Dunwich Dynamo 2014
Discussion
If I do it again I'll be trying to avoid the coach. I enviously watched a mate head off in a van with his local cycling club while I rapidly cooled down and waited to be let on a bus. They’re well priced and it’s an almost adequate way back to London but a couple of things pissed me off and if you can organise something separate I suspect it’ll be a nicer way to finish off the ride.
I’ve got a mate who cycles who lives just off the route and some family dotted about so I’ll be trying to work out a hassle free way of getting away from the finish under my own steam.
I’ve got a mate who cycles who lives just off the route and some family dotted about so I’ll be trying to work out a hassle free way of getting away from the finish under my own steam.
I've done it the last 2 years and definitely doing it again this year. My favourite ride!
Swerni and I did the whole Saturday morning slog of dropping off his car and me driving him back in my car. It was worth the hassle as we got to Dunwich quite early...and it would have been a pain waiting for a bus!
Not sure on my plans yet, as they will depend if my Suffolk living brother does it too!
I highly recommend it. Once out of London, it's all country lanes..and there is something special about riding through the night.
I really fancy this event and would particular like the idea of riding into the Dawn .... I know all the roads quite well as i ride from home to the campsite in Dunwich along this route 4-5 times a year.
What time does most people set off ? As i could prob stretch this ride out to 7-8hours very max with stops .
What time does most people set off ? As i could prob stretch this ride out to 7-8hours very max with stops .
bigtomski said:
Undecided as to how to get back at the moment, might book a coach, anyone had any experience of this?
Bikes transported safely etc?
Used it last year, first time doing the Dynamo and therefore first time using the coach. Bikes transported safely etc?
Got an email after I’d left work on the Friday saying that here was my ticket confirmation - this needed to be printed out.
I’ve no printer at home so back to the city early Saturday AM to print it out. Hands up, that’s my fault for not having a printer – I’m sure I’m not the only one though and it would’ve perhaps been good to have got the tickets out before COB on the Friday.
Got to London Fields, was just mooching about when luckily I spot the queue for the area to exchange the print out for another ticket that would actually get me on a coach. I’ve just had a quick look through my emails and I’m not imagining it - it’s not clear that the ticket you’ve just been sent and printed will not get you on a coach but is just to check in at the start and get a proper ticket.
Many people made the same mistake I nearly did. At the beach there was a large queue of people, some that just wanted to use their ticket and get on a bus, some who needed to get the proper ticket and it took quite a long time. Riders get on coaches and the bikes get loaded for you into removal vans. It’s about 3 coaches per removal van.
Be very careful who you sit next to, I wanted to snooze all the way back to London but the bloke next to me just would not shut up.
The last stretch into London was a painful crawl through roadworks. This wasn’t their fault but the fact that you need to wait to get your bike from the van means you just can’t hop off and head home on the bike.
The final straw was getting to Bermondsey IIRC and waiting for the bikes to be passed down out of the vans. A pair of douchebag chins (full club kit) spotted their "THOUSANDS OF POUNDS worth of CARBON road bikes" and jumped on to retrieve them. One of them was dismayed that one of the packers had lent some old clunker up against it and was throwing all the other bikes around to get in to save it. A couple of people had to get him to chill the fvck out.
The bikes were packed well and again this wasn’t the organisers fault.
It is cheap though and a relatively simple process.
80sMatchbox said:
Swerni and I did the whole Saturday morning slog of dropping off his car and me driving him back in my car. It was worth the hassle as we got to Dunwich quite early...and it would have been a pain waiting for a bus!
I was thinking of doing something similar. I can only get two/three bikes in the back of the Scooby (with passengers) but might be up for doing the same. London to Suffolk convoy, anyone?Gruffy said:
I was thinking of doing something similar. I can only get two/three bikes in the back of the Scooby (with passengers) but might be up for doing the same. London to Suffolk convoy, anyone?
Yes, I'd like to drop my car off in Dunwich so it's there for the morning. It's only a 40 minute drive from where I liveI'll be riding with a decent sized bunch from my club (Dulwich Paragon - Blue Jerseys). Just trying to decide which bike to take at the moment; the steel framed tourer for comfort and the bar-bag or the aluminium road bike for the pace... Any advice from those who've done it before would be very welcome!
Mr Will said:
I'll be riding with a decent sized bunch from my club (Dulwich Paragon - Blue Jerseys). Just trying to decide which bike to take at the moment; the steel framed tourer for comfort and the bar-bag or the aluminium road bike for the pace... Any advice from those who've done it before would be very welcome!
It depends on what sort of shape you’re in and how quickly you’re planning on doing it. I met up with a mate last year who was doing it with his club, I joined in with them until about Woodford or Epping where he and a few from the club ramped up the pace – they were using this as a bit of a practice for the Surrey 100. We were both on similar ally road bikes with big saddle to bar drops – his had a good set of wheels though. Anyway. I had a rucksack with a few supplies. He had just a jersey with stuffed pockets. 70 or 80 miles in I was cursing the aggressive position and having something on my back. They were in a bigger group, IIRC with some of the paragon lads, and nearly at the beach.
As long as the bikes in good shape and the weather is looking consistent then you won’t need that much stuff, There’s only one official stop but plenty of places on the way to have a break, fill the bottles and grab some food.
If you’re planning on taking it easy then take the more comfy bike with the bag.
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