Right, It’s not exactly rad-core – but I’ve signed up to do the D.D.

Never done owt like it before, so curious as to whether any of you fine gentlemen will be partaking in said event(?)

I commute everyday but I’ve never been a ‘distance’ guy… I’d better order some Kendal mint cake.

Any tips for me – from DD veterans?

done it a few times but have a wedding to go to so can’t do it this year, was going to ride back too.
my advice:
don’t start early or you end up sitting on the beach in the cold, the last section after sun-up is the best bit.
start slow finish with a bit in the tank.
take different food not all the same stuff, the 3rd peanut butter bagel never gets eaten.
get somebody to meet you at the finish with food and a change of clothes.
steer clear of the nodders as they tend to do random things.
it’s better in a group (if they know how to hold a wheel).
it’s cold between 2-4am take an extra layer.
kendal mint cake is just sugar, take some proper carby food.

nodders? ❓ 😐

tried it a few years back. good vibe, lots of different folks taking part.

i managed to sit on a testicle (mine) when getting back on the bike after a drink stop. had to get the GF to pick me up in Sudbury.

I’ve done it a few times, it’s a nice event, very laid back. You’ll kind of end up in a group at a comfy sort of pace.

Riding out of London is nice with the long lines of LEDs in front flickering away. There are times when you’ll wish you were in bed asleep but it feels good out on the quiet roads and getting to the beach. The cafe has gone downhill a bit in recent years though.

We’ve done various ways of getting back. The laid-on coach but you have to wait til early afternoon for that. We’ve ridden the 45 miles from Dunwich down to Ipswich and got the early train back into London – there’s usually a guards van on it for the bikes so never a problem getting on.
And last year I did it with a friend who drove out to the finish the day before, parked at the nearest station and got the train back from there. Once we’d finished the ride, we went to sleep on the beach for a bit, rode the 5 miles or so to where she’d parked and she drove us home.

I’ve not done it for a few years now- last time it started raining just north of Epping, and stopped about 4am, but was still enjoyable.
A real variety of people and bikes, a lot of whom you wouldn’t think of as ‘cyclists’. Friendly too, just keep changing groups and talking to different folk, a really nice vibe.
The group riding out through Hackney etc is a real buzz.
It never feels too hard- the lack of hills means you don’t get ground down, as somebody said, it’s like riding home from work, you just keep going til you reach the sea.
It’s a must do at least once I think, very social cycling.
If there was a mtb equivalent it’d be great.

I think i’ve just talked myself into doing it again this year…

Think I’ll join ya’ll for this one, sounds like fun 😀

I knew Psychle would be up for this! 😆

Yep…. 2nd time for me, ride at your own pace, its easy to get sucked into a fast group, eat and drink plenty, watch out for the guy doing bacon rolls and cofee in his garden, we stopped there at about 2am great atmosphere.

hopefully i’m doing it with a mate. we were supposed to do it last year, but i couldn’t get hold of him – signed up to 24:12 then the next he called me. 🙄

he only did 5 miles; he turned back after his chain broke for the time 😯

any ways whats all this ‘sign up’ stuff i thought you turned up and rode?

is it hilly/ flat?

It’s a great ride – I think this year will be my seventh or eighth, and I’ve enjoyed every single one (albeit not quite as much the year it pissed it down). The FAQ page on the Southwark Cyclists site covers the most important stuff.

It’s best to be self-sufficient for food, that way it’s not too much of a hardship if the halfway stop has run out or has a massive queue. I don’t know if John is doing the bacon butty stop at Gosbeck again, but it was a very welcome morale boost last year, and all for charidee so very much appreciated.

I’m afraid I can’t advise on the best option for getting back to London, as I only have 20 miles to spin up the coast to get home, so while you’re all getting cold waiting for the coaches I can be back home in my own bed by 10am. Not that I try and rub it in, oh no 😈

Yes, but you have to live in East Anglia. 🙁

You have our deepest sympathies…

yeah, i never signed up. just turn up and ride.

Ah bugger… that’s the weekend of the Love Box Festival in Vic Park… was planning to go get my groove on with Snoop Dog and Co 8) . Decisions decisions… 😕

i’m in, looking forward to cycling to the seaside.

Does anyone ride it on their 29er?

Does anyone ride it on their 29er?

People ride it on all sorts. Hybrids, folding bikes, recumbents, fixies, tourers, top-end road bikes, slicked-up MTBs. Some nutter did most of it on a unicycle one year!

The terrain itself isn’t difficult, it’s gently rolling. There’s (usually) other cyclists around to ride with. No-one worries about what bike anyone is on (and it’s dark so you can’t see anyway!), it’s just a slightly longer than normal social ride, bit of a personal challenge but do-able by pretty much anyone on any bike. Just need the right mental attitude to ride a bike through the night.

The whole ride has a brilliant “attitude” about it. No one cares about times or even route. The route guide basically says “keep going north east, stop when you get to the beach”. Some folk stop at pubs en route. Some sit on village greens and get the thermos flasks out, a sort of midnight picnic. Some people absolutely bomb it, I know it’s been done in sub 6hrs. Everyone just finds a group and gets on with it. I rckon everyone should do it at least once, regardless of what bike you’ve got.

Hmmm. Possibly…

‘Nodders’

Those new to road riding can sometimes be seen pushing a low revving ‘heavy’ gear, causes head to nod with each pedal stroke. HTH