I've done it the past three years, so FWIW here's my advice:
1) Fitness not important - just go slower.
2) Bring more clothes than you think you'll need - your metabolism slows right down overnight and even in high summer it's pretty chilly at 2am. This goes about octuple if there's any risk of rain.
3) Make damn sure you're on a comfy bike - I did it the first time on a Dahon Helios SL ultra light folder with straight alloy forks and mangled the nerves in my hands. Not fun.
4) Bring lots of inner tubes - patching in the dark/wet is not fun.
5) Bring a spare tyre - I got a big mid-tread split on the 2007 ride and can attest that improvising a boot and riding the last umptythree miles ultra-carefully is a great bore.
6) Proper lights that actually light the road up. City lights are wing mirrors on your submarine when descending at speed in the pitch dark.
I've done it the past three years, so FWIW here's my advice:
1) Fitness not important - just go slower.
2) Bring more clothes than you think you'll need - your metabolism slows right down overnight and even in high summer it's pretty chilly at 2am. This goes about octuple if there's any risk of rain.
3) Make damn sure you're on a comfy bike - I did it the first time on a Dahon Helios SL ultra light folder with straight alloy forks and mangled the nerves in my hands. Not fun.
4) Bring lots of inner tubes - patching in the dark/wet is not fun.
5) Bring a spare tyre - I got a big mid-tread split on the 2007 ride and can attest that improvising a boot and riding the last umptythree miles ultra-carefully is a great bore.
6) Proper lights that actually light the road up. City lights are wing mirrors on your submarine when descending at speed in the pitch dark.