I made a change recently in my footwear and it’s really made an improvement in keeping my feet warm.

To begin, I wear a very thin synthetic sock as the base layer.

Next is a Patagonia Insulator sock, which is made from 2mm neoprene with sealed seams.  These socks are made for fly fishing, but they work well for cycling because they are waterproof (a vapor barrier) and fit relatively snug.  Best of all they can be rinsed clean rather than washed.  Hopefully this translates into a very long life.

The outer sock is a thick synthetic Patagonia sock, though I don’t recall the name.  Most anything would work here, including wool, so long as it can stretch over the neoprene.

Of course I can’t wear my normal shoe size with this much insulation on my feet, so I wear size 13.5 Lake winter cycling shoes rather than my normal 9.5s.

I could also throw in a chemical heater outside of the neoprene, but it hasn’t been necessary.  I recently rode 15 miles in -20F windchill and my toes only felt a slight but sustainable level chilliness.

I had been using SealSkinz socks, which work well.  The problem is they have a soft lining material that absorbs odor and requires washing.  After using them for a year or so, the socks are no longer waterproof like they once were.

Link: More information on keeping your feet warm while biking

Custom Slingshot singlespeed

Between the snow, ice, and salt, winter can be pretty tough on a bike.  Rather than ride your best rig this time of year, many of us hobble together something a little more rugged, simple, and less expensive.

This year I built up an old Slingshot frame I had laying around.

I originally bought this bike as a demo bike.   It never really worked well for me as a mountain bike, so I rebuilt it as an urban cross bike.  That didn’t work, so I had Scott Quiring build a custom fork and replace the rear dropouts with horizontal ones.  We believe this was the second Slingshot with horizontal drops but the first to be built up.

I was a great singlespeed.  I raced it at the Iceman and won the MMBA CPS singlespeed series on it (back before the super fast guys started racing singlespeed.)

As a winter bike, it’s still a singlespeed with the following features:

• 44mm extra wide SnowCats rims made in Fairbanks, Alaska
• the front rim is custom drilled with half-inch holes (Thanks, Eric)
• the rear rim is the SnowCat SL with one-inch drilled out holes
• the front tire is a Nokian Extreme with steel carbide studs
• the handlebar covers were made by Schroeder Sports
• Cane Creek Direct Curve brakes which work well with wide rims
• Softride suspension stem – the best suspension for winter riding

Many MTB front fenders attach to the downtube, which is really not an option on Slingshots.  I’m using a fender that uses a star nut in the bottom of the steerer tube.

The day started, or actually didn’t start well.

I don’t drive all my little VW diesel all that often.  All that sitting around doesn’t help the battery in these below zero temps.  Despite the battery being just a couple  months old, it didn’t have enough juice to get the engine started.

I quickly tried untangling some frozen extension cords (which should be a new Winter Olympic sport) and ran a battery charger to the car.  Not fun.

So after work I took a spin on my main transportation.  My bike.

We’re in the midst of the Winter Ride Challenge Series.  Riders get points for attendance.  The colder the windchill, the more points one gets.  And there are bonus points if it’s nighttime and if you ride a singlespeed bike.

With the windchill well below zero, tonight was a huge night for points!

The roads were icy and snow covered, which wasn’t too bad, though I did nearly wipe out in Royal Oak.

While navigating a turn, my rear tire started to slide out.  Eventually my front studded tire started to do the same.  I rode the two wheel drift long enough for the front tire’s stud to finally hook up.  According to the guy behind me, sparks were flying off the steel carbide studs as they skid across the pavement.

Whoo hoo!

Instead of going up north over New Years we went to the west coast.  Michigan’s west coast. More specifically, Muskegon.

Muskegon State Park has a great winter sports complex, which is what drew us there.  And we made good use of the facilities.

On New Year’s Eve we went XC skiing at night.  The trails are well lit, groomed, and except for  a couple hills, they’re relatively flat.  The ski, boot, and pole rental was just $5 while the trail pass was $7.

We returned on New Year’s for ice skating.  The complex has a large outdoor rink and a short  ice trail through the woods.  The skating pass was just $4.

After the warmup on skates, it was time to do the luge.  The cost was $40 for the coaching, helmet, and sled.

The luge coaching wasn’t too exhaustive.  Luging seems to be a sport where you learn as you go.  After a run or two, you really get the hang of it.  Eventually you can improve your start from just letting go to something a little more Olympic.

And the basic premise it don’t hit the walls and maximize your speed through the turns.  On a good run with good ice (like we had!), you can hit 25 MPH.  That might not sound too fast for cyclists, but when your inches above the ground, it feels plenty fast.

Is it a workout?  You bet.  Every luger has to carry their sleds up the stairs to the start line, some of which weight nearly 40 pounds.

I highly recommend this.  We’re so fortunate to have such a great facility so close (about 3.5 hour drive.) It’s a great place to enjoy winter sports.

As for lodging we rented a house on the lake.  It was inexpensive for our large group due to this being the off season.  There is a 10% lodging discount available from the Muskegon County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

And here’s an article describing some planned enhancements to the Complex, including a wheeled luge track for the warmer months.

Some photos from Muskegon are on-line in addition to this brief video.