Dunwich Dynamo

Great pointers, thanks for that Steff

I've done it the past three years, so FWIW here's my advice:
...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....

+1 on this point, there is nothing worse than doing a ride on a bike that you dont feel comfortable with. Make sure your saddle/stem height are adjusted for your body geometry. Make sure your tyres are properly inflated. Make sure you use the right bars i.e. just your average risers probably wont do, look for some drops maybe tri-bars (best option), and furethermore, make sure you choose the softest, comfiest saddle you have. You'll be amazed how uncomfy an average saddle can get after 20+ miles. Wear padded cycling wear so that you dont crush your manly area.

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 think this is really good advice
i have done the last two duniwch dynamos
and would say that the weather point is really important
check it carefulyy because in 07 it rained all night

.

.

.

Cheers Steff for those points, good advice. I would say though that fitness is a *little *bit important! You don't need to have ridden 100+ miles before but it might be worth having done 30 -50 a few times just to get the feel of being on a bike for more than an hour or so. Those having done the Ugley Twatt ride will find it a walk in the park!
Also bring food to eat regularly and in case there isn't any or a massive queue at the food stop.

Wow. Where did that come from!. I point out a fact and you get all arsey. Learn some manors.

hah i think Harvey shouldn't post here after munching on some shrooms

nice rant :) thats the truth though, and this section is really for us lot (not trying to be discriminative), still thanks for some of the advice on riding experience.

.

Cheers Steff for those points, good advice. I would say though that fitness is a *little *bit important!

Aye, I was overdoing that point a bit rhetorically because a lot of people seem to think it's a race and are put off because they don't think they're fit enough. If portly chaps on dual-sus mountain bikes can do it (and they do) there's no reason to be intimidated. IIRC a girl who worked at Bikefix did it a couple of years on a huge cargo bike.

I'm all over this like a cat on her Sheba.

Hopefully I won't have odd incidents in which all my bikes die somehow a day before...

make sure you choose the softest, comfiest saddle you have. You'll be amazed how uncomfy an average saddle can get after 20+ miles. Wear padded cycling wear so that you dont crush your manly area.

Definite agreement on padded shorts - people do seem to do it without but there's no reason to suffer so definitely wear them even if you wear trousers over the top.

I'd caution a bit against the soft=comfy idea where saddles are concerned though. My favourite saddle is this: http://www.koobi.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=5 which has pretty thin, very firm padding but happens to suit the shape of my arse perfectly. I'd say just try a few and pick the one that feels best rather than going for maximum squashiness. (FWIW, I picked the Koobi by accident - they were going cheap and my existing beautiful retro looking Selle Italia was murderously uncomfortable. Turned out to be a massive stroke of luck).

.

It's nearly upon us... Roll call:

1. Matt P.
   

1. Matt P.
   
2. Eduardo Magnifico
   

1. Matt P.
   
2. Eduardo Magnifico
   
3. Matthew Roberts (I already put my name down on the list in the London forum. Does this mean I have to do the ride twice?)
   

I already put my name down on the list in the London forum. Does this mean I have to do the ride twice?

yes, and learn to never question lists!

understandicht???!!! Obey list rulisch

1. Matt P.
   
2. Eduardo Magnifico
   
3. Matthew Roberts (I already put my name down on the list in the London forum. Does this mean I have to do the ride twice?)
   

1. greazyboy
   
   

yes you have to do it twice. once as actualmatthew and once under your psuedonym 'Matthew Roberts'.

just found these at wiggle for those of you without bottle cage attachments. dodgy reviews but I'm gonna give em a whirl http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Elite_VIP_Bottle_Cage_Clamps/5360035638/

1. Barney 76
   
   

Is everyone here doing it 'fixed'?

1. Matt P.
   
2. Eduardo Magnifico
   
3. Matthew Roberts
   
4. greazyboy
   
5. Barney 76
   
   
   

Is everyone here doing it 'fixed'?

most of us, i think hayden will be on gears and possibly someone else.

Yup, doin it fixed. just going to take it down a notch, near the end it gets a little tiring.
Just bought a head torch which should come in useful if when we get lost become temporarily uncertain of our position.

I've ordered so much stuff from Wiggle over the last week or so and tomorrow I'm sending a big box of it back.

Turns out Brooks seats have rails that are basically incompatible with all other saddle bags except their own. It also turns out that Brooks saddle bags, although they look nice are good for nothing except carrying around your spare £50 notes.

Guess who's saddle is going to be covered in cable ties!

It's also worth pointing out that unless I put in some serious time with bubble wrap and electrical tape, my bottle cage is going to be so noisy that you'll unlikely want to spend more than the length of a street in my company, let alone 120 miles.

Taking the above into consideration, I still can't wait.

camelback, get in the 21st century chaps

camelback, don't you mean a sweatyback?