find). Does anyone have any feedback on the fit of the Lake’s (I’m an average 44) and which model to look for? Anything else I should be looking at? I’ve used shoe covers for the last few years but they really don’t play well with my MTB shoes.

Also, has anyone snagged a good deal on boots anywhere?

[ShawnoftheDread]

I picked up a pair of basic Lake winter boots (LX-140) on craigslist over the weekend. I haven’t installed cleats yet b/c I still have flat pedals, but I wore them this morning and think they will work quite a bit better than sneakers this winter. A lot more vibration in my foot than sneakers, though.

[Amalitza]

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=57565

Waiting on my porch for me when I got home last night. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to ride today or tomorrow, and I’m not entirely sure from the weather forecast how soon I’ll truly be able to judge their keeping the toes warm ability, but my feet did get nice and toasty pretty quickly when I tried them on inside the house. My initial impression is positive. Maybe I should put them on and soak my feet in buckets of ice water to see how long it takes them to get cold or wet?

More money than I wanted to spend, but I start crying about cold toes (and not cold anything else) when temps hit 50F even with my thickest wool socks and shoe covers, so if they’re warm, dry, and durable, they’ll probably be worth it for me. Cold feet is the first thing that’ll keep me inside and off the bike otherwise. (or on the bike, but miserable, which really defeats the point for me)

[Rootchopper]

Resist the temptation to wear thick socks. You need to trap the air around your toes and feet so thinner can be better.

Also, if your toes get wet (as mine do when I fetch my bike out of the backyard shed when the grass is wet) you’re toes are going to be cold.

Other than that my solution is to wear Performance boots over my normal mountain bike shoes. I use flat pedals (but they have a cutaway bottom for cleats). On really cold days, I slip chemical foot warmers into my shoes.

I haven’t worn the boots yet this year.

[txgoonie]

Wasn’t sure if I should start a new thread or tack onto another one. Anyway, thought some of you might like to see some early info about the winter riding boots some of us have heard about: 45Nrth Wölvhammer

http://gearjunkie.com/wolvhammer-bike-boot-45nrth

[jrenaut]

I think this is as good a place as any to post this. Anyone have experience with Podium shoe covers? These seem particularly fun.

[jwfisher3]

@eminva 30182 wrote:

I am also interested, and have a broader question. My old bike had pedals that were SPD on one side and flat on the other. In the winter, I just wore regular winter boots which were compatible with the flat side of the pedal. When I got my new bike, I switched to Look Keo pedals. These pedals are not compatible with street shoes. So I assume my options are:

1. Shoe covers (probably not a great option for my sensitive feet).
2. Switch the pedals so I can wear my own winter boots.
3. Lake boots (am I right that this would also involve a pedal switch because they would only be compatible with SPD?)

Am I missing anything?

Liz

Liz – I run Shimano SPD/flat combo pedals on my commuter, and the only solution I landed on as a possibility if I wanted to stay away from shoe covers, was to go with winter shoes, something like the Sidi Diablo GTX (mountain) or its equivalent, the Hydro (3-bolt) – the only problem is that they are expensive and hard to find. Colorado Cyclist used to sell them, but now carries Northwave, which have a nice price point (<$200) but are only available in "mens" sizes (does that matter?) I've punted, and stayed with my Sidi Dominators, until it gets too cold, and then I go over to my Merrell Goretex running shoes, which are very warm.

[hozn]

@acl 36245 wrote:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=57565

I’m late to the party, but figured I would throw in my $0.02 experience. I have these Northwave Celcius boots too (got lucky & found them on geartrade for $80) and think they are a significant improvement over Pearl Izumi thermal shoe covers — or Gore shoe covers. Everyone is different (I tend to be more wussy, I think), but I find these comfortable down into the 20s with wool socks for rides for 1-1.5-hour rides. For those 2+ hour rides at those temps, I find it tough to keep my feet (and hands) warm enough. I haven’t fully tested the waterproof-ness of these shoes, but I’ve ridden them in rain & my feet stayed dry.

For me Northwave fit similar to Specialized shoes: they are wider than most. For reference, in non-cycling shoes I wear a size Clarks 12W (or Asics 13 [not-wide]); this translates to a moderately roomy Northwave size 48 (and Specialized 48 too, though I wish there was a 47.5).

[Author]

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