London Fixed-gear and Single-speed SJS Cycles

Right.

1. Sort out bike (need SON wheel on), sod changing gear, spin to win. 67"
2. Buy cheap cafe lock (been on my todo list for ages)
3. Plot route for GPS
4. Pack Carradice Barley (do not bring kitchen sink)
5. Maintain hydration (Avoid cans of lager in fridge all day)
6. Get 4.30pm train out to Dorking
7. Climb Box Hill, Epsom Downs and head up to Hackney
8. Ride to Dunwich.
9. Ride home to Putney.

I am so excited I had trouble sleeping! Hopefully this will continue till about 8am on Sunday morning.

Am about to bake 4 batches of differently-flavoured flapjacks. Any requests?

Oh, and we'll now be driving back from Dunwich in a rather large van. The seats are all full, but if anyone needs space for a bike (or would be happy getting tangled up with the bikes in the back), give me a shout.

Slightly concerned about this. No long rides this year, but a 24 mile commute most days. I know that I'm good for a 60-70 mile club run. Am I capable of doing this - sorry self doubt creeping in...

Emilia - Chocolate flapjacks. Definately chocolate (all 4 batches).

Yes yes yes! People do it on a lot less every year. I can tell you millions of stories to prove this if you want.

You are definitely capable. Everyone should remember that there are many more people that will complete this ride that are far less prepared and much less fit than themselves.

Which bike:
- geared - fast and comfy,but have broken two spokes on the rear wheel on it in the last two months (the second one on Tues) and wouldn't want to replace another on the road or
- fixed - reliable, but less comfy and longest ride has been about 35 miles?

Yes - my training last year was non-existent, save for my long daily work commutes, and it was fine.

what time are you's lot meeting in london fields nothin on the first page can't wade through 17 pages of jokes and slights to find the right post ? anyone ?
weather set fair i think i'll join the party ?
i'll have a go at it fixed

I think people usually start leaving at around 7pm but most of the people I've spoken to are planning on leaving at 8-9pm so a congregation at around 7 sounds reasonable to me but this is pure speculation. Does anyone dare set a meet time and specific place so we're not all wading through the hundreds of riders looking for 30-40 fixed riders?

Also, pending a time Gormley and myself are meeting at Camberwell Green beforehand to ride up together. If anyone else South would like to come along, do so.

Have a great time guys, this event is one of my favourites of the year even though (perhaps because?) it has also been the source of some of my darkest moments on a bike, and I ain't talking about the fact you're on a bike at 3am. Can't do it this year as my wife is due to give birth any time in the next week...

Food has been dealt with, my other piece of advice, take a full pack of Park patches in case of punctures. Due to a poor choice of tyres and a very wet ride, my record is 13 flats on one Dynamo. Now that was soul destroying! Only had one puncture across all of the other 3 times I've done it though!

Especially good vibes to those of you going there and back. I've never ridden the DD fixed (SS a couple of times) but never considered there and back as I've always been too broken at the end of one way.

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.
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 - Geared. 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. Shazam (geared or fixed, likely riding to Ipswich)
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
23.gormley (fixed) train if riding fixed
24. habbi (caramel shortbread and ipswich train)
25. Barbados (fixed - lift back)
26. DGaff13 (fixed - lift back)
27. Crowbar (fixed - lift back)
28. Gralegav - geared. also riding back to a station but not sure which one
29. Chartlotte (penny farthing, getting a lift back from my partner)

There and coach back:
1. broker (fixed)
2. clefty (road bike)
3. Soul (road bike)
4. Olly398 (not sure whether geared or fixed yet)
5. mo_mo (fixed)
6. Olly398's 5 roadie mates
6. mjs110 (road bike)
8. Crispin Glover (fixed and brakless)
9, 10. Sparrow + friend Duncan (2x fixed)
11. Steff (road bike, probably)
12. CheBeef (roady) Not going :-( I'm broke and saving for the hols.
13. Aroogah (Geared)
14. horatio (geared)
15. tika (i don't know yet)
16. tonythetiger (geared)
17. Cohen (sturmey-archer!)
18. Hoops (geared)
19. VeeVee (maybe and if maybe, definitely geared)
20. Jaygee (fixed)
21. middleofnowhere (fixed 46/16 with 46/17 ss on the flip for when the pain starts)
22. 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 :?)
23. Taogeogheganhart ( Road bike and broken finger+hand )
24. Owen Jowett (fixed)
25. tom-saracen (geared)
26. harry__ (geared)
27. Ali_w (geared)
28. Shippey (geared)
29. Iwelumo (SS not fixed)

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 (road bike)
10. Davey C (fixed)
11. fiddy (geared)

There and no-idea how getting back:
1. MA3K (Fixed 47-16)
2. marcom (geared)
3. jcgarcia (fixed)
4. diapo (fixed)
5 BigFatAl (fixed)

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 / Teddy 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
3. CheBeef

Crying into a bottle of whisky
1. hael

PLUSSS,

Its my first time - i'm going to be out there all on my own so if anyone wants to say "hello" please do. although I am sure I am likely to spend all my time at the back.

I feel generally shit.....don't think I drank too much yesterday?

mmmm.

Anyone going up from the west end?

some people were planning on meeting in hammersmith I believe

Bring a waterproof/showerproof jacket or not? (particularly if aiming to ride at least some of the way back)

I would, I'm using my small montane as an extra windproof layer in case I get chilly - but then mine only takes up the space of an orange.

A few of us are meeting at highbury corner at 7.00.

Calling all souths/south wests!

I'm going to be at Camberwell Green for 6:10 to meet Gormley. Then we're going to roll over to Parliament Square opposite Big Ben and meet 50/14 for around 6:30.

If you fancy rolling together, be there.

... and Westies

If anyone wants to head over together, Gralegav, Soul and I are meeting at Brook Green (HSK end) @ 7.

Getting into Paddington at 7.15. If you pass a guy on a blue road bike with a Carradice on the back, it may well be me. Heading along Euston, up Pentonville and fiddling around into London Fields north of the Canal.

Number is in the numbers thread if needed.

I think there's a very slim possibility of isolated showers in the morning, as in some time between 9-11am, not 1-5am!!

I'm 50/50 about tonight now, been low on energy/enthusiasm/sleep all week. The boy is being a bit of a handful today as well.

Both people I had planned to ride with have blown (one ill, other bad back), so really not sure.

Yes, HTFU etc to infinity.

Has anyone got a GPX of this years route?

Chocolate and cranberry flapjacks are in the oven, along with mango and coconut flapjacks. Two batches of lemon and poppyseed flapjacks already cooling. Will swap for inner tubes (on which I'm running embarrassingly low).

I know what you're saying, but mine's more of a waterproof than a showerproof, and although packable, is more of a melon than an orange.

I think I'm going to go for SS jersey/armwarmers/base layer/gilet, plus a Camelbak will help to keep any rain off...

Oh, and two of our party just dropped the van off at the beach and had breakfast (which I feel is cheating somehow), and met a chap who's leaving his car there, riding back to London Fields, and then joining the rest of us for the Dynamo. Pure 531, etc.

a stowaway shower proof skin is always handy to have

Hope you're bringing your iPod with a decent selection of tracks by Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, and Huey Lewis & The News (first album, naturally).

I couldn't find one either but I think it is the same as last year's. I found a few on mapmyride.com.

I don't suppose you have a link?
I've only found the 06 route but it appears to have changed a little.

ha! I just rewatched a few days ago...and yes lovely selection of music...suicide style

Sam do it mate. Me jonny , bmmf texas etc will be there. you know the enthusiasm will pick up after we get out of london and hit the open black top. shame not to have one of the key players of the tnrc out there seeing how we pretty much are the definition of night riding ;) i'll be gutted if you don't show at londonfields for this one ....say 8pm near the pub in the park?

@bmmf - arm warmers and possibly a gillet. anything else would be like turning up at a beach party ina boiler suit and a balaclava....overkill

Wot no base-layer? The SS jersey is full-zip, and I'm not intending on entering any kind of sweaty HR zone.

@ plagiarist have to dig my gps route from last year. i think what changed is only the last bit. post later.
@sam would be great to see you out there and as clintsmoker said there tnrc will try to cover for the no-show of your mates

I haven't brought anywhere near enough to wear. Oh well.

@bmmf - base layers are for wimps and communists

I'm going to put my base layer in the Camelbak, and take my pathetic clothing deliberations off-line.

Sorry I was being lazy. This is the one that I put on the Garmin.

@bmmf - camelbaks are for wimps and communists too. what do you think those pocket things are for on the back of your thick retro woolen jersey? just meta-amphetamines?

They're for food. I haven't had a chance to use the blue bladder this year, so fuck off. You won't be getting your lips around my fluid tube when you're desperate for something to suck on.

all this waiting is killing me.
i just want to go now.

Just fucking go then. See you in Dunwich.

@Veevee, thanks.

yeah... fuck this..... i'm leaving now.
see you guys there.

waiting is killing me too. i should sleep but this thread keep me awake.

hey, VeeVee and Plagiarist. i am pretty sure they're using the 2007 route instead of the 2008 one as the switch last year was prompted by the village hall being renovated.

this is the 2007 route. that's what i'll be using.

I'll put 2007 on as well but this is confusing. On the website they put a link to the 2008 route.
http://www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk/dunwichfaqs.htm

I like 2007, it is shorter :)

ha! and the food stop is a bit earlier as well. the email i got from Barry Mason said that they were using the 2007 route, but now that the 2008 route is up, i'm also now paranoid.

Preparation checklist:

Don't drink too much the night before - fail
Get a new cog for more spinning less grinding - fail
Stock up on performance gels and energy bars - fail (unless you count Sainsburys "all butter shortbread rounds")
Sort our some storage on the bike so I don't have to carry the full load in a rucksack - fail
Have a long lie in - WIN!

I've never ever been more ready for anything, ever, in my life before, ever!

May try and join up with the group meeting at Highbury Corner as it's more or less on my way, depends on what time the friend I'm riding with wants to depart so if I'm not there don't wait. (I'll be on a black SE Lager)