Ritehsedad

Do you have a plan for mechanical problems when you are out a ways in the bitter cold? When its real cold out, I'm not sure I could change a tube, so I think my plan would be to call a family member to come get me, get back on the bike and chug along.

Do you have an escape plan?

CastIron

Always. In addition to a way home (wife w/ car) I also carry a tiny space blanket to buy a little time. It fits under the saddle and will stop the wind and keep some heat, which is what you need when wearing sweaty clothes.

Hezz

I use kevlar lined tires, tire liners and puncture resistant tubes to minimize flats. They are a pain to fix in the cold. Also, a down jacket can pack down to next to nothing and is very light and is good to put on if you get stranded somewhere off the bike in the cold.

I usually keep winter rides to close hill riding near the house or along bus routes that I could get back home on. Our busses have bike racks. That way I'm never in over my head.

My winter rides are not more than 90 minutes because I can't keep my feet warm longer than that without wearing really heavy boots that make pedaling a chore.

Carrying a cell phone is a good option if you have someone to come and rescue you.

I also think that using a lightweight rear bike rack is good on a winter bike so you can carry a few more things easily. Plus it works to some degree as a rear fender.

ViperZ

I'm with you, My current ride habits, uses a Cell phone as a final escape plan

Machka 

Have you ever actually taken one of those out of its package?


If it was bitterly cold out, and especially if there was any wind at all, by the time I'd opened the package and opened the space blanket to its full extent, I'd be frozen to death. It's sort of like the process involved in peeling the paper back off stickers, or trying to open the plastic bags in the produce section of the grocery store.

Machka 

I do some fairly lengthy rides in the winter, like centuries, but when the temperature dips below the freezing point, I cease doing my centuries in one long loop or an out-and-back, and start doing them as a series of short loops starting and ending at my home.

I have a pretty good idea of how far I can walk at temperatures below freezing, so I plan my short loops so that I am never outside of walking distance to either a town where there will be some shelter, a place to warm up, and possibly some assistance ... or my own home.

I always ride with a rear rack (summer and winter), and always carry a bag of some sort back there. In the winter, I'll usually stock it with an extra top, extra neck gaiter, extra gloves, leg warmers, arm warmers, socks, or whatever just in case it is colder than I thought, or just in case I am faced with the possibility of walking. I also have several energy bars, lights of some sort, a few medical supplies, a few tools, etc.

In the past couple years, I've also let someone know what I'm doing so that if I'm not back to "check in" at the end a loop at approx. a particular time, a "search and rescue" crew can come out and find me.

ghettocruiser

Last time I just pushed the bike home. Took a little while, but kept me warmer than actually riding.

If I strayed further the solution to a nonrepairable breakdown would involve a cell phone call and Tim Hortons.

ViperZ

OH yeah, wait it out at a Tims!

Juha

I carry cell phone, extra clothing, bus pass and wallet. I wear winter boots to keep my feet warm. They're also better for walking than cycling shoes.

--J

sunofsand

Never. If I get myself into something it would take complete exhaustion for me to give in and call for help to get out of it
I go pretty far some rides in winter ..probably around 30 miles out and then 30 back. I want to do a winter Letchworth ride of 50 to and 50 back one day, though.
My winter riding is almost always to get to places in order to do other things so I normally have 20-30 pounds strapped to my back.

My escape plan would be to ride to a house and ask to use their phone or dig a snow cave periodically to regain strength. I'd probably push the bike 20 miles in a blizzard before doing either of those. I have to dress warmly to be ok off the bike so hypothermia isn't a worry

Bekologist

You still need to be prepared to spend an time standing around off the bike fixing a mechanical or waiting for a ride.

Just like ski touring, having an extra warm layer to throw on is a big help.

for genuine survival, a great piece of winter equipment for a bike kit would be a silnylon cagoule (Hilleberg) or any other makers' cag, coupled with a down vest. Probably make them fit in your jersey pockets if you're into that kind of thing.

And wearing wool really cuts down on the evaporative cooling effect so commonly felt in synthetic workout clothing.

ViperZ

If I was to travel out of the city or make an adventure out of it, then yes, I would carry a backpack of James Bond survival items as well, however all my winter riding is in the city for commuting. For general winter riding I seldom venture too far from civilization to just walk home with my bike should I break down.

A packable down jacket is an excellent idea, and I have taken one along before.

badhat

i have those chemical warmers for hands, feet and body in my commute bag. i also keep co2 in my bag that i only use when its too cold to hand pump.

cell phone, too.

Joe1946

I carry a bottle of Slime and bike pump and have repaired three puntures in my rear tire that way in the last six months. I spent two years in Alaska with the US Army and have done several winter war games over a week long each time at temps as low as -64°F so I have a good idea of how to deal with extreme cold weather.

badhat

i also keep a spare pair of glove liners on me so that if i have to stop for any reason and remove my gloves i dont have to put cold damp gloves on when i'm done.

the only time i ever thought i wasnt gonna make it home, it wasnt even that cold, but my gloves were wet and cold and i couldnt feel my fingers. so now i always keep a back up set of liners around.

jeff-o

I ride a trike, which will not fit on a bus or in my car. I'll try to repair the problem, but if I can't then I guess I'll be stuck pushing the trike home for 6km (max). If I happen to have my lock with me (usually it stays attached to the racks at work so I don't have to lug it back and forth), then I guess I could lock up the trike, call for a ride, and come back for it later.

Portis

The more serious the temperatures the more I take measures of precaution. In temps near 0F and below, i try and have chemical feet and toe warmers available as well as adding some fleece scarfs, etc. to the trunk bag. In past I have also carried a cigarette lighter with a piece of fire starter log, just in case.


Also when it is dangerously cold i try and alter my route to where I am pretty close to civilization throughout the entire trip. An important thing to mention to all you cell phone users:

Cell phones will not work if the temp becomes too extreme and they become too cold. I learned this last winter one day. I was totally iced up and had been out for near 2 hours. It was -3 F out. Approaching the home stretch I called home to ask my son to get out the camera. I wanted to get a shot of my head as i could see it covered in ice in my helmet mirror.

Unfortunately I had carried the phone in my seat pack and it didn't want to work. I heard my son's voice and then it went dead. The battery was completely charged but it simply wouldn't work. So I learned that the proper way to carry a phone during these temps is ON the body. This could be very important if things were serious.

CastIron

I have. It falls under the better than nothing category at a time when ANYTHING is a Godsend. Makes an OK poncho in a pinch as well.

Akugluk

Rules of thumb for any cold weather activities: Never go further than you're willing to walk back. Dress properly. Bring extras (clothes-especially a warm pair of mittens, water, food, parts... whatever it is you're bringing). Let people know where you're planning to go and when you're planning to get back. Pay attention to where you are and whats happening around you. Know the symptoms (and treatments) for hypothermia and frostbite. Colder isn't necessarily more dangerous. Wetter is.
Li batteries work in colder temps, but cost more. and who knows if they make them for cell phones. Don't rely on battery-powered objects. I'm very serious about this. give yourself an alternative because if you're out there enough, batteries will fail you. and it will probably be when you need them the most.
I haven't biked much in the cold, but I grew up in Northwest Alaska and both love and respect the cold. Have fun out there, and stay warm.

ViperZ

Phone is always in the chest pocket closest to my body

And if it dies, it means I'm walking home, or to the nearest pay phone... I'll certainly be dressed warm enough for it as I don't tend to dress minimal for winter cycling.

kill.cactus

People have mentioned these "small, packable" down jackets. What are these?

ViperZ

These are usually a +600 fill down jacket with a thin taffeta shell that is good to OK on it's own provided it's not really windy or full on blizzard conditions. They were designed to be layered over with a Hard Shell for when it gets really ugly outside.






I have this TNF Nupste and it packs to the size of about a stack of bagels. These are also known as Down Sweaters. It is killer warm when place under an outer shell jacket.

If you want to save some weight then a Down Vest is an option, but I prefer the Down Sweater for the small penalty in pack size and weight.

Bekologist

I disagree with the poster that feel you need to stay close to civilization to stay safe...although that is a fairly good safety plan. Very prudent. Bringing extra layers in the unlikely event of spending an hour off the bike is a better idea in my opinion.

If prepared you can go as far afield on a bike in winter you want. look at the Iditabike riders. that's a controlled race environment, but still, 12-20 days on a bike across hundreds of miles?

I did more winter bike camping twenty years ago when i lived by Lake Superior, but in the last couple of years have been revisiting winter bike touring on a limited scale. here's pics of a bike from last winter loaded on tour with winter survival bike equipment including an antarctic-approved tent and subzero sleeping bag. the whole kit. I much prefer ski touring in winter anyhoo.

the problem with bike touring in winter is the shortness of the days and the conditions of the roads. Those 14 hours of darkness guarantees a lot of down time in the tent. Spring ski/bike touring is pretty sweet though...

sunofsand

I wish I had some Bond-like items to carry around
hmmmm ...bonfire in a pen.
My backpack is all camera gear. Digi, 35mm, Diana, MF Polaroid, film, filters, tripod, lenses. I like the bike cause I can stop wherever I please.

sunofsand

That looks pretty coo
warm.
..checking that out for my birthday.