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Comment by buro9 | Hacker News Reader

That's awesome, and I'm seriously impressed that you did it on that board and those wheels.

Something I loved, and still love, about the fixed gear crowd was how they'd do crazy rides with little or no prep. Just a child-like fearlessness. To head out, still in jeans, and to ride 200km just because.

The not taking it too seriously, and doing it because you can is great.

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I believe that's how the Dunwich Dynamo started. Although I'd imagine doing it in jeans would leave your nethers somewhat akin to a freshly tenderised steak.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunwich_Dynamo

I've done it in jeans. Admittedly with padded shorts underneath.

One of the guys I met along the way on that occasion was in regular jeans and no padded shorts. He also didn't bring water or food. He made it to the end, with the biggest grin on his face that you can imagine.

He now randomly delivers free muffins to people across London: http://www.wakeuptomuff.com/how-to-get-muffed-up/

I did it in full-on padded lycra with chamois cream because I am a weak old softie.

On the other hand, in my defence, ... no, there's no defence.

Will be doing it again though, it was hella fun.

Why not use appropriate gear? You'll go faster/farther more comfortably.

I do at times, and I don't at times.

Sometimes I like to shoot for comfort, technical wear, the right food, sunglasses for the job, etc.

Other times I just want to remember what it's like to experience that child-like feeling of just grabbing your bike and rushing out for a ride.

There's something really liberating and fun about not acting like an adult and preparing. And it re-introduces some risks that make the ride more 'interesting'... such as whether you'll bonk, and whether you get lost because you didn't plan, or whether it rains and you get soaked to the bone as you didn't check.

Jeans or not, if you ride enough, often enough, hard enough, and long enough, you will

* Bonk.

* Get lost.

* Get soaked/frozen because the weather took a turn for the worse.

* Get roasted/bathed in sweat because it got a lot warmer than you planned on.

I have hours of anecdotes for all of the above, despite dressing in the best possible gear I had/could afford at the time, and riding the best possible bicycle I could afford at the time (gears, brakes, etc...).

Thanks so much mate. I have always been a shortboard skateboarder - never been a fan of longboards, so I forced myself to use my every day board.

Thanks for your feedback, really appreciate it :)

As an avid longboarder I have to give you props for doing that on a shortboard. I have no excuse now.

A million times this. So high off the ground, and soooo inefficient with the tiny wheels. Mad props.

Not to mention so much more likely to skid on a little rock. Insane trip

this happened a few times especially on the highway in the dark

thanks for your kind words!

would love to have seen a pic of you (don't take that the wrong way - i am sure you are cute as a button, but really i am curious about what you were wearing in the rain; was it warm? otherwise i can't imagine how you survived...).

All I wore was shorts and a t-shirt. I was cold the whole time but it was OK because I kept moving pretty much the whole way.

I was absolutely freezing waiting for my train at the station in Wollongong for a good 20-30 mins, and again on the train because it was air-conditioned. I was getting a bit worried as time went on because I was seriously cold. But I knew it would make that hot shower that much sweeter once I had arrived home, which it did.

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