Riding a Ural 1500km through Siberia in Feb. Any advice?

[icebound]

Hi all.My missus-to-be and I are joining an unsupported adventure race (The Ice Run) which follows a frozen river in Siberia next Feb. We know little about biking in the cold and less about Soviet motorbike and sidecars. Any advice on how to get a good understanding of the Ural (modeled on a BMW R71 apparently) and how not to freeze to death would be much appreciated. We're getting married a month after the race and would hate to disappoint our guests. Thanks v much!

[Biker]

Sounds like it will be an amazing adventure. Can't help on the bike front but makes sure you pack your thermals!

Helly Hansen make some good stuff (a sailing brand). In camping shops you can also get self heating handwarmers.

Take one of those silver sheets you see people wrapped up in after the marathon. They are light to pack and could help save your life.

Also make sure you have some way of contacting people in an emergency. Check in with people if poss so they can look for you if you miss a check-in.

Stay safe

[von1papen]

I've used said bike as a friend owns one, prepare for very clunky gearing and truth be told poor handling lol

You literally fight the thing round corners, this is probably due to having a sidecar admittedly so theres no lean!

Also the person in the sidecar may have to lean out when cornering as it can sort of tip up into the air lmao However it is a ww2 design and the originals had a pretty good reputation, the Urals don't though..... lol

I think the main thing is just knowing the bike and being handy with spanners! It is not a jump on and ride off with no maintenance worries kind of machine.

[Charlie]

What are the temperatures in February in Siberia?

Merino wool is better than the smelly helly hansen stuff, which gets pretty smelly pretty quickly. But it is more expensive.

Sounds like an epic adventure. Keep us updated!
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[icebound]

Thanks for all your kind advice! I gather that the usual temperature for that time of year in -40. Found this website about a chap called Hubert who's riding around the world for 7 years on a Ural. You must have a look at what he wore in Siberia. https://www.thetimelessride.com/US/Eurasia/Lake-Baikal/Lake-Baikal.141.htm

Thanks again!

[herulach]

Kudos for trying it, but to be honest, its seems slightly...ill advised.

A (presumably) fairly considerable distance on a bike you don't know in conditions where even a fairly minor mechanical failure could literally kill you in a fairly short period of time - bear in mind you'll be basically unable to do any kind of mechanical work in those temperatures.

That said, if you're going to do it, heated everything for both of you, a significantly uprated alternator to run it all. Also bear in mind the freezing point of brake fluid is somewhere around -40. Is the bike yours or are you renting it? Bear in mind you're going to need different oil at those kinds of temps as well.

Your first priority really should be good survival gear, including a tent (even if you're not camping)
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[D O G]

I presume you must be well experienced in cold weather survival in general tho? You must have done endurance events of some nature.....no?

Looking at the website, if you don't, then you're screwed, and I'd be interested to know what vetting the organisers do prior to accepting you on the event.

[chris-red]

You're Mental and probably going to die. Good luck!
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[colin1]

Make a will.
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[Teflon-Mike]

He's riding a Ural; freezing to death in Siberia wouldn't be my first concern.... Making it as far as the FERRY would be an accomplishment!

I once went as far as Devizes (from Brum) to get a Dnipnier....

Was quite impressed..... it made it HALF way back!
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[funmonkee]

^ are they really that unreliable ?
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[deleted111]

[Gerrard]

If you getting married when you get back mind the old tadger dont fall of in the cold...

A great adventure wish I was going..
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[Okeydokey]

Sounds to me like you need to get your hunting, trapping, and fishing skills honed up. If your partner is slim try to get her to eat as much as possible so when she goes down at least you have some fresh meat! Don't try to use fur from trapped animals, it typically atracts predators, gives you blisters (when worn in your boots) or makes people think you are slightly off program when you reach civilisation.
Oh! and start swimming in the sea, don't know why but it's good for getting you used to silly temperatures.

Edit: forget to mention yellow snow... nvm!
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[Charlie]

[kenjh]

must be a kid ..still figger your immortal...never lose that ,your gonna have a great time ,and better stories to tell !! pictures !! we wanna learn from your misstrak's...um.. mistakes....no I don't wanna go with you ...an if your future wife still likes you after this ...awsome ..your both nut's!!good luck ..hell luck has nothing to do with it ..go for it !!!!
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[gorillaonabik...]

[John933]

One of you are going to die...


It's as simple as that. Or you are both going to come back less finger's and toe's. Snow in your back garden a couple of week in December/ January, wrapped up in your mother's knitted sweater. With the back door to a warm house ten feet away, is no way of understanding cold.

People who go out in them kind to temperature's have back up. In the way of a group, in the way of people know where they are. There is a plan to get them out if it go'es tit's up. You have none of these. You can be ten feet from a road in a snow hole with traffic passing. No one know's you are there. You will die.

There is no, " On the other hand ". Crazy or not. If you go you will not come back. I've done an Artice survival course, that was called off four day's in to a seven day outing. And that was with support and trained people. If we had stay any longer. One of the group would have lost some part of there body. And to get warm from that took over a day. To get warm when we got back. Took more than a few hour's in hot bath's changing the water over as our body's was cooling the water down as we absorbed the heat from the water. You don't know pain from cold when it get's that bad.

If you go you will die.
John933
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[kenjh]

so how is it going ?? still married ? going to go riding in a warm place ??
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If I don't know I ask..an' there is a lot I don't know. I am and old biker , not a bold rider there are no old bold riders ...