Now it’s got chilly, why not swap your water bottle for a bicycle thermos and enjoy a mid-ride slug of piping-hot coffee?
The Deboyo Race is a stainless steel thermos that keeps drinks hot, or cold, for up to 12 hours at a time – perfect for a cold commute.
Win a bicycle thermos
We have a bicycle thermos to give away. Simply leave a comment at the bottom of this page and let us know what you’d fill it with. We’ll pick a winner next week.
Cold weather cycling
It’s wrong to assume that bicycles are the worst possible option in snow; a light covering shouldn’t pose any difficulties for the experienced rider. But how cold is cold?
The pioneer adventure cyclists of the 1890s who took to the snowy wilds of northern Canada might have carried the recently invented thermos flask, but they rode in extreme temperatures of -30 without technical clothing or specialised bikes – it was to be another 80 years before the mountain bike was to be developed.
Bicycles cope surprisingly well in snow
The Great Gold Rush drew 100,000 prospectors to the Klondike region of the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1896 and 1899. Those who didn’t have the money to invest in dog teams used bicycles and rudimentary cold weather gear.
Max Hirschberg was 19 when he took to a bicycle to join the gold rush. His journal gives a fascinating insight into the cold weather gear of the day:
“The day I left Dawson, March 2, 1900, was clear and crisp, 30° below zero. I was dressed in a flannel shirt, heavy fleece-lined overalls, a heavy mackinaw coat, a drill parka, two pairs of heavy woolen socks and felt high-top shoes, a fur cap that I pulled down over my ears, a fur nose piece, plus fur gauntlet gloves. On the handlebars of the bicycle I strapped a large fur robe. Fastened to the springs, back of the seat, was a canvas sack containing a heavy shirt, socks, underwear, a diary in waterproof covering, pencils and several blocks of sulfur matches.”
Yes, you read that right. Minus 30. Makes this week’s UK temperatures seem positively balmy.
Protection for you & your bike (whatever the weather)
The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.
The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.
Tracy
Coffee ….. soup ….. no coffee !! The perennial question on cold day outings ! Very nice looking flasks by the way.
Paul Long
A flask on the cycle would be soup-er!
Wendy Barbe
A warming soup would be in place
Perfect in the Deboyo Race
Mark B
Hot drink on the go? Amazing!
Colin
I didn’t know there was such a thing as a thermos flash designed for a bicycle, but what an excellent idea!
Vincent
Oh yes please. Warm mulled wine.
Richard
Coffee for me.
Stephen
Another well timed prize from the nice people at ETA!
Piers Lesser
Now that is a flask to cause me to have flask envy. A hot drink that fits into my bottle cage. A rare but wonderful thing.
Thank you ETA, whom I always appreciate, particularly that one time you did have to rescue me when I had more punctures than my plentiful supply of patches.
Steve
I make a wicked, cheap, but simple spiced carrot soup.
The secret ingredients is the Korean goodness that is Gochujang
Just enough of a kick to warm you through and not too heavy so you can crack on with the homeward leg.
That’s my first choice for a winter soup and this brilliant concept is what I need to make it slick.
Well done btw, simple concept and perfect for the touring cyclist or a cold morning in the lanes.
Moragh
This would be great to use here in chilly Argyll.
Peter
Mmm lovely
Andrew
Is it Welsh?
Gavin Wright
Much appreciated – to keep the wife happy 🙂
John
Ooh I would fill it with hot chocolate for a nice warm up half way through my ride
Steve
I’d fill it with rum and forget about cycling…
Chris
Cool!! Just straight black coffee for me
Sarah jane
Oooooooh….pedal commuting in -6 hasn’t been fun!…until now! 😃
John Darby
Looks very cool, unlike their contents I imagine 😃
Carol W
Ooh. That would be good just now to heat up. Can’t feel my feet 🙂
Julian
Hot water, a bit of whiskey, honey, lemon juice, bit of cinnamon / star anise. Hot toddy-tastic refreshment!
Jill
Someone, hopefully, will win this. It would be nice to know. Good luck everyone
Pamela
Hot drink on the ride – add to the joy of cycling.
Clive
Good idea at the right time. Can never be warm enough this time of year.
Su
Such a classy flask at that – it would have to be excellent coffee!
Sarah
I’d put chicken soup in my thermos if I won
Stephen
That’s just what I need on a cold winter commute, full of hot black coffee!
Richard
12 hours, that’s very good
Sidney Harbour
Another well thought out prize. Lovely, what a beauty.
Owen Phillips
Would love a thermos flask filled with coffee for our early morning rides. Many thanks.
Yousaf Mirza
Ideal for the chilly starts ! Looks cool too.
Pam Jibson
I would love a winter thermos. I would fill it with some lovely home made soup 😋
ROBERT PEEL
oh yes i would love a thermos i would fill it with lovely veg soup home made for my winter bike runs
Sara Garside
What a brilliant idea. Would love one, please.
Thank you
Nicholas Kilpatrick
If I win this, definitely a cup of soup (not one with bits in it), like tomato. It’s so good for some calories and it keeps me warm. At present I have had to stop to do this, but if I win, oh boy would I get some kms done!
Glyn
Coffee. An excuse to go for a ride to have coffee. If I needed an excuse
Damian Connaughton
Would love one of these for the cold winter commutes!!
Colin
hot chocolate of course 😋
Jim W
What a great idea, reusable for those coffee and cake stops so good for the planet too! Definitely a hot coffee following a wintry commute.
KathyC
Wonderful idea. Warm flask for keeping me warm when cycling and sharing with others.
Jenny C
Tea with milk and no sugar for me thanks
Mags
Home made soup. Pack some rolls. Lunch to go! Brilliant idea. If I don’t win I’ll buy one.
Fran
Definitely coffee !
Paul Steere
I am a fair weather cyclist so for me it’s got to be a nice cold drink of Adam’s ale.
Claudina
Ooooohh it would have to be a hot cacao drink with oat milk, with oodles of spices including cinnamon, ground ginger, turmeric and coconut sugar. Deeelishush!
Emma
Hot toddy anyone?
PabEvans
This would be perfect for those cold winter rides, yes please!
Les Gunbie
Two soups?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htvs1wXv1-0
Hee hee
Tobi James
This would be perfect on the turbo when it’s freezing and I’ve got the fan on
David Mayers
What a jolly good idea
JohnB
I think it looks like a brilliant thing to have. I would fill mine probably with hot fruit squash.
Bazza
Mulled wine or in Dry January it would have to be hot Ribena! Great idea.
Steve K
I think soup is probably the best bet this winter
Julian Fargher
👌
Alastair
Snow is forecast for this week so that would be an ideal way to test it, great idea too!
Boyd
DeBOYO looks alot like BOYD if you read it quick… It was made for me and my Yukon.
Bryn Gwyndaf Jones
How wonderful!
Elizabeth Kerr
A lovely hot cup of tea for me!
wesley
Green tea part way to my destination would be lovely, thanks.
CB
Hot Vimto
ChrisB
Lovely looking flasks, mine would be filled according to the time of year cool juice in the summer, black coffee spring and autumn, perhaps soup in winter but of course Mulled wine at Christmas!
David Gray
Most of my rides seem to be on cold days ☹️
Yasmin Gregory
Definitely hot chocolate in the flask and a can of squirty cream and some mini marshmallows stored in your back pockets as a reward for getting up (and down) those hills in one piece.
Helen
Some piping hot soup me thinks.
Peter Clark
Tea. Nothing fancy. Good old fashioned British tea!
Sarah
Cocoa would be my winter warmer of choice.
Johnny
Could have done with this flask this week. Bottle froze on commute to work.
Fred
Coffee, perhaps with a dash of rum to warm my tum
Lonnie
Just the job for a winter slog
Pete G
A warming drink in winter. A refreshing cold drink in summer. Ahhhhh..
Kelly Smith
What a great idea!
Gavin
Handy.
Bill
A nice cup of hot Bovril when stopping on a chilly ride out…Lovely!
Steve
Just the job- and not only for the cycling.
Craig
What a wonderful treat it would be to take some super hot chocolate out on a cold winter’s ride, like on the cold week that’s coming up!
Nathan Shipley
You had me at “piping-hot”.
Tim Earl
Oh yes, I would love hot coffee on all my rides.
Phil
Just my cup of tea
Philip Gregg
Superb! I would fill mine with hot soup and take it with me on a chilly winter ride in the Surrey Hills. The thought and sight of that nourishing, warming broth awaiting me would give me extra propulsion up the hills!
Andrew Smith
Hot tea, yes please. But how do I carry my china cup and saucer? 😆
Mark
Sounds like a wonderful idea looking at this week’s weather forecast!
Paul Sloank
Hot chocolate please! The hotter the better given what it’s like out there.
Andy Elliott
Coffee for me. My cycling legs are coffee-powered.
Jamie J
Mmmmm… keeps things hot or cold eh..? I’ll go for an Earl Grey tea with an ice cream in it…
Martin Baker
I could have done with it this morning. 🥶 🥶 🥶
Martin Baker
I could have done with it this morning! 🥶
TD
On or off the bike, whilst doing search and rescue or just enjoying the outdoors, this would be fab.
Peter Chisnall
Very warming!
Iain Shanks
This looks great. Coffee for me. Or maybe hot chocolate. Or soup.
Anita Brayford
I’d love one of these – hot herbal tea would be my winter choice.