ricohman

I've tried a few different things, but it always ends up the same. After a few drinks or if you leave the pop open the water freezes solid in the top of the bottle. And the only way to get a drink is to stop and try to remove the entire lid without breaking it. And if you can get the lid off often it won't go back on.
I've tried using warm water and wrapping the bottle. But no luck. It was -11 this morning.
How are you other cold weather guys keeping your water from freezing?

DataJunkie

I have ridden down to 5F without freezing my bottles. However, I ride at most an hour at those temps.
I use polar water bottles filled with warm water.

YoKev

I've had great luck with my camelback in below freezing conditions. Having you water in a bag and on your back (out of the wind) keeps it from freezing. Just make sure to blow back the extra water in the tube so that doesn't freeze.

cyccommute 

Or get a thermal kit...and drink often

Tude 

Wow, never thought about water - in reverse - I'm more concerned with keeping it cold (and just used to it being warm). Good info!

adebrunner

You could move to Brazil or mix up Gatorade with vodka to drop the freezing temp. Those will pay dividends in more than just non-freezing water
Seriously though, it would seem to me that if you don't want to buy new equipment or ride your bike drunk, just keeping the water bottle close to your body will keep it above freezing. You could easily fashion a strap out of duct tape to keep it at your chest and all you'd have to do is unzip your jacket to get to it. Think Rambo for the design. This may be stupid, but it's all I got. Good luck.

ricohman

I have a Camel Back but I always thought the tube would freeze up.
I never knew this part existed. I think this is the answer. I could blow the water back or crunch the ice with my teeth if it froze in the mouthpiece.
I would rather ride with caged bottles and use the Camel Back on my MTB but I do like having water to drink.
Thanks for the tip!

kellyjdrummer

If you dissolve something in water, it lowers the freezing point. Try dissolving some sort of flavor, anything that would effectively make the water "thicker."

idcruiserman

Camelback with insulated tube works most of the time, but not always. I sometimes have to keep the valve and part of the tube in my jacket.

ricohman

Thick water? Isn't that a popcicle?

kellyjdrummer

Actually, salt is the best, but I don't think that's the best answer. Hard water would be an icicle, but then hard water is also a term for mineral laden water, as well.

cyccommute 

You have to add too much to make it practical. I've done the calculations in another post but I'm too lazy to go look for it

sauerwald

I ride at temps down to 0F, my commute is about an hour. In cold weather I use a polar bottle, put warm water in it, and it does fine.

littlewaywelt

If your cage will hold it and your bottle doesn't leak, put it in upside down. Crystals always from from the top down. Having water running moving around the spout rather than air with water splashes will solve the problem.

bike2math

Maybe my chemistry is off, but I think some sugar would lower the freezing point for you. Salt also. Not sure how much you would need to make a difference. Maybe experiment a little.

My water bottles would Freeze around the nozzle on sub zero days. But anything above that I never had a problem in an hour of riding.

Here is a good internet question though: Do you fill the bottle with hot tap water or cold?

Have at it.

Ngchen

Come to think of it, I believe dissolving stuff in it is counterproductive if you're trying to stay hydrated, unless you have a trick for removing the solute before drinking. However, if you don't fill the bottle all the way, I am guessing that the bumps you go over will cause a decent amount of sloshing. Moving water resists freezing, and THAT might work.

ItsJustMe

I had the same problem, the top would be frozen solid in about 20 minutes. My solution was to stop carrying water unless the temps were above 70 or I was going more than about 15 miles. If it's less than an hour of riding, I just dry out and tank up when I get there, unless it's fairly warm.

cyccommute 

You guys are just going to make me do the calculations, aren't you?

To get a -4C depression in the freezing point of water, you have to add 58g/L of sodium chloride to the water. That's a 6% solution which is about twice the concentration of seawater. Probably not too healthy.

Sugar will do the same thing but you need much more of it to get the same freezing point depression. A can of coke (not diet) will freeze at around 30F (-1C). It has 42g/340g, or a 14% solution of sugar. Personally, I'm not too fond of that kind of sugar load while riding.

cyccommute 

Moving water in a stream resists freezing because of the friction generated by the water flowing over the ground. Not enough friction would be generated by the sloshing in the bottle.

DataJunkie

The chemical engineer comes to the rescue.

Does anyone need data modified and loaded to a rdb? I'm feeling useless. Come on!

Machka 

Put a sock on it.

No, really, I'm serious. I ride with socks on my bottles all year round ... in the winter the socks help keep the water in my bottle liquid, and in the summer, I soak the socks and it helps keep my water cool.

Ken Wind

You could also use a double-walled, vacuum insulated thermos. I have the Thermos Nissan Backpack Bottle, and it is awesome. It usually gets filled with coffee though.

ricohman

Lots of suggestions but I think the CamelBack is coming out of the closet. I am going to order one of those insulated tubes.
Machka may know about the Saskatchewan weather. It can be very cold and very hot. People die in the winter without proper clothing. Lots of weeks this winter there were wind chill warnings when exposed skin would freeze in minutes.
I expect in two or three weeks it will be above zero in the morning (I hope!) and my commute will less challenged.
Except for that damned wind.........

MACinRWC

That's just not right.

c_m_shooter

Move someplace warmer.