Originally Posted by
sherbornpeddler
Pretty durn cold. Both water bottles and my front derailluer froze up during a 41 mile loop...The water bottles froze above the water line and they did not work. I thought about putting one inside my shirt but decided I wasn't that thirsty. Maybe I should investigate a non toxic antifreeze...
On my 14 mile commmute in the winter I carry a water bottle (actually a bottle of Poland Springs flavored carbonated water) mostly for that very purpose of seeing if it will freeze. On various winter cycling threads where subscribers describe how they cope with the cold, they will usually cite the temperature, but not the distance traveled. I usually reply with a request for the distance.
A useful marker of a
cold ride is one I read on a thread, that on a cold ride, a water bottle will freeze solid, and IMO that's a good standard criterion. It's a function of both temperature and distance (time). Last Friday I could use my rock solid water bottle for bragging rights when I was asked that usual question at work after a 15*F ride, "You didn't ride your bike today, did you?".
