Dunwich Dynamo 2017

I really fancy giving this a go, anyone done it before and have any tips/advice ?

My normal mileage is about 100 per month so it would be the furthest I’ve ridden in one go but thinking just plod along at a happy pace and see what happens.

I did it a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. I’d 100 miles before, but this felt easier as I got in a few good groups so got plenty of tows.

It’s an amazing spectacle – thousands of red lights stretching out through the countryside ahead of you at the start is surreal.

The best thing I did was carry some proper food (cheese and ham pittas, which fitted perfectly in my jersey pockets), and stop at a pub for some food and drink. I found the early morning miles the hardest – 5am in the middle of Suffolk countryside feeling tired (sleepy) and wet (rain) wasn’t fun.

Will definitely do it again.

Done it loads of times right back to when it was an organised audax-style event put on by Mosquito Bikes. It’s become a sort of cult event.

Last year was a bit OTT to be honest, there were simply too many riders – estimates were about 2500 because the weather was so good. We got to the unofficial feed station at the fire station and it was absolutely rammed so we rode on and found a random pub still open.

Nice sunrise on the beach though.

Don’t be worried about being able to ride that distance, it’s a weird sort of event where actually pretty much anyone can do it. I’ve seen it done on unicycles, BMXs, penny farthings, a Boris Bike…

Join the Dunwich Dynamo Facebook group, that’s got loads of info and advice on there.

Done it a few times. Brilliant ride, love it. Always a bit edgy getting out of London, then a lovely spin through the darkness to Dunwich.

The prevailing wind usually gives you a bit of a push, plus the atmosphere is a real boost. There are enough pop up food places along the way now that you don’t need to take loads of food.

the standard of riding is mixed… you need to keep your wits about you in places.

If you’re getting public transport be aware that the trains won’t take you back on the Sunday. the organised coaches are probably the best bet. Its one of the few times that I like being a cyclist living in North Essex – its easy to get down to London and home afterwards.

missing it this year due to an alps trip, but will certainly be riding next year.

Best bike ride there is (if you survive that London)

it’s ace. I do a variation as the route passes near my parents place, so I join in finchingfield at around midnight, ride to the coast and then back to my folks sunday morning. about 220km.

As above it’s wonderful mix of people on bikes and supporters on the route, and dawn over the suffolk countryside.

rode in 2013 and 2015, hope to be there this year, (my wife expressed an interest in doing it this year).

as for training, last time did hardly anything, take it steady, eat plenty and drink coffee. sorted.

Rode it on my Brompton 10 years ago. Now I might ride there and back with a few clubmates who did it last year. It’s a great night out.

Now I might ride there and back with a few clubmates who did it last year. It’s a great night out.

We’ve planned the “there and back” on several occasions and never ever managed it. We did set out on the return leg once (4 of us), got about 5 miles and the heavens opened so we went to Ipswich and got the train.

Done the train home several times but with the recent ever-more -restrictive rules around it, last year we rode from Dunwich to Cambridge (a mere 85 miles…) and got the train home from there. That was one hell of a long day out!

Amazing weather though, probably the best I’ve ever seen on that ride. The dawn as you’re riding through the final cuntry lanes, barn owls flitting around you is beautiful, really peaceful

I’ve only done it once and we didn’t take much food with us that I can remember. I was tired when I started (at 8pm I just wanted to go to bed) so got through the night with a good number of caffeine gels.

Advice? Don’t be in a hurry – stop along the way and enjoy it. We stopped for a beer but then put on a pretty good pace and arrived not long after 4am. If I was doing it again i’d take longer and arrive later – it’s was cold on the beach and it was a long wait to get away.

Did it in 2010, not much more to add apart from ‘do it!’

Mean to do it again every year but life/children/work always gets in the way.

I shall return, mark my words.

Been meaning to do it for a few years but things got in the way until last year. It was ace. Really ace – nothing quite like charging down dark country lanes in a massive group all through the night and then suddenly it’s Sunday morning… and you’re sitting on a beach watching the sun rise.
We accidentally did and out and back when our return transport arrangements didn’t work out so we did 202 miles in 21 hours. Deep sense of achievement 🙂
From now on any year’s riding which fails to include the Dynamo will not feel like a proper year…

Did it years ago, and going to do it this year and then keep riding on to home in Norfolk.

I’m doing it this year with the Father-in-Law. Sounds like it’ll be a good laugh!

Oooooh, this looks interesting. Am I right in saying it Audax in style, in that it’s basically unsupported and you need to take your own spares/food/drink, etc?

Am I right in saying it Audax in style, in that it’s basically unsupported and you need to take your own spares/food/drink, etc?

That’s sort of the spirit of it but over the years a lot of enterprising locals have set up food / coffee stalls in their front gardens and on the roadside. It started with a guy about 30 miles out from the finish doing bacon sarnies at 3am and now there are numerous pubs open really late in the early stretches of the ride out through Essex and then barbeques etc appearing at random.

There’s a fire station in Sudbury (about the half way point) that opens all night doing burgers, sausages, coffee etc, all profits go to the fire station funds. There’s even a bike shop in Sudbury that stays open.

Thanks, that makes sense. To be fair, a couple of flapjacks and a few spares should be fine for a 120 miler assuming you’ve fuelled up before the start.

A shout here for the Exmouth Exodus: a similar idea to the Dun run for west country folks. It’s a brilliant ride.

http://www.exmouthexodus.co.uk/

And for a slightly more laid back flavour, try the Friday Night Rides to the Coast. Most leave from London, but we also do rides from Bristol, York, Manchester and Swansea.

http://fridaynightridetothecoast.blogspot.co.uk/p/welcome.html

A few folks from our club are likely to be doing the Dynamo, including a few that are planning to ride back as well. I’m thinking about it, but no chance I’ll be doing it out and back, as even just the out will be double the longest ride I’ve done so far.

I found this Strava segment from last years ride: https://www.strava.com/segments/12657987

This is looking very tempting. I might as well put the commuting miles to some use and ride with other people for a change.

And for a slightly more laid back flavour, try the Friday Night Rides to the Coast. Most leave from London, but we also do rides from Bristol, York, Manchester and Swansea.

http://fridaynightridetothecoast.blogspot.co.uk/p/welcome.html

Cheers – that looks very interesting, especially the Southend one as that’s easy for me to get back from.

Cheers – that looks very interesting, especially the Southend one as that’s easy for me to get back from.

You can do one “try before you buy” ride without ctc insurance… Southend is a popular one as it’s flat and fairly short – ideal for first timers.

You can do one “try before you buy” ride without ctc insurance…

I needed 3rd party insurance when joining my club and went down the CTC route as we got a discount.

Southend is a popular one as it’s flat and fairly short – ideal for first timers.

Not only that but it’s only about a 30 mile ride home for me from Southend – that plus riding to the start would be about a hundred mile round trip. Although the start isn’t far from my office, so could work late on a Friday night before the start.

You can do one “try before you buy” ride without ctc insurance…

I needed 3rd party insurance when joining my club and went down the CTC route as we got a discount.

Southend is a popular one as it’s flat and fairly short – ideal for first timers.

Not only that but it’s only about a 30 mile ride home for me from Southend – that plus riding to the start would be about a hundred mile round trip. Although the start isn’t far from my office, so could work late on a Friday night before the start.

Sounds like you’re all set! If you sign up for the mailing list, you’ll get an email reminder when we open the ride for registration. All you need to pay is £2, which covers you for a full year.

Sounds like you’re all set! If you sign up for the mailing list, you’ll get an email reminder when we open the ride for registration. All you need to pay is £2, which covers you for a full year.

Signed up for it now however looks like the first Southend one isn’t going to work for me as we’ve got a company do in Brighton that weekend. Would have been ideal had there been a London to Brighton ride that Friday night!

It’s a fun ride, I’ve done it about 6 times i think. Rode back a couple of times.

Did a little write up once on our club page: http://www.gregarios.co.uk/cycling-clubs/blog-cycling-news_/Entries/2012/6/30_The_story_of_a_Double_D_Dynamo.html

The cafe on the beach is pretty shit, but the pub just before the beach turn off now does brekkie and a pint which is better.

I think the cafe on the beach is ace.

They properly gear up for 1000’s of riders and have breakfast service well sorted, it’s in front of you in minutes. I think its great that the staff turn up from 3am to do this and they keep it going all day.

what are the chances of me getting anything vegan [so dont say egg butties] at any of the stops ?

Planning on doing it this year but the way back seems the hardest bit to sort out

Are there many people who do the double but starting at Dunwich? My thinking is you get the “worst” half of the ride out the way first then you get the atmosphere of the main ride, and hopefully a tail wind, to get you through the second half.

I like the sound of that exmouth ride, we might be along for that. We did DD in 97 starting at Eastway. Not sure I could deal with 2500 riders now.

I like the sound of that exmouth ride, we might be along for that. We did DD in 97 starting at Eastway. Not sure I could deal with 2500 riders now.

EE is about 200 riders!

Sounds good.

I’ve just booked an early bird return coach ticket 😀

what are the chances of me getting anything vegan

Slim to non-existent, it appears to attract coffee drinking, bacon butty scoffing cyclists.

OP if it’s a chilly, damp night don’t stop at the pub before Finchingfield, it’s a downhill start and the first time I got very cold. If you stop at Finchingfield there’s a climb out of the village to warm you up.

EDIT It’s a good idea to leave after Dulwich Paragon.

cheers was not expecting anything other than to carry my own food

I dont even like coffee

EDIT It’s a good idea to leave after Dulwich Paragon.

Yeah. There’s always some people who don’t ‘get’ the Dun Run, thinking it’s a race to get to the coast first. And those people are Dulwich Paragon.

Last year I ate 2 bacon rolls, and 2 egg and bacon rolls, and some cake. In my defense I did cycle there and back.

Easily one of the best rides I’ve ever been on. Unfortunately I’m not sure if the weather will ever be so perfect again as it was in 2016.

As the others have said, it’s a fantastic experience if you’ve never done it before…..a ‘must do’.
I’ve ridden it several times, and have my longest ride to date of 280 km doing it :0)

MisterP – let me know if you’re thinking of riding there and back. Would be good to catch up and I’ve been meaning to ride this for a while.

have my longest ride to date of 280 km doing it :0)

280? Did your Garmin stop halfway back? 😛

Was 375km both ways when I was fool enough to do the double. Never. Again.

This was an email I received from the organisers of this so called friendly ride.I asked for a refund for the Dunwich Dynamo, not what I expected at all. Looks like I wasn’t the only one confused about the tickets…

Hi

Hmmmm – thought our site was clear?

How could it be clearer in your view?

RTFI usually!

Jim – Chris – another refund I’m afraid

Warmly

Andy

Southwark Cyclists Co-ordinator
Trustee Herne Hill Velodrome Trust

Andy Cawdell
andy@taylor-cawdell.com
telephone (w) ; +44 (0) 20 7639 0090
mobile +44 (0) 7930 353 207

Sign of the times at an optometrist’s office:
“If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
On 06/02/2017 10:38, Membership wrote:
> *From:*Andrew [mailto:******@hotmail.com] *Sent:* 03 February
2017 16:01 *To:* Membership *Subject:* Re: Receipt for Your Payment to London Cycling Campaign
Hello
I was confused as to whether the ‘Early Bird’ ticket was just to enable me to ride the Dunwich Dynamo. I have now found out that it is only for the coach.
As it wasn’t clear, can you please refund me the full cost of the ticket. It is still more than 5 months away, therefore I’d like the full cost returned please. My paypal address is the same as the one I am using here.
Thank you for your understanding
Andrew