Originally Posted by
eithr
3. What gear is essential for a double century? I won't have a support car, so I'll need to carry all necessaries. For TOSRV, I pack light (but I can restock at the end of day one, which isn't an option for this RAAM event) -- arm/knee warmers, brevet vest, flat kit + pocket pump, food, ID/$$, hex keys, lights, water (my frame is small and only accommodates 1 bottle in-frame). I'm eyeballing one of those oversized saddle bags like the Timbuk2 Sonoma or Topeak Back Loader 6L.
I bring more water. I like having two 25oz bottles I drain over 40-50 miles in temperate weather, plus a 1 liter Platypus in my Arkel Tailrider trunk bag for warm weather or missing a rest stop (on solo routes of your own choosing, you don't have to return to a missed control point).
Some people like saddle mounted bottle cages, and there are strap-on down tube bottle mounts.
4. Any reason I shouldn't attempt this? How scared should I be?
Apart from the time commitment and more potential to need lights/warmer clothing for riding before and after sunset, after resolving my fit issues which didn't cause problems on shorter rides I didn't notice a difference increasing distance last year 60-70 miles, 100 miles, 200km, 200 miles.
If you're starting around or before sunrise, or don't plan on finishing a few hours before sunset (traffic, dashing through grocery stores to hit the restroom and refill water bottles, etc. all add up), you'll want adequate lights (front and rear), a reflective vest/harness, and reflective ankle bands.
I love my dynamo setup, although a $40 B&M Ixion IQ Premium + $22 shipping direct from Germany works great with 5 hours of battery life on high from AA batteries available at every 24 hour grocery store.
Some people like a helmet mounted headlamp for reading street signs, although mine gives me a sore neck after just a couple of hours so I don't wear it.
For unsupported rides, I really like my Garmin Edge 800. It pops up a map with a white arrow .1 miles before every turn even if ridewithgps didn't include a cue which makes it hard to go the wrong way even when the street signs are missing/obscured and multiple roads come together, zoomed in maps have street names, it includes custom cue sheet entries for things like food stops, and doesn't crash when longer rides are split into pieces and joined later.
I failed to find a different cycling computer with those features when I looked.