The North Pole

[Kinvig]

Has anyone ever ridden there on a bike?

[Jester666]

Santa has!!

http://www.giftcollector.com/ProductImages/81000/81735.lg.jpg

[Dangerous Dave]

Don't think so.

[hovis]

i hav'nt

[jambo]

Just had a check on Google maps.

ace to north pole (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&saddr=the+ace+cafe,+london&daddr=131+Greenwich+High+Rd,+London,+SE10+8JA+(The +North+Pole)&hl=en&geocode=%3B0,51.477493,-0.014841&mra=ls&sll=51.48655,-0.070505&sspn=0.079422,0.153809&ie=UTF8&ll=51.501904,-0.147285&spn=0.15879,0.307617&z=12)

Assuming you want to set off from the Ace?


Jambo

[Rog]

Have you read this months bike? There is an interesting article in there about riding to the Artic Circle.

They went to time it with the summer solstice so they could see the midnight sun. THey also went on teh premise that norway in the summer is like England in the Spring, Turns out that that statement isnt entirely accurate. (minus 17 in some areas !!!!)

[DanAbnormal]

Isn't snow/ice a bit of a problem for bikes? :)

[Jester666]

Just had a check on Google maps.

ace to north pole (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&saddr=the+ace+cafe,+london&daddr=131+Greenwich+High+Rd,+London,+SE10+8JA+(The +North+Pole)&hl=en&geocode=%3B0,51.477493,-0.014841&mra=ls&sll=51.48655,-0.070505&sspn=0.079422,0.153809&ie=UTF8&ll=51.501904,-0.147285&spn=0.15879,0.307617&z=12)

Assuming you want to set off from the Ace?


Jambo

:smt046

Very good Jambo! :lol:

[Alpinestarhero]

Isn't snow/ice a bit of a problem for bikes? :)

carb icing?

Soooooo dirk, are you gonna use a KTM instead this time?

[chris8886]

Just had a check on Google maps.

ace to north pole (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&saddr=the+ace+cafe,+london&daddr=131+Greenwich+High+Rd,+London,+SE10+8JA+(The +North+Pole)&hl=en&geocode=%3B0,51.477493,-0.014841&mra=ls&sll=51.48655,-0.070505&sspn=0.079422,0.153809&ie=UTF8&ll=51.501904,-0.147285&spn=0.15879,0.307617&z=12)

Assuming you want to set off from the Ace?


Jambo

would i be correct in thinking that this is a pub or some such establishment?

[ranathari]

Pretty sure someone must have - they've raced there on skidoos and Top Gear took a Toyota 4x4 there too.

[simesb]

Would you not need fat, flat tyres to lower the ground pressure?

And I don't think a bike has the tank range :smt082

[TEC]

Would you not need fat, flat tyres to lower the ground pressure?
Probably not got the range but you could ride there on a bike ;)

http://images.dirtrider.com/features/ww/141_0603_ww_ice_race_14_z_canada_motorcycle.jpg

[northwind]

Just been reading about expeditions to the pole... Basically, biking it would be close to impossible, because of the different surface conditions. You'd think it's just ice but it's not, you get rock, heavy snow, different sorts of ice (brittle ice, blue ice, sublimed soft ice...) and there's no way a bike could deal with them all in one package. Only ice tyres could get you over blue ice (you need crampons to walk on it) but they'd be instantly destroyed on rock and useless on snow, for instance.

<edit- I was thinking Antartica, not really rock issues at the north, just lots of different ice and snow conditions>

[jambo]

Pessimists the lot of you...

Do it in style, use a Harley. They've got fat tyres, ergo they'd be fine.

Do it soon though there's not long left till it's gone!

Jambo

[rob13]

If you had a backup team and a bike capable of handling rough stuff then I would have thought it possible. If TG can drive a car to the pole, then a bike could make it. You would need someone carrying fuel though.

[ranathari]

I've always felt that back-up teams spoil the purpose of trying to get to the Pole or some other remote destination. It's meant to be some kind of battle between the individual and nature, not between the individual on a bike and 3 4x4s with replacement bikes and fuel inside.

It's 400 miles from Resolute to the North Pole - surely something like a GS with additional fuel tanks could do that without refueling? Although I guess the low pressures you'd need to run the tyres at (less than 10psi, I presume) would worsen the fuel consumption.

[Sid Squid]

I don't think that he made it, but a Japanese bloke put some spike tyres on a GSXR1100 of all things and had a go about 1989-1990ish.

Now that's style Jambo.

[Baph]

Dirk, forget the North Pole...

See here (http://www.2ridetheworld.com/route.html) - look at the bottom map. That's what you want to do!! 8years in total (they anticipate), including riding across the arctic circle.