Friend Dave C sent me a link to an article about a guy who's biking from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole, a distance of 750 miles.
Some people, riders and non-riders alike, think I'm obsessed because I'll go out on a ride as long as the temperature is above freezing. That's nothing; here's some of what this guy will have to contend with:
“The weather is always bad in Antarctica. Okay, maybe not always … but there is always the chance of it changing and getting worse,” he said... "Antarctica is the coldest and windiest place on the planet so to hope for anything other than that is pointless. That said, it’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere so the cold isn’t as extreme as the Arctic. The coldest temperatures will be roughly -35 (up to -50 with the windchill). Honestly, it’s not as bad as it sounds. It’s a dry cold (seriously)!”
He's got to be concerned about mechanicals, too:
The expedition, dubbed Cycle South, will also be the first to employ a standard fat bike — a Surly Moonlander with a steel frame, 4.7” tires, and 100mm rims. The Moonlander is the “fattest” commercially produced fat bike on the market, offering the maximum amount of float over the dry, wind-compacted snow that Larsen will encounter on his journey... Summer temperatures can drop as low as minus 50 Celsius, which is likely to affect the various moving parts of a bicycle that haven’t been widely tested in those extremes. Sludge-like lubricant, seized headsets, slipping hubs, and split tubes and tires come to mind.
Check out the original article.
(Sorry for the lack of posts; a sudden uptick of work responsibilities had me exhausted this week, and the funeral of a friend precluded today's group ride. I hope to get back on track soon... although the holiday calendar is starting to look demanding!)
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