London Fixed-gear and Single-speed SJS Cycles

Would love to do this event this year.. I've read a few articles on it and think if I put some miles before I could do it.

The only problem is I'd actually like to do it fixed - bit more of a challenge and all that. Was thinking of screwing a freewheel to the other side of my hub just in case.

Anyone got any experiences or advice they want to share?

Ta

I just had a huge shiver down my spine and straight into my knees!!!

Padded shorts! Vaseline!Goretex! Energy Bars! Whiskey! Faith!

is it nearly that time again?...:)

yeah mine aren't in the best of condition to be honest..

It is fine, the route is pretty flat so purfect for fixed apart from one down hil which scott will tell you about ;)

Brakes are a good idea even if you usually ride brakeless.

follow Hael's advice. I want to do it again this year.

Always ride with a front brake - even though the pads sometimes fall out.

Cool, was thinking of doing it in a pair or even a three rotating in to the wind etc.

they bloody won't be after the dynamo....to sum up last year...rained for the first 70 miles....turned my brooks into a piece of rag hanging from the rails....did it brakeless fix and then found that lovely long downhill...in the rain....with traffic lights at the bottom....which turned to red....wasn't stopping for shit...:)
never been so cold in my entire life as i was when i left the halfway soup stop....thought my knees were gonna explode....BUT....was one of the best rides of my life....and met some of the coolest people ever....almost all off here....bring it on i say....:)

hahaha.....ya beat me to it tommy...:)

I did it two years ago on fixed and it was fun.

There were a few lowpoints though:

- being the only fixed bike in a group of geared riders. Nasty on the descents, but fun dropping them all on the ascents and hearing them frantically clicking through their gears behind you
- the arse pain
- nearly passing out after about 60 miles whilst having a wee due to not having managed to eat dinner
- arriving at the beach in Dunwich in the pissing rain to find no spare seats in the cafe
- hearing rain drops plop into my coffee and turn my egg sandwhich even soggier
- the extra 8 miles after the cafe to my mate's house were the hardest I've ever done

I'm totally up for it again this year though.

DD this year clashes with a wedding invitation. shit shit shit. what to do.

lucky - go fixed - you won't need the freewheel.

scott - your summation is spot on. ditto dude

yep i'd roll with that, every type of rain imaginable. i don't even remember it stopping until about five in the morning when we somehow ended up in ipswitch. don't rely on the food stop. i also did it brakeless and fixed and my knees felt like chalk for the next week and i could have murdered a kitten for a ginsters

last year broke me... im in

what bike were you on rik?....cos i only remember seeing one other brakeless bike...maybe it was you?

cinelli vigorelli, white trispoke

oh yeah....and don't rely on other people to follow for directions....stompy and i chased down a flashing back light and tagged along...someone else tagged onto us...we followed him for about 5 miles when we finally realised at a roundabout that he was going the wrong way...then road 5 miles back again to where we started...that extra ten miles hurt...:)

hmm....maybe there were 3 nutters then?...:) were you riding with a girl?

yeah we followed some german super tourist, helmet mirrrors and gps all the way who kept reassuring us that it was "just another ten miles" then we left them.
he was never seen again

I remember you spoke to your brother going up a hill briefly he told me you where brakeless.

ahhh

i remember too were you in a three?

I missed it last year, but that wrong direction tale sounds familiar.
atomic.a and marky were, unless it's a common occurrence, at least some of the folks that latched onto you...

I'm in this year. My cycle cred's running low at the mo (ooh, rhyming; what great timing!), so I really ought to.
Is that before or after Brighton, I can't remember?

just ask slamm about mr 'just a couple more miles'.....i was saying to myself "if he says just a couple more miles one more time i'm gonna nail his cock to a tree and pull him just a couple more miles before letting go"....:)

i was, with my brother on a tarmac and my mate on a cr1

i don't think i saw a single persons face, only backs and dark
does noone have street lamps outside london?

It was one of the hardest things I did last year. But definitely one of the best. I am very proud of finishing it and will be back for more this year.
Addie you had better come along this time.

Only if you promise not to head off in the wrong direction.
Again.
Following Scott.
Following the random blinky light that was probably just a badger with a lighter up its arse.

And if I really need a brake, then that means riding on the multicoloured beast, not the comfy, sexy red one.
:(

Are you in town yet?
I'm half-fancying a cheeky half before I head off North…

Here's my Dunwich Dynamo ride report.

I did it fixed last year; you've ridden with me, so you can make your own mind up about whether you can do it fixed.

They say it's flat, but they lie! Rolling is more like it. Quite a lot of rolls after the food stop, but you can let yourself go and get up the other end. Sometimes. I walked a lot of hills, but we all know I'm crap at climbs.

Carry lots of food 'cos you'll get hungry.

I'm sure we'll get some training rides in before this. ;-)

get comfortable doing twenty laps of RP first.

bit early for this thread, Andy. I've been seriously thinking about doing this years, but with training first, otherwise I'll grizzle like fuck. also I want our suport vehicle at the other end with the barbeque, even if I have to pay. not doing trains/buses/trains/more buses and waiting around. I am an impatient man.

But a manly in-patient.

damn straight.

I'm the hippest cat on the ward

I know mate. Bored at work and fancied something to aim for..

Lets get doing some laps then.. skate park first though for some fun on play bikes

have they finished it then?

last I saw it were all fenced off and under construction (yet again)

I need to do miles, I'm getting out of shape.

i did it in 06 on gears.

it is a long ride and i was running on empty for the last 10 miles or so.

but it is a great ride and good fun. i think it was the best breakfast i ever had.

if i am free for the date i will do it again this year - this time fixed.

yeah it is mainly flat.

anyone know the date ?

i think it's late may....19th or 24th or something.

forget that...:)
http://www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk/dunwichfaqs.htm
don't know where i got may from?...that means i'm gonna forget someones birthday in may...:)

The most ridiculous time I've ever spent on a bike - the rain just got harder and harder last year. But definitely do-able fixed with a couple of longer rides under the belt, and totally worth it.
Most organised eatery I've ever come across at the end - constant hundred or so people needing feeding and noone I saw had to wait more than 10 minutes.

Yeah, they were super those cafe peeps.
And even I fell asleep on the bus back..

andy, you have a similar fitness level as me so i wouldn't worry about that side of things. i recommend padded shorts and udder cream plus more food than you have ever eaten while riding a bike.
what i liked best was riding as a small group nose to tail TDF style, i don't really get to do that often.

and in all seriousness consider borrowing some bullhorns or drops as being able to change your position a bit will stop you getting uncomfortable.

there were some miserable moments in the pissing rain last year but i can't wait to do it again.

from memeory i ate
1 bowl pasta before the ride
a big bag of jelly babies
4 bannanas
4 nutrigrain bars
8 digestives
2 powerbars
2 bread rolls
a bowl of pasta
2 cups vegetable soup
2 energy gels
some macadamia nuts
1/4 soreen
2 cups of tea with 3 sugars in each (i hate sugar in tea but these were strangely delicious)


then a nice bbq and cake on the beach

from memory we ran out of food for the last 30 miles or so and if neil hadn't given me another energy gel i wouldn't have made it to the end, i'm going to take even more stuff to eat this year.

I for one can't wait, it can't possibly rain as much as last year.
No more sprinting for me though, shall take it nice and easy.

Indeed! but your big bag o' sweets made it all the more bearable!

+1 to what everybody else has said.
I came very close to just staying in the warmth of the halfway feeding station with Alex (who crashed nastily) after a very hard 20 miles or so previous.
It was wet, v.cold but I'm soooo glad I carried on. The 2nd half was nothing like the first… seeing the sun come up was awesome and the feeling of achievement when I hit the beach still gives me goosebumps.

Do it.

thanks for all the tips guys

so some padded shorts, helly, goretex jacket, camelback stuffed full of food and whiskey and a few inner tubes just in case!

Would say I'm looking forward to it but not sure yet. I guess the idea is not to shoot off too fast and keep going then at a sensible pace.

based on last year i'll be taking a LOT more clothing and one of my waterproof bags...that would have been the best feeling ever to have fresh,warm,dry clothes on coming out of the feed station....:)
And i'm definately taking a flask filled with beans and sausages...:)

panniers with a gas stove, frying pan and bacon, beans, sausages, eggs (ok maybe not eggs on a bike), laptop and wireless dongle (for the internet), satnav, gazebo and keg of ale.

and that's just for staying the night in London Fields

Did it 3 dynamo's back on a geared mtb (yes it was pretty heavy by the end).

I did recall one fairly long if not steep climb comig out of a largeish town (sudbury?).

I do fancy doing it fixed this year, but most of the guys I'd ride it with will be on geared lightweight speed machines.

Best memory = forming into a mini-peloton for the last 15miles with 2 carbon framed demons in front dragging me along. Loved the feeling of nipping past people on their last legs while not actually putting in much effort myself...

i'll do it if we actually have some summer weather this year, and it's a warm night like it's meant to be!

If I'm anywhere near fir enough to do 200k I'm in.
We need to pack some longer rides into the first part of the year to see if my knee can realistically take it.

The best bit for me was defo the last part rolling along with all the forumers (jonny, tommy, ma3k, ddm, etc). The sun had risen, we were close to home, moral was high coz we all knew we'd done the hard part. It was fkn cool! I've put it in my diary. Tickets for the bus back are on sale some time in Mar. It pays to book early coz then you're in and have some more motivation to do longer rides beforehand. Read their FAQ as well, it's full of useful info.