So, currently in bed (have been since 8 ) trying to get some sleep in before my 3:00am start to ride to work. Small sleepy village in Suffolk to Fenchurch st in that there London, then home again after a day at work. 200 miles all in. Was meant to do it last Friday but a bout of flu led to it being delayed.

It’s been an utterly rubbish year with so many things going wrong or ending badly that I thought I’d do something for charity. Hence this idea conjoured up whilst sat at my warm comfy desk drinking coffee at work. The amount of events I’ve entered like that (strathpuffer) you’d think I’d have learnt by now….

Anyway, lights are on charge, bottles are prepared and clothing laid out. It’s currently -2 outside and due to get a lot colder. So as you’re eating your breakfast of turkey and…well, turkey, think of me wobbling through the bad lands of Essex wondering whether I’ve lost all my toes to frostbite or if the out of date cliff bar I found in my camelbac would be better used as a weapon in Romford.

I’m scared. Very scared…

Good luck, enjoy it, it’s riding after all…!

Good luck! You’ll smash it!! 🙂

Ha, that’s what I keep telling myself….in all honesty I’m dreading it and was hoping nobody would sponsor me. However, that backfired and now I have to do it. With the added bonus that a few of my team ride and understand Strava so I can’t just blag it and get the train….bugger

Thank you for the support, it’s appreciated

I’m riding 10 miles to work, forecast is -5°C good luck!

6 mile each way here. after 4 months off the bike, it feels like 60 each way……… 😆

Stay warm & best of luck, that’s an epic commute!

Like your style. 🙂

I wouldn’t mate, it’s forecast ice over overnight, you won’t have any confidence to give it beans on the downhills.

Nice idea. Sure you’ll be fine – enjoy the ride. It’ll be better as soon as you get going.

For charity you say? Any way to send a donation? People can be quite generous on here, especially for daft ideas like this.

Good luck! The ride will probably feel easier than getting some sleep.

Don’t be scared, embrace the wonderment that is Dawn in Winter.

Enjoy, stay safe, post picz..

Respect. Even if I was capable of riding 200 miles in a day I wouldn’t be doing it in the dark in freezing temps after recovering from flu.

You like a challenge I take it?

Good on you, the dread just now will be nothing compared to the dread before the commute back tomorrow 😉

Been thinking myself of doing my 25 mile each way commute by bike in the next couple of days, the way back will be starting at midnight…
You may well have just inspired me. Good luck.

Very impressive, it would take me more than 24 hours to ride that far. Actually I’m even slower in the dark. Best of luck.

If you’ve done the Puffer, 200 flat miles in the Tropics of Suffolk is a piece of piss by comparison. Good luck, you’ll smash it. Just don’t expect to be productive at work!

200 flat miles in the Tropics of Suffolk

South Suffolk and North Essex are not flat, not by a long shot.
Good luck Flange, watch out for the muppets in the tin boxes early in the morning.

My commute is 4 miles each way and I find that bad enough, despite the fact that I can do the Mary Townley Loop.
It’s partly bad because its a road ride on a mountain bike and not a road bike, but the killer is that I often finish work between midnight and 01:00AM, and once I’ve ridden 4 miles, gone to bed, I can’t sleep for some reason. Doing some moderate/intense exercise (even if only for 16-20 minutes) before bed just makes me feel wide awake. Attempting this has brought on an onset of insomnia so I’m back to using the car.

Thanks massively folks – it’s amazing how cold Lycra feels to put on despite it being hung on the radiator. And whoever bought me menthol chamois cream for xmas obviously doesn’t like me very much.

3.40 at the moment, now off for cereal and a coffee before getting on the push-upright. The next time I post, hopefully it’ll be with my feet up on my desk drinking more coffee!

Well done Sir.

Good effort, listen out for the Dawn Chorus.

And the sweet smell of success.

Keep us updated how you did and about the good cause and possibility to donate. You do the suffering so you can make some publicity for your cause.

Done my old 50 mile each way commute a couple of times. In the Summer. (Well, actually just under 50 miles to added a bit on to make it 100 total). Even that is hard. 200 in winter? Good luck!!

Rachel

Good luck!

Best of luck flange. What are you raising money for?

He might have been better to start it quite sleepy that way he might not notice it is **** freezing out there. Hope all went well flange.

Good luck fella, hope you arrive safe and sound soon…

Top effort fellah!

What route did you take? I live in Bromley but the family live in Barrow and Bury St Eds and have often thought about cycling up there (in Summer obvs, one way only). 🙂

Good luck Flange. Stay safe.

Good effort! Can’t imagine you’ll get much done at work except sleeping and eating. First few miles of return. Journey will be hard..

Dear Flange’s boss,
Can Flange leave early today please? Like just after lunch?

Ta

That’s a fair challenge, particularly in the dark with sub zero temperatures.

I commute 20 miles each way on the bike and that can be hard enough in those conditions, couldn’t imagine doing 100 each way. I find the cold starts to get to you after about 90 minutes, couldn’t imagine over 5 hours in that.

Hope you’ve made it in safely and good luck for the ride home.

Flange gets to work and realises that he starts back on a Thursday…

Wow, that’s some challenge to set yourself. Hope it’s going well.

Are you in work yet flange? Nearly time to go home 🙂

He’s gonna have to spend 6 hours in work to charge his lights!

The men in white coats are debating whether to meet flange at work or on their home driveway, 200 miles (especially in this week’s chilly weather) sounds totally insane! 😯

Heck, as much as I’ve had a bike for at least the last ~40 years, the longest ride I’ve ever done is ~50 mile round trip from Bitterne to the beach huts at Calshot and back… Less than half way back my legs totally went (having blasted down to Calshot and having some BBQ food) and I had to use the easiest gear I had to crawl back home!

I’ve often thought of doing something like this. Often have team meetings in Warwick some 100 miles away, also worked in Swindon for a bit about 70ish miles away.

Never considered doing there and back in a day though. If I go to Warwick they offer me a hotel to stay overnight if I drive cos they think it’s far enough….

Come on Op update! surely they have wifi at A+E?

Sacked for being late?

If we get let out early today (strong chance, it’s dead), imma ride all the way home (normally get a train for some most of it.) Harrogate to south Leeds. 19 miles. On a fatbike. On the road.

What cream for a sore flange? Needs to be fast acting 🙂