Rapha merino socks £15.00 per pair, £30 for 3 pairs

Keep your feet warm and comfortable and you will feel the same, no matter how miserable the conditions. This strange quirk of physiology – or perception – is worth bearing in mind when dressing the feet for a bike ride, for few other activities can cause the feet so much misery.

Perhaps inevitably, thoughts usually turn initially to protecting the outside of the shoe with some kind of Neoprene or similar covering – which is sensible enough. Better, however, is to start with the socks, which ideally must be thin enough to avoid constricting the foot and impeding warming blood circulation while providing the desired insulation.

Step forward socks in merino wool from clothing specialist Rapha. Like all wool possessed of exceptional moisture management properties, merino is exceptionally fine and perfectly suited to making thin but warm socks.

Rapha’s socks are made in left and right foot-specific shapes for optimum fit, have ‘hand-locked’ seams at the toes to prevent rubbing and boast heel reinforcement. There’s also a reinforced area on the inside ankle of the right-hand sock designed to minimize the effects of contact with the chain – a thoughtful touch that will appeal to those for whom this is a likely occurrence.

Most important of all, they are not only surprisingly hard-wearing but very warm – which is the point of the exercise.

Offered in black with choice of white or pink stripe or white with black stripe, sizes S – XL.