1st cold ride of the year wasn't that cold (32 degrees F) but I still warmed my water & used an insulated water bottle. used filtered water warmed in a tea kettle. not hot enough to steam, just "warm". sorry, didn't use a thermometer. sprinkled in a little salt & lemon juice. rode for just under 2 hrs. it stayed warm for the 1st half & wasn't "cold" until 4 miles from home

I learned 3 or 4 years ago that I needed to use a full thermos after the "hot chocolate" I had put in a regular Camelbak "insulated" water bottle was slushy with ice crystals after about 2 1/2 hours in temps in the teens.

yeah I was ready for freeze-up but I got lucky with temps well above the teens. but yeah, the teens, man that will get you

Splash of whiskey in that water won't keep it warm, but it can keep it from freezing.

Stanley, Industrial Stainless Steel thermos is good at keeping coffee warm on many Outdoor Construction Job Sites .

Tuck it in an Insulation filled Pannier and It will stay warm even Longer.

you know I tried a small splash of vodka one time but I didn't like the effect

also just saw on a handlebar pogie website that they make cozies for bike water bottle cages!

I use a bottle rack coozie - Gupgum Gear ? Bottle Cage Coozies

I rode yesterday with temps around 0F, my water bottle (standard bike bottle, no additives) stay drinkable through the nozzle for the first 30 minutes, by 45 minutes I needed to remove the lid to get the water (still liquid). By 60 minutes, the lid was was frozen closed, but still liquid.

Here's a pic from last January of the Pug with coozie (& that goofy guy photo-bombing my pic):

IMG_20160117_095740699_HDR.jpg

I actually mostly gave up on carrying warm beverages - only because in Suburbia I''m never more than a couple of miles from some 24/7 place to buy something. Just lazy.

nice I would add a cover to keep the cold out

& then there's that!

A riding buddy that did the Arrowhead 135 back in February uses a coozie and double-walled bottle. He needs to stop to get a drink but the water never freezes. However, like [MENTION=434743]DaveQ24[/MENTION] said, in the suburban life, there's a Starbucks or two on every corner.

Last winter, I did a 25 mile ride with temps around -10F. I ended up stopping at a coffee shop to take a leak (it's damned hard to pee outside with the layers and cold). I bought a small coffee and added it to a frozen bottle, it made for a nice drink for last 8 miles.

LOL ... it's not even easy inside with all of the layers

Dave tells no lies!

This time of year, a funny story for my teen years resurfaces. I used to ice-fish with my grandpa and his buddies. Nels Nelson (95 year old Norwegian) was a long-time friend of Grandpa's and frequently joined us fishing.
One quiet afternoon in the ice-house, Nels elbows me in the ribs to say "I've got a problem"
Me (being a naive 14-year-old) replied with concern "What's the matter? How can I help you?"
Nels says "I've gotta pee, but I've got 5 inches of clothes on and only a 3-inch d***"

I blushed while Nels and Grandpa enjoyed a good chuckle.

(I hope nobody finds this story 'inappropriate' - I watched Sausage Party last week and I might be desensitized to 'inappropriate' humor)

also less cover, meaning no leaves on the trees! stopped at my reliable summer pit-stop Sunday afternoon & was glad to see that the area behind the abandoned commercial property, was all woods as far as you could see, & this time of year that's a considerable distance!

What is the minimum amount of whisky or vodka I can use to prevent freezing? I don't want to get a buzz.

HA! So true!

You want to avoid getting a buzz??

Ha, I'm a Michigander and get it. Pretty funny, though huddled over a hole in the ice was never my thing though I appreciate those who braved the elements do it.

I sense a need for crowdsourced testing using our community of expert testers through this online platform

I throw my pannier onto whichever bike I'm using so I know I have tools, etc., along. (My wife has her purse and I have my pannier. :-) This time of year, I put the standard water bottle in there and it's protected enough to stay liquid. Saturday's ride was 35 miles at 10F and there was no ice in the remainder at the end of the ride.

I knew a Nels Nelson or two or three growing up, one being my grandfather. He'd have been one to elbow that naive kid... :-)

Nope. A "splash" of whiskey won't do anything to keep water from freezing. Depending on how far you want to depress the freezing point, you'll need quite a bit of "whiskey" to keep your water from freezing. A "shot" of whiskey (about 1 fluid oz or 40 mL) of whiskey in about a quart (or liter) of water will depress the freezing point by 1.3°F (0.68°C) to 30.8°F.

If you were to fill a 1 quart bottle half full with "whiskey", the freezing point of the water is reduced to 16.3° (-8.7°C). That's the equivalent of 5 shots of "whiskey". Probably not a good idea.

None. Nor will adding salt or sugar or just about anything else you could actually consume. A 3.5% solution of water (seawater) depresses the freezing point to about 28°F and probably isn't that good for you. A 10% sugar solution (flat Coke) freezes at 31°F. A higher concentration of sugar probably won't hurt you but I don't many people could tolerate drinking much higher concentrations than 10%.

Bottom line: Insulation works but trying to add something to keep water from freezing doesn't.

great idea! I have a trunk bag I can use once the water gets cold (to keep it from freezing). it sure was nice to sip warm water while riding (& breathing) in the cold air

haha brilliant! thanks!

[MENTION=21724]cyccommute[/MENTION], that is exactly the kind of answer I was hoping someone would supply. Thank you for actual scientific data in today's factless era.

Does it matter how hot the water is?? I guess if its bitterly cold it should warm you up nicely, no?!?