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Get fitter. Or in other words HTFU. (or buy brakes)

I don't get it. Are chains/sprockets so hugely inefficient that the simple switch to electric transmission allows speeds of 50mph?

Or do you have to charge it up?

In which case, why is it news? It's an electric bike but with pedals.

Lessons Learned from my first Dunwich ride

1. Bringing long sleeve base layer and waterproof jacket was a good idea despite the baking sunshine when I set off. I used them all and could have done with knee warmers/tights.
   
2. Camelback and full waterbottle was a perfectly adequate amount of water.
   
3. The big queue at the feed station is for food. There is a smaller queue inside for tea.
   
4. Pick your group. I stuck with people I knew for the company. However, I'm now regretting it because their average speed was pretty slow. (Geared sportive riders, pah!)
   
5. Bring lots of food. Bananas, flapjacks, fruit gums in a jersey pocket so you can snack while riding etc. SIS gels are awesome. Had a caffine one 45minutes outside Dunwich and felt great.
   
6. Getting picked up by my lovely girlfriend at 8am with food, beer and dry clothes was amazing!
   
7. The distance isn't a problem. Sleep depravation hurt me far more on Sunday.
   
8. Doing it on a cracked and sagging saddle is a very, very bad idea. Fortunately I went numb after 80 miles.
   
   

All in all it was actually far easier than I thought it would be. If you can do London Brighton, you can easily do Dunwich. I reckon the most important thing is bringing enough food, drink and spares.

I'll never forget the trail of blinking lights as you go down the lanes. Definitely doing it next year.

On the beach in Dunwich. Fantastic ride. Weather was perfect apart from being grey now. Can't believe people are riding back - good luck to them.

They're replacing it!

I sent a photo of the cracked saddle and they've already dispatched a replacment by UPS! At this rate it should be here in time for the Dynamo.

Sold on ebay already.

No problem. Pm me later if it's still available.

If this is still going, I might be able to take it off you.

While giving my bike a once-over I noticed that my saddle was cracked almost in half. The crack started at the slots in the "wing flex" and stretched across the saddle.

I've had the saddle for over a year and thought it wouldn't be covered by any form of warranty but thought I'd fire an email off to fizik on the off-chance that they'd send me a new one.

Fair play to them, they've already responded asking for photos and have asked for my adddress for a replacement!

Fingers crossed for a new saddle (sadly not in time for the dynamo)

**There and other way back: **

1. Wibble (road bike) - parents house then train the day after
   
2. Sam (fixed) - riding back to Ipswich to catch the train
   
3. C2 (fixed) - to Ipswich maybe :D
   
4. actualmatthew (fixed) - ride to Ipswich for the train back to Cambridge.
   
5. brett (fixed) - keep riding into sea to live in original ancient settlement.
   
6. EcoLoco (fixed) prob ride to Ipswich, may ride back
   
7. huge16 (ss) beach BBQ and beer then lift back. Hoping to put some beer n BBQ in the car for all you lot if possible!
   
8. The Seldom Killer - Fixed (46x18 or maybe 46x16 with an 18ss on the flip in case of fail). Getting a lift home with gf who is bringing the van and has assured me that she will bring some beer and stick it on ice.
   
9. Sasmon - Fixed or geared - haven't decided yet (staying with some friends in the country)
   
10. jonny. not sure if fixed or geared. riding back part of possibly all the way. like everything in life it will depend on the wind.
    
11. Clever Pun - Geared - cycling onto ipswich I think, train back to london
    
12. photoben (fixed) - Cycling to Ipswich, or maybe Colchester.
    
13. Emilia (fixed) - B&B and riding back the next day, or something
    
14. clintsmoker - there and bit way back - geared -
    
15. texas. not sure geared/fixed/ride back/ride train station/ only think i'm sure of is cider in the morning
    
16. furious tiles (road bike) - picked up by gf.
    
17. Gav - geared. Riding back to a station but not sure which one.
    
18. Porter Pearson(fixed)- there and halfway back
    
19. BMMF - sucking TNRC wheels.
    
20. one1 (fixed, 44x16 and 44x18 SS on the flip in case I'm not man enough)... mate lives in Ipswich
    
21. Evin Munchkin (Geared) riding back to Ipswich
    
22. JimL (Fixed 48:18) Getting lift back
    
    
    

**There and coach back: **

1. broker (fixed)
   
2. clefty (road bike)
   
3. Soul (road bike)
   
4. Shazam (fixed)
   
5. mo_mo (fixed)
   
6. steves (fixed - probably)
   
7. mjs110 (road bike)
   
8. Crispin Glover (fixed and brakless)
   9, 10. Sparrow + friend Duncan (2x fixed)
   
9. Steff (road bike, probably)
   
10. CheBeef (roady)
    
11. Aroogah (Geared)
    
12. horatio (geared)
    
13. tika (i don't know yet)
    
14. tonythetiger (geared)
    
15. Cohen (sturmey-archer!)
    
16. Hoops (geared)
    
17. VeeVee (maybe and if maybe, definitely geared)
    
18. Jaygee (fixed)
    
19. middleofnowhere (fixed 46/16 with 46/17 ss on the flip for when the pain starts)
    
20. Polybikeuser (shiny new road bike - & probably embarrassingly slow as I haven't had time to do nearly as much preparation for this as I'd intended :?)
    
21. Taogeogheganhart ( Road bike and broken finger+hand )
    
    
    

**There and back: **

1. hillbilly (road bike)
   
2. object (road bike)
   
3. Oliver Schick (road bike)
   
4. Scott not Scot (fixed)
   
5. Tricity bendix (fixed)
   
6. Greenbank (fixed)
   
7. Radius (road bike)
   
8. Nishiki (road bike)
   
9. gormley (fixed)
   
10. Davey C (fixed
    
    

There and no-idea how getting back:

1. MA3K (Fixed 47-16)
   
   
   

**There and back at a 400 mile 24hr pace: **

1. disrail (road bike with clip on Tri bars)
   
   
   

**Not going there at all but lying back, cockateel in hand, on a beach in the south of france / croatia / Sheringham: **

1. Slag (fixed!)
   
2. shoots
   
3. Skully (Audi A2 tdi)
   
4. Cornelius SouthofFranceBeachFestivalFoot
   
   
   

**Going up the aisle to get fixed **

1. murtle
   
   
   

**Drinking all murtle's beer while he gets all soppy: **

1. hippy
   
   
   

Sat at home wishing they were going:

1. stompy
   
2. pascalo
   

Nice but my company uses the Halfords scheme even though my bike was supplied Leisure Lake Bikes
Halfords = BikeHut (for the time being anyway) and BikeHut stock condor bikes.

As mentioned previously what happens is that the monthly payment is deducted from your wages before Tax and NI are deducted. On my £700 I will be saving about £250 therby paying £450 for it. I think if I am still at the company in December then I will be buying myself another bike, I hope Condor take Vouchers lol

They do. That was my last purchase.

Not sure this works, as far as I'm aware you can only buy 1 complete bike and associated safety equipment. (I don't think a second bike counts as safety equipment)

Also, max voucher amount is £1k unless your employer buys a consumer credit licence (about £750 - I think).

You can always top up voucher with cash though but you don't save any money on the cash part.

The way it works is as follows:

Your comapny buys the bike for RRP. They claim the VAT back (-15%)
The resultant cost is paid by you from your gross salary BEFORE tax and NI. Therefore, you save on average 50% off the cost of the RRP.
The saving is slightly lower since the VAT cut and is also dependant on your tax code.

It's still an incredible deal.

I'm not sure what the situation is with proving that you ride the bike to work. I've just submitted a voucher for a full-suss MTB. Anyone who cares to google the bike will see that it's no commuter. No idea whether they check it though.

I think the gist is that you are supposed to ride the bike 70% of the time.

Edit -there's a good calculator on the cyclescheme website, so you can work it out exactly.

The cost of the scheme is borne by the bike shops. When you redeem a voucher worth £1000, the bike shop only receives £900 in payment.

That's why you can't always take advantage of sale prices.

I can't praise Cyclescheme enough. I've bought my last two bikes on it and have a third on the way.

I'd be more than happy to pay £3 a year. If VB can make a bit of cash on top, then good for him. The forum wouldn't exist without him. And the amount of time and effort that goes into keeping everything running smoothly deserves our support.

I thought I'd put this on here before eBay.

My girlfriend is selling her Pashley Paramount because we've just moved out of London and the bike doesn't do hills very well. The bike is as good as new as it has only been ridden, very gently, on sunny days. It's black, and as far as I'm aware it only comes in one size.

If anyone is interested, let me know. and I'll take some pictures of the actual bike.

The Swift folder mentioned in this thread looks pretty cool. It's on my vague list-of-bikes-I-want to buy.

A guy on a Giant Bowery (I think) with a rear tri-spoke all the way along the embankment from Blakfriars to near Kings Road, around 6 last night.

I was supposed to be taking it easy and not getting too sweaty but my natural competitiveness kicked in when you went past me, and I arrived at my destination sweaty but early.

15 + 2 when I move there in June. (Fingers crossed)

Top end of the lanes (I think). Didn't look at prices. My girfriend liked them, which is weird because she won't let me hang my bike on the wall.

Don't know if anyone's posted these before. Spotted in a shop window in Brighton. 'Fixie' art. Think it's all going a bit far, what's wrong with just riding the blooody things?

I'm off to buy a mountain bike.

Excellent instructions here

Ah TeenSlain - was talking about that film the other day.

Fred Ward - FTW
Also in Tremors. Love that film.

34.5mph on 48:18. Can only sustain it for a short time and god knows what would happen if I needed to stop quickly.