Use a bicycle you already know. Comfort, fit and reliability matter far more over a brevet than an impressive specification.
Plan for darkness even when you hope to finish in daylight. Your lighting system should remain useful after hours of riding and bad weather.
Load the official route before the event and understand your device. Navigation problems consume time surprisingly quickly when you are tired.
Eat and drink before you become desperate. A brevet is long enough that a simple, repeatable fuelling routine usually works better than heroics.
Dress for the conditions you may encounter, not just the weather at the start. Tropical riding can still mean long periods of rain, wind and cooling after dark.
You do not need a workshop, but you should be able to solve the ordinary problems that would otherwise end your ride.
For rides entering Malaysia, treat border requirements as part of your ride preparation. Check the event brief for the current requirements rather than relying on an old brevet.
Think beyond average speed. Stops, heat, rain, fatigue and sleep all belong inside the time limit. The longer the brevet, the more important this becomes.
Read the event's Ride Brief and Road Report. Generic preparation gets you ready for randonneuring; those documents tell you what is specific to the brevet you are actually riding.
