biking to a pole « Singletrack Forum

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biking to a pole

37 posts & 23 voices | Started 6 months ago by cruzer | Latest reply from honourablegeorge

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cruzer - Member

Basically i was crashed out on the sofa last time watch 'good' old british tv, and decided that the top gear north pole special dvd was a far better idea. Thuis got me thinking, people have walked, skied, and driven to the north pole. How comes no one evers done it on a bike?

Obviously there would be some major complications to over come, i.e brake lines freezing, forks freezing, etc. Butsuring we have the technology now-a-days to over come this?

So the question is, is it possible? because for some strange reason i have an urge to find this out. Plus its also the perfect environment for a fat bike

Posted 6 months ago #
fadda - Member

I've been looking for an excuse to turn my irrational desire into a NEED for a fatbike.

When shall we go?

Posted 6 months ago #
monogramman - Member

Do you need brakes at the pole?

Not much to crash in to.

Posted 6 months ago #
fadda - Member

Rigid Fatbike, cantis; sorted!

Edit: anyone know if Aidan's still got that Pugsley?

Posted 6 months ago #
womble72 - Member

Rigid, fat bike, fixed gear, no brakes

Posted 6 months ago #
cruzer - Member

Fadda im liking your style. Actualy i hadnt thought about it, i guess there isnt alot to crash into up there. What about chains, gears and bearings freezing? Obviously things will shrink in the temperatures there which could prove problems.

Do i need mental help?

Posted 6 months ago #
fadda - Member

The only help you need, is thinking it through! Belt drive, anyone...?

Posted 6 months ago #
cruzer - Member

Phew .

I thought about belt drive, but wouldnt the cold make the rubber belt brittle and therefore snap? I guess there other option is shaft driven? Ive seen prototypes involving this, so its possible

Posted 6 months ago #
monogramman - Member

Wouldn't have thought it would go brittle and snap.

use a belt material similar to a snowmobiles track.

Posted 6 months ago #
TheBrick - Member

I think one of the big problems doing either of the poles is carrying enough food. The people doing it on foot are dragging a horrendous amount in a sledge.

Posted 6 months ago #
cruzer - Member

The biggest difference if that a snowmobile will create almot more heat through friction on the track due to the higher speed. Think this needs some looking into...

Posted 6 months ago #
balfa - Member

I think someone had the plan to do the south pole by bike but not sure they ever made it. See South Pole Bike Expedition

Posted 6 months ago #
muppetWrangler - Member

Just finished reading Sir Ranulph Fiennes biography. There is an appendices that list the stuff you'll probably need if your going to make a polar bid. It's a big list and reading it will probably be enough to put you off.

Without looking it up I can't remember the exact weight but I'm pretty sure the laden sledges were over 400lbs. Now I can't see a bike being faster than either dogs or kites/sledges, so it's likely you'll need to carry at least the same.

Posted 6 months ago #
twohats - Member

Belt drive, anyone

Belt drive is rubbish in the snow, the teeth of the cogs/pulleys get packed with snow causing the belt to slip/derail.

Posted 6 months ago #
spacemonkey - Member

Do you need brakes at the pole?

Not much to crash in to.

Two reasons I'd recommend brakes:

Posted 6 months ago #
Aidan - Member

I'm sure you could just bunnyhop this and pump the backside:

Posted 6 months ago #
Aidan - Member

BTW, chains and cables don't freeze if you don't lube them or use super-low temperature lubes. Hydraulic brakes and suspension would be madness.

I once saw a bike designer take an air fork to Alaska. The seals shrank in the cold and if became a heavy rigid fork with a terrible head angle

Posted 6 months ago #
fadda - Member

Cruzer - we'd have to think bigger, and go supported. My mate's got a land rover...

Posted 6 months ago #
charlie the bikemonger - Member

Would a surly moonlander with 4.7 tyres, dragging a sled do it.

You would need to drag it via a bar rather the rope to stop it overtaking you.

I would go single speed with the view that a frozen freewheel is just a fixed wheel.

Would a rholoff hub work?

What biscuits work best in these conditions. Would a custard cream freeze up?

Posted 6 months ago #
charlie the bikemonger - Member

Seriously. If anyone is up for this... Really up for it.

I will give you a surly moonlander.

Posted 6 months ago #
muppetWrangler - Member

What biscuits work best in these conditions

A Huntley and Palmers biscuit from Ernest Shackleton's unsuccessful Nimrod expedition to the South Pole

Posted 6 months ago #
yesiamtom - Member

Charlie, THINK OF THE TEA MAN! Biscuits are just an accessory to tea after all.

Posted 6 months ago #
bajsyckel - Member

In the back of my mind I had thought that someone had attempted one of the poles already but can't google just now. As someone with a passing interest in polar/mountain expeditions, I think it would be possible to go for one of the poles, but using a bike would make it far harder than any conventional means (kite/ ski/ sled/ dog...). If you couldn't do it using established methods, you certainly would fail with a bike.

However, not all poles are constructed equal - depending on which one you went for (geographic/ magnetic/ geomagnetic/ inaccessibility) it might be within the realms of possibility – the Top Gear thing, for example, went for a historic position of the magnetic North Pole that was straightforward, rather than the north pole that the general public would imagine (IIRC – but then I hate Top Gear and have no TV).

Posted 6 months ago #
matt_outandabout - Member

Stanage pole do ya?

Posted 6 months ago #
40mpg - Member

I've worked with a guy who has trained teams for and arranged a number of polar expeditions - I can give you details so you can chat to him if you are serious. You won't forget his name - Jack Russell (I kid you not!)

Posted 6 months ago #
5thElefant - Member

Just finished reading Sir Ranulph Fiennes biography. There is an appendices that list the stuff you'll probably need if your going to make a polar bid. It's a big list and reading it will probably be enough to put you off.

Without looking it up I can't remember the exact weight but I'm pretty sure the laden sledges were over 400lbs. Now I can't see a bike being faster than either dogs or kites/sledges, so it's likely you'll need to carry at least the same.

I remember he mentions a few possible methods of getting to the pole that haven't been done in the appendix too. Pogo-stick was one.

You don't have to do it unsupported.

And... I've seen people attach huskies to mountainbikes....

Posted 6 months ago #
paul78 - Member

Doug Stoup on the Hanebrink never made it past testing on the ice..

Pretty sure both poles are still up for grabs although the South would be my choice as going is marginally easier .. you could even truck it along the ice 'road' the americans have created to the pole.. about 900km's ish...

From a financial point of view budget about £200,000 a piece for anyone wanting to do this ... flights alone in/out have to be bought from one of only 2 companies that fly there .. Its an expensive holiday

thepoles.com is a good source of real info

Posted 6 months ago #
cruzer - Member

the more this gets discussed the more i fancy doing it. obviously would need to look into it a bit more in terms of whether its actually possible.

i can imagine it being easy to ride in a snow suit thou...

is anyone with me? this isnt going to happen over night, but definately think its a once in a lifetime opportunity

Posted 6 months ago #
thomthumb - Member

What about chains, gears and bearings freezing?

best bet would to not use brand new stuff (tolerences) and not to lube - or find low temp lube.

If you are serious about this email me - I can test all this at these temperatures.

EDIT: this might be a stupid question but is it colder than iditarod?

Posted 6 months ago #
paul78 - Member

I'm in if you find a financial backer

Posted 6 months ago #
MrK mkII - Member

this isnt going to happen over night

it will if you go during the polar winter! boom boom!
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sorry

Posted 6 months ago #
chrisdw - Member

Trying to pedal wearing huge thick down filled trousers would be interesting!

Posted 6 months ago #
Master Of None - Member

I've thought about this a few times recently... Even wondered if a north pole/south pole circumnavigation was possible using a single bike...

I like the idea of doing something no one has done before, did LEJOG last year and C2C walk this year, couldn't believe how many people were doing the same thing! Almost ques at the start /finish points...

Posted 6 months ago #
WorldClassAccident - Member

Isn't there a pole nearer the equator* that might be warmer?

*No, that was not a serious statement.

Posted 6 months ago #
40mpg - Member

WCA, I cycled to Everest base camp - did wonder about carrying on up, but it was getting dark and I only had the one buff. Its not always warmer near the equator!

Posted 6 months ago #