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DISCLAIMER. MOUNTAIN BIKING CAN BE DANGEROUS. YOU JOIN US AT YOUR OWN RISK.

SAFETY BRIEFING.

  • Wear a helmet. Despite recent advances in medical science, brains still cannot be mended nor replaced.
  • Wear gloves or mitts. Hands often hit the ground first. Cuts and grazes invite infection and a hospital visit.
  • Wear eye protection, it only takes a twig or thorn to lose an eye. Crud catchers are a good idea in mucky weather.
  • When downhilling, for your own protection, allow plenty of space behind the rider in front.
  • Bring a bare minimum emergency tool kit and a spare inner tube.
  • Breakdowns are a bore. Plan not to have any by ensuring your bike is in perfect working order.
  • Punctures are also tedious. You can minimise them by fitting latex tubes, slime tubes or running tubeless tyres.

Photo: CAMMTB Winter 2022-23 rides have been posted up - please click on the Runs List link..

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Winter boots

I heard it's frowned upon to not post on the forum. So I thought long and hard what I should post about, and here it is... :-p

(Seriously, I'll try and post before tomorrow evening's ride, which I'm hoping to attend.)

I'm considering getting some Lake winter boots, and I read on other forums it's better to buy them a size or two too big, so I can still wear some thick socks as well. What's your experience, if you have a pair (of these boots)?

Any other boots that are useful?

Re: Winter boots

I have some Shimano ones MW02s I think. They are the only ones that are easily available that come in my size.

I did buy them in a size up, but they were massive so I sent them back and got them in my normal size.

They are very warm, and very waterproof. But I am sure the Lake ones are good as well.

You should definitely get winter boots one way or another. I couldn't ride in winter without them!

Re: Winter boots

If poss I would only increase the size by a half. This way you can wear another pair of socks or your normal socks and merino liners. Too big & your feet move around a lot in the shoes. From what has been said I think you won't need to wear additional socks inside those woolley wonders!

Re: Winter boots

Hi Riaan
I've used both Lake and Shimano winter boots, and prefer the Shimano fit.
However, both are excellent, so it's a question of what fits your foot shape best. The Shimano boot has a rounded toe-box, so provides plenty of wiggle room, without having to go up a size. In my experience, wearing socks that are too thick can sometimes restrict movement, making numb feet more of a problem.
I'm not a fan of buying the wrong size. If they're right, they're right. If not then look for another shape, not another size.

My 2p.

Re: Winter boots

Thanks everyone. The Shimano ones look like they're easier to find in a shop and try on, which would count in their favour. I'll hunt around.

Does anybody know of a shop that stocks the Lake ones?

Re: Winter boots

Hi Riaan

I've got 2p as well, so here it is! Better get a coffee - this going to be a long one.

I've got Reynaud's Phenomenon, so I get really cold toes and fingers really easily - trying to keep my feet warm in the winter is a constant struggle, and I've tried lots of things.

As of a couple of weeks ago, I am the probably-proud owner of a pair of Lake boots. I bought them from Richard (Sloan), who couldn't quite get on with the fit. They are a size 45. For normal shoes, I am usually a 9 1/2, although occasionally a 9 or 10, depending on the make. I've got two pairs of Shimano shoes, and they are both 46, so I was a bit pessimistic about the chances of the Lake boots fitting me okay. However, the signs so far are that they are probably alright. There is plenty of room in the toe box for me to wiggle my toes, and I think that's probably the most important part of the fit. The heel cup seems pretty good - I don't get any significant heel lift. The only area where the jury may be out is the centre section of the boot, which does seem a fairly tight fit.

I started wearing very thin socks, hoping that the boots themselves would be warm enough that I wouldn't need extra warmth from socks. The fit this way was good, but on a cold wet ride at the weekend my feet got pretty chilly. Last night I wore some thin Teko wool socks. On the way back from the pub the temperature was about 5°, and I was wearing shorts. My right foot stayed warm for the entire night. The toes on my left foot were pretty cold by the time we arrived at the pub, but I gave that foot a quick rub and put my boots back on, and it warmed up with no trouble in the pub, but more importantly, stayed warm for my right back into Cambridge.

Today I rode for about an hour and a half, again wearing shorts. This time I thought I would try thicker socks again, so put on some SmartWool Hike Light merino socks. I was expecting to find them too tight, and my toes to go numb, but this didn't happen at all. My feet stayed absolutely toasty for the whole ride. I achieved the fit by loosening the laces and then tightening them until I first felt any sign of tension.

The boa lace system on the boots is very good. The only drawback to it is that when you release the tension with the button, it's a complete release and you have to start tightening from the beginning again - unlike a ratchet, where you can just release one click.

The other drawback, which I know Bowesy has found (Pat also has some Lakes) is that the neoprene ankle cuff is held in place with velcro and appears designed for very fat ankles. With it done up as tight as the positioning of the velcro allows, it lets heat out and water and general sh*t in. I'm going to experiment with sewing some extra velcro on to get a tighter seal.

The big problem with the Lake boots is the one that you've identified - where the hell can you get them? My supplier was very inconsiderately only holding one pair, and I believe he has no intention of investing in further stocks!

All Terrain Cycles have them. Absolute Cycles appear to have them in just one size.

Among the better alternatives I've tried over the years are Shimano XC50Ns. They are windproof and virtually waterproof, and crucially, the sole is sealed so that no air or water can come up through the cleat holes. This makes them very warm, and they are very comfortable shoes as well. I've used those with good success in combination with an Endura over shoe. There was a thread about overshoes awhile back - here it is.

I tried some Northwave winter road boots, which were incredibly comfortable and warm. Northwave have a reputation for accommodating wide feet, which I have. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the cleats far enough back on the boots so I had to return them. Northwave make a mountain bike equivalent, called the Celsius GTX. I know that Mike Clover has a pair, and likes them a lot.

The most important and successful weapon in my armoury against the cold is foot warmers. The best ones I've found are Grabber Toe Warmers. This is the cheapest source I've found for them, and although they come from the US they despatch quickly and reliably. I put them on top of my feet (rather than underneath, which gave me discomfort and cramp) and they keep pumping out heat for five hours or so - plenty long enough for most rides that you're likely to want to do when it's cold enough to need them! For me, they are the difference between being able to mountain bike (and snowboard) in the winter or not.

Good luck!
Dom

Re: Winter boots

Have I stumbled across a competion to post the most overly detailed answer to a simple question on the forum?

I knew Dom had a new pair of Frankenstien boots and fully expected a detailed review with Dom's observation that "They make you look a bit of a twat but I'll take that for the sake of toasty toes". However, what I didn't anticipate was a dissertation on sock selection!

I do have a pair of Northwave boots which I wear with a pair of socks (usually white ones from Sports Thingy on Newmarket Road). I Don't have a hyperlink available but expect to pay no more than £3.99 for 10 pairs. The Northwaves are highly recommended and slightly less twatish than the Lake Boots in appearence - but then I shop at Sports Thingy so what do I know.

Might come out again soon as Dom tells me you all dawdle around nowadays and Duncan likes to ride at the back so no one gets left behind. I'm sure he's telling the truth.

Dom - Could you enlighten me on the relative merits of merino wool over standard wool (such as sold by Aldi for example). Try to keep it to three pages as I have a limited attention span

Thanks

Mike

Re: Winter boots



Mike you are a very funny man. Especially like the bit about Duncan riding at the back and looking after the slower riders.

Dom, that was a ramble and a half. Well done. I think. Are you trying to compete for "most boring rider of the year" award?

Re: Winter boots

Are eight hyperlinks a record, do you think?

Dom

Re: Winter boots

Hi Riaan,
Dom is correct, I do have a pair of these Lake Boots. To date, they are the best pair of winter footwear I have invested in, there may be better but I have yet to try them out.
I have tried summer shoes with thick socks and waterproof overshoes…..the overshoes peel off in the hiking through the mud, then you get wet toes anyway.
I tried some Diadora Chilli Zero’s…but all they did was strangle my feet and reduce them to about Zero degrees on a dry day, and the pain on a sub zero ride…….needless to say when the zip’s broke on the front, yes that’s correct I said ZIP, I had a party and bought my Lakes.
The Lakes are far from fault free:-
I have broken a Boa lace and had to replace it direct from Boa in the USA, so if anyone else has lakes and breaks a lace, speak to me… I bought lots of spares due to the carriage cost.
They seem a bight tight on my feet so I can only wear thin wool liner socks without issues in very cold weather….but, as Dom says if you do the laces up so they just start to bind the top of your foot, the circulation is not overly affected, and you have enough room to move without excessive slop, and the heel grip is snug without rubbing or over griping. This size issue may be as much to do with my supplier selling me the only pair he had on his van that happened to be the size” I” said I needed….I should have checked properly first. But next time…..tinterweb rules, I know what I like and what I need now.
The Neoprene cuff is questionable, on the one hand it is great to be able to peel the mud off at the pub and walk in while everyone else is faffing with their Velcro/overshoes/laces/buckles/willies/flip-flops or whatever, but on the other side I wish it was water proof! If you hit a deep puddle or ride a wet road, the “V” of water off the front wheel soaks the neoprene and it wicks the water onto your foot. OK you could use Gaiters…and I’m tempted, but I suspect the only thing stopping people calling me a twat, to my face at least, is that they must be scared of my calf’s, if I hide them in gaiters it’s open season.
I have heard rumours, on MTBUK website I think, that in the US they do these boots in a wider fit. Not proven but if you really need the Frankenstein look, may be worth a punt.
The last thing to say in their favour is the weight. They are full leather upper and considering the size, you really don’t notice the weight. With them being leather you just wash them down….when you can be arsed…and let them dry naturally, not on a radiator, then treat them once or twice a year with NikWax and they stay totally waterproof.
When I say waterproof I mean it. Water on the outside stays out, water on the inside stays in…..so keep out of deep puddles or rivers. Leather is breathable but there is a limit to what it can do.
This is my choice of boot for winter races, winter cold rides or even summer wet rides, due to the ease of use and overall plus points.
That’s my 2p’s worth, can we afford a gob stopper yet?

Pat

Re: Winter boots

A valid attempt Pat, but Dom's still winning on the boring front!

Re: Winter boots

Pah!-wot a bunch of cissies-I just put me boots & socks in the freezer then an hour before I go out I stick me feet in as well, then when you put them on & go out your feet are gradually getting toastier all the time. The hotaches can be a bit annoying but it soon pasess. You've got to think outside the(toe)box.

Re: Winter boots

And yes--it was an incredibly boring ramble--worse than Pat's tomes on tyres even & that can be epic.

Bonty Mud X by the way, the only tyre you will ever need.

HTH

Rick

Re: Winter boots

lol

Re: Winter boots

Well, having worked through that lot, it's now summer so none of it matters...

Can anyone recommend valve caps that don't taste as bitter as the standard black ones, and don't have the artificial additives of the green (Michelin) or yellow (Continental) ones?