British adventurer Maria Leijerstam achieves world first by cycling to South Pole

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Independent

A British adventurer has achieved a world first after becoming the first person to cycle to the South Pole from the edge of the continent in just 10 days.

Maria Leijerstam, from the Vale of Glamorgan, managed the feat this morning following a gruelling 500 mile ride in "vicious" conditions.

The 35-year-old set off from the Novo Russian air force base on December 16 and went head to head against two other riders - American Daniel Burton and Spaniard Juan Menendez Granados.

Her team said at one point the sweat on the inside of Ms Leijerstam's boots froze and for ten days she heated her freeze-dried food by melting snow on a small stove inside her wind blasted tent.

Snow drifts, complete white outs and crevasses, marred her journey too.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/british-adventurer-maria-leijerstam-achieves-world-first-by-cycling-to-south-pole-9026928.html

[7962]

1. Wow. Sometimes I leave mail in the box for 2 days because its cold. I'm pitiful. nt

[DrDebug]

2. Why on earth would you do a stupid thing like that?

I know it's to be the first...

[treestar]

3. Interesting choice

How did they spend the nights over 10 days? I guess the ice is solid enough to bike on.

[Lucky Luciano]

4. Cool stuff! I need to make a lot of money ASAFP so I can do stuff like this! nt

[frylock]

5. tadpole fatbike..

[steve2470]

6. very cool

I cannot imagine the hardships she went through. But, can she do 3 pullups ???!

Seriously, many congrats to Maria Leijerstam !

[Aristus]

7. Hope she did a proper cool-down when she got there...

Congratulations!

[happyslug]

8. 4.5 inch wide tires, Chrome Moly Frame total Weight 45 kg about 100 pounds

She had studs installed in the single back tire, but none on the front tires (The report says "Spikes" but it also spells Tires Tyres, so we are looking at a British Cite).

http://gearjunkie.com/fat-bike-trike-south-pole





The bike has a Chrome Moly Frame and 4.5 inch wide tires

http://www.icetrikes.co/community/ice-blog


Building the White ICE Trike
Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 06:50 AM


“Can you build me a trike so I can cycle to the South Pole?” That was the improbable challenge given by adventurer Maria Leijerstam earlier this year.

Maria is determined to become the first person to cycle to the South Pole from the edge of the Antarctic continent. She will be racing against two men who will be riding standard winter bikes called Fat Bikes. After two years research Maria has taken a radical new approach of riding a recumbent trike that could help win her the title and re-define the future of polar expeditions.

Maria starts her world record attempt a few days before Christmas 2013. She will be carrying all her food and equipment on a custom-made recumbent trike built by Inspired Cycle Engineering (ICE Trikes). The trike is stable and aerodynamic, with oversize tyres and super-easy gearing; essential qualities when cycling into 50 mile an hour headwinds, through snowstorms and up glaciers.

After her final training expedition in Iceland, Maria brought the trike to the ICE workshops for a full service in preparation for Antarctica. Watch this time-lapse video which shows the trike being re-built, with Chris Parker, who designed and built the trike, mechanic Matt Evans, and Maria Leijerstam.

Maria on the White ICE Trike

After flying to Cape Town, South Africa, Maria flew on to the Novolazarevskaya Airbase in Antarctica where she is currently waiting for a good weather window to start her epic adventure to the South Pole.

"The first five days will be tough, but I am well prepared. Then it will be the hardest climb of my life up the Leverett glacier that rises almost 2,500 metres above sea level which will slow my progress down considerably, especially as the weather conditions are so unpredictable. The weight of my kit will be approximately 45kg on top of the weight of the Polar cycle and my body weight which I have to be able to peddle up the glacier,” said Maria.

After two years of intensive training and trials in Siberia, Norway and Iceland, Maria, 35, from Wales is determined to beat the competition for the title from Spaniard Juan Mendez and American Daniel Burton. Even though they have set off two weeks prior to Maria, Maria's cycle choice, route choice and expedition planning means her journey could be achieved by January 7.

ICE's White ICE Cycle
Friday, December 06, 2013 - 07:42 AM

The White ICE Cycle

We have used our knowledge and expertise in bringing together some of our parts from our current trikes along with a few custom built additions to produce a monster that has the capabilities to go the distance.Here at ICE Trikes we have been given one of our biggest challenges to date; to design and build a cycle capable of conquering the savage conditions and hazardous terrain of Antarctica. Our current ICE trike range was going to make a sound starting point for such a vehicle as it combines stability with an incredibly comfortable riding platform and a dependable frame. However, it was going to require some radical alterations to make it suitable for traversing the extremes of Antarctica’s climate and terrain.

The trike is a tool which will be used by the very capable Maria Leigerstam in her attempt to reach the South Pole. Maria has previously completed such extreme challenges as the Marathon des Sables (5 and half marathons in 6 days through the Sahara desert) and the Siberian Black Ice race (379 miles up Lake Baikal in Siberia). These are two of the toughest races on earth in the two extremes of weather conditions.

Some of the parts which are standard to both our production machines and the Antarctic expedition trike are listed below with the custom designed parts listed below that.



Standard Components

ICE Ergo-Flow Mesh Seat

The ICE Ergo-Flow mesh seat utilises the latest in advanced materials to deliver durable comfort and support. The seat frame has been precisely designed and constructed to provide optimum back support. The frame is fitted with an ergonomically designed cover made from breathable fabrics to maximise airflow. Cushioning in the base and side bolsters enhance comfort, and tension in the back can be adjusted. This will give Maria comfort and stability for the 18 hour days she will be putting in on the trike for the duration of her 20 or more day expedition.We have used our knowledge and expertise in bringing together some of our parts from our current trikes along with a few custom built additions to produce a monster that has the capabilities to go the distance.


Steering and Geometry

The trike is fitted with our standard indirect steering for natural and intuitive handling which will remain controlled, predictable and light, even under the difficult undulating surface of Antarctica. The steering system dissipates vibrations and shock before they reach the hands to give a comfortable and safe feel.

ICE 4130 Chromoly Steel Cruciform

Aircraft-grade heat-treated 4130 chromoly steel provides ideal qualities for the cruciform: strength, fatigue resistance and vibration absorption. The design exploits these properties to give unique handling characteristics and superior comfort.



Custom Components

ICE Big Back-End

The Back-End has been redesigned from the ground up, incorporating a step-down mid-drive and the ability to hold a 4.8” Surly tyre, giving both the power and grip that will be required is soft snow. It has been constructed from aircraft-grade heat-treated 4130 chromoly steel all hand braised together in our workshops in England. It has been specifically constructed to be able to handle the forces from the extremely low gearing especially at the low temperatures it will be subjected to.

Rack & Rack Extensions

We have taken our tried and tested rack top and sides, and provided an extension rack with support stays to provide extra capacity to hold all of the bags Maria will need on her journey. The rack has undergone rigorous testing and has been proven to hold 100kg+. The large load set out over the back wheel will also have an added benefit of providing the rear tyre with even more traction.

Surley Big Fat Larry Front Tyres

The Larry tyre measures about 4.7˝ wide, a wide tyre was essential to give the float required not to sink into the snow. It also had the benefit of having a suitable tread and grip needed for the soft ground.

Surley Lou Spiked Rear Tyre

ICE Started with a standard Surley Lou which is a 26 x 4.8” rear-specific tryre. The Surley Lou’s tread has tall knobs designed to grind, crawl and claw its way over icy, snowy, wet, loose or otherwise inhospitable terrain. After a lot of testing Maria then added some spikes to the rear wheel to give it far more traction in icy conditions.

Mid-Drive

Starting with a standard mountain bike chain-set we have engineered a mid-drive that will provide an extremely low gear. In addition to this, we have designed heavy duty guards to protect the chain-rings which serve a dual purpose in preventing the chain from dropping off. The mid drive steps the gearing down by 2:1.

ICE Custom Boom

ICE has specifically designed the custom front boom to excel in tough conditions. We chose again to use the heat-treated 4130 chromoly steel for its reliable qualities. A curve has been added to the boom to help improve the circulation to the feet in the cold weather.

YBN Chain

We have selected a heavy duty YBN mountain bike chain. The low gearing of the White Ice Cycle requires the chain to take exceptionally high forces and also, as a result of the mid-drive, it requires 3 complete chains so it was important to pick a chain that could be relied upon.

Custom Gearing and Q-Rings

A Shimano 12-36 9 speed cassette, a 2-1 Mid-Drive Step Down and a Rotor Q Ring chain-set gives a bottom gear of 8.7”. This effectively provides a gear that is twice as easy as a standard mountain bike. The Q rings also help to reduce the negative effects of the dead spot making 1-in-3 gradients effortless.

Hope FatSno Hubs

These specifically designed fat bike hubs are made in England by Hope. They are wider than standard hubs to build up a pair of stronger front wheels which can withstand the extreme conditions of triking in one of the most inhospitable places on earth.

[dipsydoodle]

9. Thanks for that

I wondered what it was.

[happyslug]

12. Chrome Moly wins again

Chrome Moly Steel was the best material for bicycles by far from the 1930s till the 1980s. Cannondale figure out a way to make an Aluminum frame that could be repaired if broken (and most breaks occurred in the area where the rear wheel is attached to the frame). Titanium followed in the 1990s and today the push is fro Carbon Fiber.

Side note: Cannondale success with aluminum was the design of a frame without the rear four inches (the rear drop out). Cannondale then, using precision tools, slide an aluminum rear drop out into the frame and paint over it. The parts are NOT welded but held by glue and friction. Thus if the rear drop out breaks, it can be replaced without replacing the whole frame (Which is what you have to do if any part of a solid aluminum frame breaks).

Chrome Moly big advantage over the later frames is that it can be repaired. Now, high tension steel bike frames (High Tension Steel the wonder material of the 1880s, had the Titanic been built with it, it would have survived the ice berg) if broke can be repaired by anyone with a welding torch. Chrome Moly requires brazing, a more complex operation then welding, but can be done locally (Through over the last 30-40 years TIG welding has been used on Chrome Moly Frames with great success).

http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/2005/01/18/welding_vs_braz/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazing
http://www.carbideprocessors.com/pages/brazing-carbide/brazing-and-welding-important-differences.html

The other three materials, Aluminum, Titanium and Carbon Fiber, if the frame breaks it has to be sent back to the factory (and generally trashed). Chrome Moly Frames can be repaired.

Furthermore, Chrome Moly Steel tend NOT to have Fatigue Stress Cracks, a Characteristic of the other three material. Now, Chrome Moly Steel Frames can break do to Stress, but it is predictable i.e, after X number of hits it will break. The same can NOT be said of the other three materials. This is Chrome Moly's greatest Strength, at just a slight loss of power through the frame (when compared to Aluminum, Titanium and Carbon Fiber) you get a much more durable frame.

Side note: The big ease in peddling that comes with higher end bikes is the switch from High Tension Steel to Chrome Moly Steel Frame. The difference between Chrome Moly and the other three is real, but very marginal. If we were to put them on a scale, High Tension steel would be a 5, Chrome Moly a 9. Aluminum a 9.5, Titanium a 9.6 and Carbon Fiber 9.7. If you are cycling to win a race for money, a significant difference, if you are just biking not worth the extra costs.

And when other factors come into play, i.e. the need to know the frame will hold up, Chrome Moly wins hands down. Remember we KNOW when a Chrome Moly Frame will break do to Fatigue (and can design the bike so that will NEVER happen), we do NOT know that about the other three materials. This is NOT do to a lack of testing, the other three material tend to be more affected by Fatigue Stress and thus plan unpredictable when they will break do to Fatigue. We can over design (and do) when dealing with these materials so that such break do to Fatigue Stress will NEVER happen, but unlike steel we can NOT give a solid number to when it will break. Thus when metal Fatigue Stress is a factor, people go with Chrome Moly Steel.

[happyslug]

10. The Airplane in the photo is a DC-3 with two turbo prop engines

The airline web site on these planes:

http://www.alci.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/BASLER-BT-67-TURBO.pdf

The Basler Turbo 67’s are an updated version of the flight legend DC-3. The BT 67’s are equipped
with two Pratt and Whitney PT6A 67R turbo engines and use 5 blade 115” Hartzell propellers, this
combination gives the aircraft a substantial increase of performance and reliability, more speed and
more payload.

Another example of the best plane to replace a DC-3, another DC-3.

The Airline Web site:
http://www.alci.co.za/

[Judi Lynn]

11. Some people will do anything to get attention.

I dread to hear what Maria Leijerstam's next project will be.

This one seems impossible to have accomplished.

[xocet]

13. Will you be damning Hillary too? n/t

[happyslug]

14. Given the bike she did it on, it is possible

The 4.7 inch WIDE tires gave her a lot of flotation, she opt for a recumbent and thus could use her leg muscles to their full extent. Her bike is a tricycle, thus stable. She went in the Middle of the Antarctic Summer is another factor. Her route avoided mountains (Recumbent are More efficient on flat lands and going down hill, but inferior to up right bikes if going uphill). She trained for two years to do this.

All together, not only possible, I wonder why it has not been done before. The answer to that is the American and Spaniard are taking another route on what sounds like two wheel bicycles (and an another woman will try next year, but it is unclear what she will be riding, it is called a Bicycle, but then then mentions "All wheel drive". All Wheel Drive is possible on bicycles as well as tricycles, but tend to be complex, when it is NOT needed (i.e. if you have no traction with your rear wheel, get off the bike and walk it).


http://www.ksl.com/?sid=25470585
http://www.explorersweb.com/polar/news.php?url=cycle-south-pole-update_1379934641

http://arcticglass.blogspot.com/2012/04/south-pole-bike-revisted.html