Winter cycling photos and writeups

[roberts8]

Have cycled in snow and ice but you lot have convinced me that I really am a soft southerner. Will get out soon though.

[roubaixtuesday]

Took a small detour on the way home yesterday

[roubaixtuesday]

15cm is the depth needed to run the Elfstedentocht, which is for tens of thousands of skaters all at once in a hurry.

Loch Vrotachan at Glenshee is a good venue for skating XC skis as it's high enough to freeze fairly regularly and it's quite shallow in any case all around the edges. I doubt it's typically as deeply frozen as 13 cm but a ski instructor pal has only ever seen one person go through in decades.

Winter trekking (i.e., ski touring) routes in Norway regularly go along/across frozen lakes. First time you see it you wonder how safe it really is, but then you realise that they've been waymarked by skidoos which are quite a bit heavier than skiers!

(very jealous of your skating lake, Jon!)

Pete.

Very interesting information! We lived in Scotland for 13 years and Glenshee is somewhere we used to pass through fairly regularly. Though at that point, I was yet to try winter sports.

I did my first ever lake ice cycle ride today. It was exactly as amazing as you might imagine, as I had the most beautiful conditions. The thick ice gave me the opportunity to cycle the length of a 4km lake, and create a loop that I'm quite sure no one has cycled before.

Wonderful!

I have once run across a Swedish lake but never cycled. Most envious!

[CliveyT]

15cm is the depth needed to run the Elfstedentocht, which is for tens of thousands of skaters all at once in a hurry.

40cm is specified for the Finnish ice roads, but then they are for up to 7 tonnes, which would be a lot of skaters all in one place, even after Christmas.
I know people in Finland who were desperate to get out with crampon like things for their gloves, so they could drag themselves out onto the ice if they did go in. Of course you're then soaking wet in sub-zero temperatures but at least the first problem is averted

[Jon in Sweden]

15cm is the depth needed to run the Elfstedentocht, which is for tens of thousands of skaters all at once in a hurry.

40cm is specified for the Finnish ice roads, but then they are for up to 7 tonnes, which would be a lot of skaters all in one place, even after Christmas.
I know people in Finland who were desperate to get out with crampon like things for their gloves, so they could drag themselves out onto the ice if they did go in. Of course you're then soaking wet in sub-zero temperatures but at least the first problem is averted

Some of our lakes locally are almost at 30cm now. I saw a friend share a post from someone who'd created a 1.6km skating track locally with his ATV. He said just to use it for whatever - skating, skiing, go karts etc.

We've now got about 8cm of snow on the ice, which is a little slow to cycle through. But nevertheless, I plan to do the full length of our largest local lake (9km) tomorrow morning.

With me I carry a floatation rucksack with spare clothes and ice spikes (like little crampons) in case I go through. I think it's highly unlikely though as I've seen loads of ATV tracks on the lakes now, and I'm careful to stay a long way from inlets and outlets. But even then, many of the slower moving rivers are frozen over now too.

[Cowsham]

How do you keep your water bottle from freezing Jon?

[Cowsham]

Took a small detour on the way home yesterday

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Lovely photos

[Jon in Sweden]

Took a small detour on the way home yesterday

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20240118_163829.jpg



20240118_163305.jpg



20240118_162306.jpg

Lovely photos

Seconded!

[Jon in Sweden]

How do you keep your water bottle from freezing Jon?

You can't really.

If it's a longer ride or it's below about minus 2-3c, I take a Camelpak type backpack. I sandwich it mid way through my layers and make sure the pipe is well covered. That's the only way to keep the water liquid. I did 62km/2hrs 45m today on nothing but snow roads at minus 2-3c and by the halfway point, my water bottle was slush. I didn't check after that, but I imagine it was frozen.

[Pebble]

How do you keep your water bottle from freezing Jon?

You can't really.

If it's a longer ride or it's below about minus 2-3c, I take a Camelpak type backpack. I sandwich it mid way through my layers and make sure the pipe is well covered. That's the only way to keep the water liquid. I did 62km/2hrs 45m today on nothing but snow roads at minus 2-3c and by the halfway point, my water bottle was slush. I didn't check after that, but I imagine it was frozen.

never had much bother with water freezing, i was out on wed for about 5 hours 0°C when I set off and -4°c on my return, the water was a bit slushy but still drinkable (apart from ice scream headache). I have had occasions when the lid as frozen on and been difficult to remove but never the water freezing solid. (water bottle is kept on frame in usual place on bike)


With all the jiggling up and down continually mixing it, I wonder what it would look like when completely frozen? a Mr Whippy consistency may be?

[Jon in Sweden]

never had much bother with water freezing, i was out on wed for about 5 hours 0°C when I set off and -4°c on my return, the water was a bit slushy but still drinkable (apart from ice scream headache). I have had occasions when the lid as frozen on and been difficult to remove but never the water freezing solid. (water bottle is kept on frame in usual place on bike)


With all the jiggling up and down continually mixing it, I wonder what it would look like when completely frozen? a Mr Whippy consistency may be?

It freezes really quickly here. The Camelpak is the only way to go. Even then, if you don't protect the pipe, that'll freeze too.

Fortunately, I don't feel the need to drink much when it's super cold, though maybe I ought to.

[Pebble]

It freezes really quickly here. The Camelpak is the only way to go. Even then, if you don't protect the pipe, that'll freeze too.

Fortunately, I don't feel the need to drink much when it's super cold, though maybe I ought to.

you probably should, and I should too, but I never seem to think about it in the winter, my bottle often returns as full as when I set out. I think I sometimes get a bit dehydrated in the winter (that mild headache thing) In the summer months i am always wanting to drink and consume lots of water. So weirdly I seem to get more dehydrated in the winter than the summer.

[Jon in Sweden]

you probably should, and I should too, but I never seem to think about it in the winter, my bottle often returns as full as when I set out. I think I sometimes get a bit dehydrated in the winter (that mild headache thing) In the summer months i am always wanting to drink and consume lots of water. So weirdly I seem to get more dehydrated in the winter than the summer.

It's definitely a tricky one.

I don't tend to do such long rides in winter as I don't regard it as being sensible to be miles from home when it's minus 10c. I'm tracked, via Garmin Live, but it would be difficult for my wife to respond quickly if I was far away. So I tend to stick to commuting and recreational rides of 1-3hrs max. If the temperature goes into the plus degrees, I then stray further afield, but then I pack a couple of bottles, usually with carbs in.

It's really been very cold since late November, so riding has been largely local.

[Cowsham]

never had much bother with water freezing, i was out on wed for about 5 hours 0°C when I set off and -4°c on my return, the water was a bit slushy but still drinkable (apart from ice scream headache). I have had occasions when the lid as frozen on and been difficult to remove but never the water freezing solid. (water bottle is kept on frame in usual place on bike)


With all the jiggling up and down continually mixing it, I wonder what it would look like when completely frozen? a Mr Whippy consistency may be?

It freezes really quickly here. The Camelpak is the only way to go. Even then, if you don't protect the pipe, that'll freeze too.

Fortunately, I don't feel the need to drink much when it's super cold, though maybe I ought to.

I'm never thirsty and have to remember to drink even on the warmest days -- I often set my phone ( or LED watch on the handle bar ) to alarm.

It's not cold enough for long enough here to merit changing the tyres to studded tyres so haven't went out for a ride for a month now. The wind and rain here is dangerous for cycling and when it's this cold that turns to really unpleasant heavy sideways sleet. You get very wet and cold as it blows into every seam.

[Cowsham]

How do you keep your water bottle from freezing Jon?

You can't really.

If it's a longer ride or it's below about minus 2-3c, I take a Camelpak type backpack. I sandwich it mid way through my layers and make sure the pipe is well covered. That's the only way to keep the water liquid. I did 62km/2hrs 45m today on nothing but snow roads at minus 2-3c and by the halfway point, my water bottle was slush. I didn't check after that, but I imagine it was frozen.

never had much bother with water freezing, i was out on wed for about 5 hours 0°C when I set off and -4°c on my return, the water was a bit slushy but still drinkable (apart from ice scream headache). I have had occasions when the lid as frozen on and been difficult to remove but never the water freezing solid. (water bottle is kept on frame in usual place on bike)


With all the jiggling up and down continually mixing it, I wonder what it would look like when completely frozen? a Mr Whippy consistency may be?

There's an opportunity for a new cycle invention -- a water bottle heater for electric bikes.