Preparing yourself for Loveyclingsg Round island night ride

Next week 13th Dec 2014 is Loveyclingsg Round island night ride. It's a much awaited event and big fun crowd. 
Here are some tips to make it enjoyable and safe. 

Rider aspects 
-By now you should have completed minimum a 50 km ride. This will allow you to be physically conditioned( buttock not so pain)
- It's a night ride, so do have a early afternoon nap if you can't keep awake after 11pm. The expected time to complete is around 6-7am 
- Prepare some gels, snack and keep in your  bike pouch. We will be riding for a long time and you will need to snack a little to replace the effort.  Snacks like nuts, museli bars, bananna are great. Just make sure you try it out earlier the week and not try something new which you have not done before. 
- Top up water bottle, if your bike have 2 bottle mounting, its a good idea to have 2 bottle. There are some stretches (lim chu kang  area) that has not 7-11. 
-Some form of isotonic drinks are also good to hydrate fast but no necessary 
- Bring some cash($50) in case you "punchek" mentally and want to take a cab home 
Bike stuff 
Give your bike a check over. See if all the parts are in good condition. Specifically please check
- Tire for small cuts, nails or funny bulges. If  you do see its no right/no good, change it before the ride. Don't tempt fate.  It's not fun to have a flat on long rides and have people to wait for you. Esp when you could have avoided this. This is the single most common issue we see on rides. 
- Pump up the correct pressure. 
- Spare tube, patch kit, tool kit and pump are in good condition and packed onto the bike
- Brake pads. Check if they ok and not too worn. Make sure to also tug it a little to see if they are secured and tighten. They can  sometimes be loose and not aligned properly
-Go over all the moving parts. Some places to check are Crank bolts(I see before whole crank arm fall off), Stems, Seat post binder bolts. 
- Oil your chain 
-  Test ride your bike. It should not have strange squeals or funny sounds or difficulty in engaging your desired gear. If there is issue, GET IT FIXED BEFORE THE Round Island Ride
If  you maintain your bike regularly and observe the mechanical sounds,  you will know very quickly something is not right and get it fixed. 



Specific to night riding safety
-When was the last time you replace bicycle light's battery? Put in some fresh battery for you front and rear lights
- Point your lights (Front and rear 3 degrees down to avoid blinding people) 
- Wear bright, light colored clothing so that you are more visible to drivers
- Wear safety vest if you have. They work. 
-Stay in your allocated  group. Help out the designated group leads and sweeper
The uniqueness of LCSG ride is the team integrity. We ride as a group. Encourage folks who are struggling and help them achieve a milestone. We all have gone through that before and this is why cycling as a group is so much fun. 

Hope this entry will help you have a great round island ride. Drop me a note if I miss out anything critical. See you!