Riding Boots

I just finished a 1000 mile ride starting in Portland Or. Most of the time the ambient temp. in the 30's (F). In other words my footsies got really cold. Since the Rocket does not have any foot protection, I was wondering what most of you cold weather junkies wear to keep your feet warm.

I was looking at some Red Wings Boots and the question came up...."what is better in cold weather, steel toed boots or regular. The other question I have is "how many of you guys use heated socks? If so what kind? 12 volt hooked to the bike aux power or battery pack.

What works the best for U guys out there in Rocket Land? :flame:

Well, you could buy a Gold Wing (2006 and up) and have a toe warmer vent to help you out.

But since we are talking Rockets, heated socks (check Gerbing or others) would be a good bet, I also got some foot warmer packets (haven't used them yet, but my son does when he goes on his winter camping trips...like last week) that I will probably use when I get to my new camp in a couple of days.

I'm not sure if Gerbing offers them but if they do I would recommend a sock with the battery in the top of the sock if they make such an animal. The reason being is that if you have to "hook" it up to your bikes electrical system it seems like it would be a pain to attach the wires to the socks, your gloves, your jacket...etc...

I ended up buying Gerbing "Core Heated" gloves with the 7 volt battery in the top of the glove for use over here to see how well they work, again I didn't want to have to deal with the wiring and such. I also bought an extra set of batteries so that the gloves can still be used while the other ones are recharging.

I know you didn't really ask about the gloves but I figured that if they offer gloves with battery packs...maybe they offer socks as well. If the foot warmer packets work (for any lenght of time) they would probably be the most cost efficient way to go.

Dennis

McRocket said:

I was looking at some Red Wings Boots and the question came up...."what is better in cold weather, steel toed boots or regular.

Click to expand...

I have to wear steel toes at work (railroad) and I can tell you that steel sucks in the winter. It's like a dirrect connection to the outside, hot or cold. Worst part is that when you get back to the warmth, the steel is still cold. Cold weather gortex boots help, but that **** steel is still there holding the last temp it was exposed to. Still, windproof on a bike is by far more important than anything else ... whatever keeps the wind out is the best you can do without something that makes heat. I find that keeping out the wind and warming the core (chest/kidneys), lets the body send it's own heat to the extremities (and alot of duncan donut stops). I LOVE my heated hand grips, best toy on the bike in my opinion. They are really cool in the summer when you have to ride home at night and it's a little damp and chilly.
There is an ad at the bottom of the home page about heated battery powered vests, I was looking at those (expensive) and I want one. I'll bet those work awsome, anyone got one of the battery powered versions? I'd like to hear someones opinion that's worn one rather than a magazine review.
Stay warm brother.

I've been on a few rides where the temp was in the high 20s or low 30s. I was able to keep my feet warm by wearing 2 pair of socks, 1 pair being heavy wool. My boots are Icons. I'd say other than heated socks, your best bet is a good pair (or 2) of wool socks.

i have left here with the temp. being 18 degrees and my feet dont get cold.
My boots are Walmart 20 bucks on sale....
They are Survivors...Best 20 bucks I have spent......
One pair of socks too and usually my feet stay cold in the winter....
Try them if they dont work you are only out 20 bucks..

heated gear

I have both a battery vest(Gerbings 6-8 hours depending on temp setting)and gloves from Hammacher(The Heated Gloves - Hammacher Schlemmer) and have found both to work comfortably on my bike as well as able to wear at Seahawk games..Have not used any foot gear but no steel toes for me...double socks(wool first and blend second)have been acceptable for me..plug in seems to be a hassle and one-dimensual..I understand that placing a heat packet on the top and in front of ankle will heat the blood vessels to your feet and toes but no personal experience(yet!)

Survivor boots

These (survivor) boots are all I will wear when riding. The real nice thing about them is that they are really tall, plus you lace them up from bottom to top to make them real snug. then you have a side zipper that you unzip to take them off real easy and fast. They also have a very good solid tread on the bottom. As far as price goes, you could buy about 4-5 pairs of these when compared to one pair of red wings.
Now I will share a riding secret that I do when on long runs on cold days; I would put the back passenger pegs down and put the top of my feet on the back pegs. If you do this and tuck your feet tight to the bike, you will get all kinds of heat on your feet.
(disclaimer) expert rider on closed course. ha ha. really nice way to warm up the feet. Rademis

Composites

If safety toe style boots are what you are looking to wear while riding, you should look into composite toe, ANSI Certified boots. They are non-metalic so the temperature doesn't affect them. Try looking at, www.hytest.com for starters but there are other sources. I wear them and they are quite comfortable and lightweight.

Good in your search.

I bought a pair of 1200 gram insulated boots from Cabelas.com.

Cabela's 11 1,200-gram Outfitter Series™ Pro Hunting Boots

These along with a good pair of Merino wool socks and you won't have a problem with your toes getting cold.

My friends swear by the CruiserWorks Short Zip Waterproof Motorcycle boots. Very nice and able to be re-soled.

I wear AlpineStars around town, no more than 300 mile rides.

For long distance riding, I still love my lace-up Danners. Man, those are some great boots! The first pair lasted me 12 years. They feel like sneakers when you're walking around off the bike. They're waterproof and warn when riding. My new pair feels just as good as my last pair. I got lucky with those.