Originally Posted by
iohan.gue
Do I need to worry about any bike parts freezing overnight? I am expecting anything from -15 C to -25 C ( 5 to -13 F)
For sleeping bags: I have a -5C rated one (but I can borrow a quilt rectangle bag which I can use to double up). Do you think that is a good idea?
Tires: unfortunately I am stuck with 32mm's, but I will be on the trans-Canada HWY so I am sure there wont be too much snow (and I can take a day or two off if its too bad)
I did 160km ride to Niagara falls a week ago (I plan on doing 90-100 per day on my trip). Is that a reasonable expectation?
About water: I assume snow (not yellow snow, lol) is perfectly fine, I am planing on bringing two 600ml thermoses and one of my cycling bottles which I can keep in my sleeping bag overnight.
First of all, have you ridden in temps as low as -25?
Here's a little story about a century I did in those temps a few years ago:
http://www.machka.net/brevet/Coldest_Century.htm
It is possible things may freeze up a bit. When I rode in those temps, I kept my bicycle inside where it was warm, and I had about 10 or 15 minutes to change into a comfortable gear, and then I had to stick with that gear for the rest of the ride because shifting was really difficult. So if you are riding in temps that cold, you may be doing it on a bicycle that is for all intents and purposes a single speed. Can you do 90-100 km/day on a single speed?
Have you ever had to do repairs on your bicycle in temperatures that cold? That would be my main concern. When I rode in temperatures that cold, I stayed close to shelter ... commuting through the city, doing short loops quite close to the city, etc. What will your shelter options be? Will you encounter a town ever 10 km or so? Will you be able to walk to shelter if you happen to get a flat or something?
As for the sleeping bag, if there is a chance that the temps will drop to -25, you'll want something rated to -40 or -50.
And as for water ... snow takes a long time to melt, if it melts at all, and only produces a small amount of liquid. If the whole trip is going to be in below freezing temps, there's almost no point to bringing a bottle at all because any water you put into the bottle will freeze. You can slow the freezing process a bit by putting the bottle in a sock, but unless the temps come above freezing, the water will still eventually freeze.
When I've done long rides in cold temps, I've planned them so that I drink quite a bit in the morning before I go. Then I stop in a town after an hour or two and drink quite a bit there. Then I stop in a town after an hour or two and drink quite a bit there. And so on until the end of the ride. I haven't relied on my water bottles at all.