no matter how hard i try, i am unable to keep my hands and feet warm whilst doing the limited bit of cycling i am able to do.

last night i wore silk sock liners, merino socks, leather shoes and altura waterproof overshoes.
my feet were still painfully cold.
on my hands i wore silk glove liner and extremities windproof glove, my hand were also painfully cold.

help 😐

try looking up reynauds syndrome silver socks and gloves. they might work. althought the gloves might be no use for biking.

For the hands, pogies. I don’t know where you can buy cycling ones in the UK, but you could always try to make some.

Sounds like you’re wearing an awful lot of layers, if you overdo it, it can be counter-productive by cutting off circulation. Not saying that’s what’s happening, but it’s worth bearing in mind.

How much insulation is there in your gloves? The ‘windproof’ ones?

And finally, I find if your keep your core warm, the extremeties tend to be okay as well. When you’re cold, your body cuts off blood supply to hands and feet, so counter-intuitively, I’d also look at your overall clothing system.

I would also suggest a buff or, better still, a windproof one. You lose a lot of heat from your head.

Make sure your footwear isn’t too tight – if it is, it could restrict circulation and actually lead to you feeling colder.

last night i wore silk sock liners, merino socks, leather shoes and altura waterproof overshoes.
my feet were still painfully cold.
on my hands i wore silk glove liner and extremities windproof glove, my hand were also painfully cold.

help

are you wearing other clothes as well? 😆

seriously keeping your arms and legs warm helps keep you hands and feet warm..

try some of these under tour baggies, tights etc

http://www.bridgedale.com/Products/Product.asp?ProductID=1

toasty

endura road overshoes are really warm…about 4mm of neoprene….ive only had cold feet a couple of times and im in scotchland
http://www.cycle-world.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s137p3551

grabber hand warmers- they are like small T-bags that chemically react with air and get all toasty warm for flippin hours. you can get foot bed versions as well that are re-usable.

all sorts of choices for foot warmth here;

http://www.heatedinsoles.net/

i am wearing clothes in a good laying way.
not too bulky and able to move ok in it all.
was gonna try some winter mountaineering type mits and fit gripshift so i can change gear and stuff still.

this has got to the point where it is making riding not nice.

I use the chemical heat jobbos for really cold -10 and down outings and they can still be too warm at times. They’ll sort you out lovely ton

How cold is it up there?

My night riding mates and I only have basic gloves and thickish socks and are fine in about 2 degrees C.

Possible circulation issues?

I would also suggest a buff or, better still, a windproof one. You lose a lot of heat from your head.

Ypu lose no more than from any other patr of your body, if left exposed. The “you lose most head from your head” is a myth, debunked a few years ago.

OK, I don’t suffer Reynauds, but do have v cold hands/feet.

Wool is good. As is windproof. As is loose fitting.

If you get cold feet, get of and walk fit a couple of minutes and they’ll warm right up again and stay that way for half hour or so. Worked for me for years.

Just a thought – you had a heart scare / issue recently. You on any medication? IIRC ( and its a vague memory) poor circulation can be a side effect of some cardiac drugs.

Could be total bobbins but if this is a new phenomenon than its a possibility. Check with your GP?

on warfarin and beta blockers, and my blood is too thick, could this be a cause…anyone?

I suffer from cold feet, before a ride I walk around the house etc bare foot to warm them up and get the circulation going…

Then right before the ride, sealskin socks & shoes on, depending on how long I am out, sometimes I need to get off the bike and walk around a little, this warms them up again…

I’d second the arms and legs advice, your radiators get warmer for the same output from your boiler if you lag the pipes after all. Many years ago when I was a postman I never wore more than just a shirt and the basic jacket or the waterproof if it was raining, my winter jacket went back to the stores unworn when I left. However I do feel the cold in my hands and there was a noticeable difference between wearing a short sleeve or long sleeve shirt in how cold my hands got.

Arm and leg warmers might be worth a try, they won’t cause you to feel too hot and they won’t restrict your circulation.

did get caught our yesterday biking back from central london to woking… only had summer gloves in and by Walton on Thames fingers were going numb…

but also not much insulation on arms so cold arms normally means cold hands as you cool the blood down on route to the hands..

bloody hurt when the blood rushed back in after getting in…

was cold 1deg, and got passed by two gritters! (they even paused gritting as they passed which was courteous!

A lot of clothing there, id it too tight and losing its thermal qualities?
The key bits to keep warm for me are kidneys and neck.
I’m almost the opposite though. Tonight I’ll be wearing gloves with fingers for the first time this year. Still thin socks and mesh shoes.

Let yourself go a little and put on a layer of winter fat, nature’s way of insulating yourself.

Invest in a box of Latex Gloves ,

like you see the paramedics on tele using, thin but effective at keeping out the cold if you use them under your normal winter gloves,

they are also useful in the workshop for keeping your hands clean ….. not much good for your feet tho ….

Warfarin thins the blood and a common complaint is that patients feel cold, so maybe that is contributing a little? Beta blockers slow the heart so i’m sure that could as well.

ton – Member
on warfarin and beta blockers, and my blood is too thick, could this be a cause…anyone?

I’m on Warfarin too. Side effects – feel cold, exhaustion more than normal – makes doing the ‘Puffer a bit tougher 🙂

I keep my feet warm in sandals and Sealskinz socks plus thin inner. For my hands I wear a pair of Tesco hairy wool gloves (£5) but haven’t seen them this year. Used this setup through last winters snow.

Main thing – nothing tight on your feet – get Sealskinz a size larger. That’s why the sandals work IMO because the tightness is localised.

I can get by down to -10ºC in a Icebreaker merino base layer and Rab Vapour-Rise trousers and Jacket.

Maybe try a mitten type of glove, I have some old HH one’s. I have just bought some Craft lobster/2 finger gloves from http://www.alwaysriding.co.uk which were fine the only cold day I used them. I always suffer in winter with cold hands and feet. Some good general advice above.

I did look at some Extremities Velo in a local F&T earlier in the week and they did not look very thick or warm to me.

Don’t get cold hands but feet wool socks don’t put cold shoes on don’t do them up too tightly

its cos its winter, everyone gets cold hands feet in winter….i hate winters my feet just freeze…someone needs to invent electric blankets for feet whilst cycling…lol

i also suffer when it get cold try shaking your hands about like you are waving to somebody but faster.I think this helps getting the blood moving.Have you tried winter boots with proper warn socks underneath

Get yourself very warm & everything you’re going to put on very warm
If you put cold stuff on a cold body – it may well stay cold

Don’t wear shoes with cleats on them! They’re like little heatsinks. In the depths of winter I wear hiking boots, even on a road bike (this was particularly when I was couriering)

ton – Member

on warfarin and beta blockers, and my blood is too thick, could this be a cause…anyone?

Not sure about that Ton. I suffer very badly with Reynauds, even have to wear gloves in work sometimes, but I take 70mg Aspirin daily and bleed at the slightest little thing 😉 . Keeping an eye on the thread though – only gloves that ever worked for me were cheapo Thinsulate padded gloves with a waterproof and fleece liner (basically a plastic hand-shaped bag 🙄 ) which were a nightmare to wash and extremely bulky.

Don’t over tighten shoes and get harder soles for the shoes to prevent numb feet which aids cold when circulation is cut.

Anti Clotting agents may actually help you but its sounds as you have circulatory probs.

What about the soles you could heat up and stick them in your shoes?

I have studied this as I suffer too – punishment for 15 years of smoking as a youngster !

Pedalling hard helps – getting your core warmed up is good, and keeping the rest of you toasty.

Crisp packets in shoes (eat crisps first) and roadie overshoes.

Try and keep your hands moving. (I have tried mechanic gloves very unpleasant just sweated loads and got a rash)

Probably Reynauds, its a circulation issue, any sign of coldish weather my hands go purple and then white, have cut my hands and not felt it till i see the blood, dripping.

Eating ginger or ginger biscuits helps as does eating plenty of meat, youre not a veggie are you, I wear Helly hansen mitts when it gets cold, usually works, also dont wear anything to tight to many socks or gloves as they can stop or reduce the circulation, if you do loose the feeling rub your hands under the COLD tap not hot , or dip yopur hands in a stream or cow trough.

Shaking them gently also helps, as does a warm drink, try tapping your fingers gently on the bars as you cycle along to the music on your ipod.

thanks for all the tips people.
gonna try em all out until i come to a way that works.

Tony
I used to suffer from cold feet whilst riding then I bought the Shimano Gortex boots – MW80 (I think) teamed up with Icebreaker socks and the cold never bothered me again.

as above – keep the core warm, the hands will follow.

It’s your beta blockers.
Mention it to your Doctor when you next see him and invest in merino in the meantime.

circulation issues? 🙁