Nightrider

Buoyed by the success of the Dunwich Dynamo I’ve been out riding in the evenings recently. After riding the whole night in darkness an hour at dusk doesn’t seem too much of a challenge. Having bought a pretty decent Cateye font light that cost more than some bikes I’ve bought and a Gore gilet I’m set up for evening rides. Shame the weather isn’t on my side.

Done In By Dunwich?

Well for better or worse I'll be riding the Dunwich Dynamo: 120 miles from London to Dunwich on the East Anglia coast. Two things make this appealing - it's at night and loads of people are doing is. One thing makes me nervous it's 120 miles.

Where as many athletes "taper down" or build up and "train through" an event like this, I've adopted a "reverse taper" - with minimal training, I'm hoping that my leg muscles remember how to keep the pedals turning for 120 miles.

With just over two weeks to go my preparation has comprised the following;

• one 10 mile ride, however this was up hill, into a head wind and with a child on the back
• new bar tape
• fixed the sticking back brake
• skipped a muffin at lunch
• cleaned cycling shoes
• 5 mile bike ride to station - this went very well
• 10 mile ride home from Winchester across the Downs with laptop and work clobber
  

The Dynamo is apparently simple - I've been told to think of it as three 3.5 hour rides. Alternatively I could think it as 12 round trips to my local railway station. Surely it can't be that hard (or boring). I mean if Alberto Contador can get dragged away from his beach holiday and get into form in eight weeks to win this year's Giro, I've got to be able to manage this?

In my favour are

• It'll be dark so nobody will see you suffering
• All my "training" so far has involved either a child on the back of the bike or work kit
• Most of my riding has been done either on an elderly fixed or with a child - both of which count for double miles
• This ride was originally started by couriers and is in East Anglia - it's got to be flat?
• A warm minibus awaits to whisk us back home (thanks Big Nick!)
• Two small children have given me plenty of sleep deprivation so riding through the night shouldn't be so hard - should it?

If my hectic training schedule allows it, there may be more posts!

Glory through suffering

Cyclists, prticularly those who follow the professionals like to wax lyrical about the glory through suffering that riders experience. The notion seems to tally with the popularity of cycling in Catholic countries - they know how to suffer properly. As anyone who has ridden up a steep hill, into a headwind or both will know, it's not all freewheeling on a bike.

I feel that many cyclists are missing a trick in their training by making things too easy for themselves. What's the point in having the latest 1kg carbon fibre frame? Less weight to shift up a climb = less calories burnt = less suffering = less glory.

I was particularly impressed by "Johnny Onion" who recently completed the 1200km Paris-Brest-Paris on an unrestored 1920's bike. The bke only has two gears and the rider has to pedal backwards to get the bottom gear. I'd like to see more of this sort of daftness. Here's some ideas to get started

• London to Brighton on a Raleigh Chopper


• Lands End to John O'Groates on a Brompton


• recumbent mountainbiking


• Hour record challenges with a bike seat (just getting my children to sit in a bike seat for an hour would be a record


• Motor-paced BMX racing