Lights for Dunwich Dynamo + luggage

[leyton condor]

Can you get away with an LED front light for the Dunwich Dynamo? I am thinking of doing the Dun Run this year with some friends from work and we have been looking into lights and it seems that serious lights cost serious money.
I currently have a Cateye EL130.

Also on the luggage front, what is the opinion on saddlebags versus barbags. I don't want to wear a rucksack for 120 miles, but wouldn't mind carryiong a few extra layers.

Your advice and opinions welcomed.

 

[Chuffy]

If it's a nice evening with a good moon (it's always timed to coincide with a full moon) then you can probably get away with pretty modest lights. If you feel nervous, find a group with better lights and ride with them. Don't forget to pack some spare batteries though.

Pack light. You will probably want a few layers once you get to the beach (depending on your arrangements for getting back again and how long you'll be sat there waiting for) plus the usual tool, spares, food etc. A bar bag might be a bit of a squeeze, a large saddle bag would be ample. One of those wretched Carradice Super Cs or something of equivalent size would be ideal. I usually wear a small rucksack for rides like the Dynamo, which is fine for me as I prefer rucksacks to having panniers flopping about at the back end.

 

[Will1985]

I don't think that light is up to the task. I was impressed with those who had Fenix lights last year. Otherwise, you're welcome to sit on my back wheel if you can keep up

In terms of luggage, I took a small Vaude cycling rucksack which sits slightly off the back. Quite a few had a pannier last year but didn't see too many bar bag types unless they were carrying tents and planning to stay in Dunwich the next night.
I started off in normal road kit but had a packable hi-viz (waterproof) jacket and Humvee 3/4 trousers for when it got chilly at the halfway stop and the beach. You don't really need that much more - the only other stuff in my bag was food.

 

[Tynan]

what will said really, you can group up with others with good lights, the good ones are very good, it does stop you bombing on a bit though if you want to, I did a fair stretch on my tod at one point in the very dark part of the night and the £130 light I had on the long burn setting was just good enough, I'd have been in the ditch without it for sure so have no illusion on that score, the narrow lanes are pitch black due to the trees, no street lights and when you;re a bit tired, the eye does start to play tricks

I carried a proper pannier last year, half full, a packed lunch which went down very well at the stopoff and an extra layer of everything, shorts and ss top plus base was fine until midnight, it suddenly felt an awful lot colder after the stopoff

do a night ride with the fnrttc for some night practice perhaps

there was no way I was goig to do it again for six months after last years (an easy year I suspect), now I'm toying with the idea

 

[leyton condor]

Thanks for the advice people, it looks like that i might invest in some lights then. Does anyone have any recommendations £50-£100 mark.

Any other top tips on completing the Dun run would also be appreciated.

Thanks again

 

[RedBike]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nite-Flux-Pho...14&_trkparms=72:1683|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318

Most of the reviews reckon it was the brightest light under £200. Although i suspect you can now get something far brighter for £200 there's probably not much to touch it at £100. The flashing mode is absolutely fantastic at getting you noticed!

Failing that perhaps a Hope Vision 1.
On a lower setting it should last all night, But you can easily carry and change AA batteries.

 

[Tynan]

I did dun run last year on preparation of 25 miles a day commuting and a single frnrttc to Southend a month before just to try out nighttime and group riding

it went suprisingly easy other than feeling mentally tired in the wee hours but I did no extra sleeping and worked a full week and rode to work and back on the Friday before, I don't think I was anything special as a rider then, or now for that matter

relax fella, there were some right sights doing last year at least, fat people on bad bikes in wrong clothes and they seemed to be coping perfectly happily, turn up on a sound bike with correct clothing for the cold and you'll be fine

 

[Fab Foodie]

I did a sleety night ride 2 weeks ago with no moon and my lighting was 1x 3 watt cree LED torch from Tesco £9-00 (I don't know if these are available still but they're a mega-bargain, very bright) and a Petzl Tikka plus Head-Torch (Go Outdoors about £25, one of my best cycling buys, couple of zip-ties to the helmet and it's great). So really good lighting for £35 (you may need a two-fish Lockblock to mount the torch, an extra £6).
Luggage, I used a Carradice Barley saddle-bag on a sqr mounting.
Rear lighting, a Smart 1/2 watt LED 'Superflash' is excellent.

 

[MacB]

Thanks for the advice people, it looks like that i might invest in some lights then. Does anyone have any recommendations £50-£100 mark.

Any other top tips on completing the Dun run would also be appreciated.

Thanks again

I bought the Fenix L2D and the twofish lock block fitting to go with it. Got some rechargeable AA's but, for this sort of run, I'd throw in another 4 AA's, decent duracell ones. I've got two smartflashes at the back and a cheapo led on front that I run on flash mode. The Fenix gives a good beam and compares well against much more expensive lights. I'd reckon on £100 for all 4 lights, fittings and spare batteries. Depends how much night/unlit road riding you want to do. If it's not much, or not sure, then maybe you could borrow some for the night.

If I did this run then I'd wear 3/4 bibs, base layer, micro fleece, carry waterproof, spare bib shorts, and ss cycle top, plus armwarmers and legwarmers. Some swimming shorts, a towel I don't mind leaving behind and plenty of food. One pannier would do but would probably take rack pack as well. Spare cycling gloves as well might be an idea, depends how worried about extra weight you are. Oh and chamois cream of some sort, just in case re-application is required.

On current levels I'd need a breather, and bite to eat, every 2 hours(30 mileish), so 3 stops then Dunwich. The coach back looks a pretty good deal as well, at £14 if booked before 31/05/09.

Jeez, I'm almost talking myself into this one!

 

[Will1985]

Keep talking MacBludgeon! The more the merrier. CycleChat was outnumbered big time last year: 2 of us and about 20 yacf'ers.

 

[Flying Dodo]

If I did this run then I'd wear 3/4 bibs, base layer, micro fleece, carry waterproof, spare bib shorts, and ss cycle top, plus armwarmers and legwarmers. Some swimming shorts, a towel I don't mind leaving behind and plenty of food.

Just how wet do you think it will be this year???

Mind you, last year I just had shorts and a short sleeved top. It was a bit chilly at the beach though.

 

[MacB]

Just how wet do you think it will be this year???

Mind you, last year I just had shorts and a short sleeved top. It was a bit chilly at the beach though.

I can't help it, I regularly arrive an hour or two ahead just in case of delays and loaded for every eventuality. I'll not start worrying about weight on the bike til I've lost the full 70lbs target.

 

[RoubaixCube]

I personally used a magicshine MJ-858 that i had picked up from planet x for £35 quid. I had a 4-cell battery pack from torchythebatteryboy on ebay and this setup pretty much lasted a good 5-6hours. I had the light set to its lowest just as it started to enter dusk at around 10-11pm and it eventually died just after 4am as i had been running it all sorts of power levels due to the unlit roads and cruising around on my lonesome when my partner in crime decided to drop out at the 'the axe and compasses' pub stop. Battery eventually died completely while i was out in the unlit country roads and i turned my lezyne 400XL on medium power in the fear that i would be dragged into a ditch and brutally murdered if i dare to stop to change the battery pack. 400XL was totally inadequate on medium and the beam wasnt great as it wasnt a nice focused beam of light but i had no idea how far i had to go until the next town or village and didn't want to burn up all the battery before i saw the next set of street lights.

I have a fluxient U2 mini which would have been absolutely superb as backup as the beam is very focused and it kicks out the same amount of lumens as the MJ-858. It wasnt until i got home and started stripping the bike down for cleaning and saw it on the shelf staring me in the face did i realise what a complete muppet i was by forgetting it. At the same time i had a 6-cell battery pack which i also could have used that was just sitting there as well.

Sad thing now is that the DD is not for another year....

 

[Flying Dodo]

Thread resurrection from over 7 years ago. That's got to be a record!

 

[RoubaixCube]

Thread resurrection from over 7 years ago. That's got to be a record!

I know - but i still thought id like to share especially since this year was my first DD.