2015-07-04 Dunwich Dynamo XXIII

I don't know what's going on with the trains, Yemble. Southwark Cyclists tried to work with the train company in past years, but I don't know if they're doing it this year. I can ask if you want me to?

On another topic:

Would you be keen to volunteer at the DD feed stop this year? It's at Sible Hedingham and reasonable travel expenses will be paid (e.g., train to Sudbury from London). The work includes cooking, making and serving tea and coffee, etc. and you can be there for as long as you like; the busiest time is from midnight to around three, but we start preparing things at around noon the previous day. Proceeds go in equal parts to the London Courier Emergency Fund (LCEF) and to Hackney Cycling Campaign. If you're interested, send me a PM.

I posted the anglia trains link above, there's a page on their website somewhere, but it looks less generous than before.

Yes, Yemble quotes from that page:

http://www.abelliogreateranglia.co.uk/dunwich-dynamo-restrictions

"Due to the growing popularity of the annual Dunwich Dynamo cycle event, and to maintain a punctual and safe service, Abellio Greater Anglia will this year introduce partial cycle restrictions on its network on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July. A question and answer section is at the bottom of this page."

It's just the usual thing, not quite as radical as what happened to the London-Brighton service, but still a shame that their reaction is to introduce partial restrictions. They did try to lay on extra carriages on the East Suffolk line (might have been two years ago) but for some reason I think it didn't work too well. @Miss_Mouse might remember what happened.

fucking trains
run by fucknuts
operated by on the ground experts

Train reservations just opened:
http://www.abelliogreateranglia.co.uk/dunwich-dynamo-reservation

a slight experimental twist on the official route,
2015-07-04 Sea swimming at Dunwich followed by the DD XXIII in-reverse
http://www.lfgss.com/conversations/251946/

Myself and the bike now booked in on the 3pm Ipswich to Liverpool St train.

Anyone on the Southwark coach home? Which are your tickets? I've printed out myriad confirmations and receipts to prove my 2 seats, but there isn't anything that's obviously a ticket.

Email I got seemed to say it was the bar code that's the important bit.

Yeah I think they are scanning barcodes it's like a square one probably have someone with a mobile phone scanning them.

Cheers, tango that

Anyone need a coach ticket? I've put my back out and don't think I can do the ride now.

Fairly convinced I really don't want to do this ride again - the amount of enjoyment I have got from the ride has declined each year, mainly due to its vast increase in numbers and the growing dominance of an approach to cycling that is not really my cup of tea. Or some shit like that.

I quite like howrad's reverse ride, particularly the prospect of greeting the club riders as they think they're about to be the first to reach the beach, but I'm not sure I'll have the time/energy to spare to ride across to Dunwich on the Saturday afternoon, as our first-born is having her 21st birthday party on the Friday night and there'll be some recalibration needed after that.

^ This, though I think last year the weather didn't help.

If I do anything it'll be the reverse one, but I'll train it out to Dunwich and ride to London.

Anyone have a GPS track from last year they could share with me?

Planning to ride out and back but thinking I will ride it as a DIY for Audax purposes so need to check my distances.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2880606

Cheers!

Anyone got a spare coach ticket?
Liam
l.glenmurdoch@gmail.com

...what don't you like Ludd?

I've never done this before but was thinking of doing it this year

What's the go to lighting for DD on the cheap (say under £30) these days? A couple of CREEs like http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-Upgraded-CREE-Q5-LED-Cycling-Bicycle/300974666342?

Yep, they'll do you right. Just take a spare set of batteries because they drain pretty quick on full power

I'll dig out my notes for you shortly, Eagle Glenn. It's a brilliant ride but I think I've had enough of it now. Added to which, I've just shredded my left calf muscle and am therefore unlikely to do any rides in the next month or so.

Here's what I said when asked about this the other day. It's just my subjective take on the ride, other people may have a completely different and perfectly valid take on it and I may have given in to the temptation to engage in some unjustified mud-slinging.

Sorry if I sounded a bit negative - I'm sure it'll still be a really fun ride, but I've seen it change from a really laid back and co-operative ride of a few hundred people into something less appealing. Just a few examples:

(a) riders stopping without warning (no signal, no calling out, no looking over the shoulder) to get an energy gel out of their bag before we've even reached the M25;

(b) riders not paying attention and slamming into my back wheel when I've done an emergency stop because of (a) above;

(c) riders littering the verges with gel wrappers,

(d) riders peeing in people's front gardens,

(e) riders stopping at every junction because they can't be bothered to read the route sheet or look out for the arrows,

(f) riders following you when you deliberately take a diversion to Cretingham to avoid the crowds,

(g) riders stopping in huge crowds in the middle of the road outside the pubs in Moreton and Fyfield and blocking the road for other riders and for motorists,

(h) riders generally disrupting the peace of the night, and in particular stopping outside people's houses at 4am and having loud discussions about directions without thinking about the people they're waking up/keeping awake or about the other riders who might otherwise be enjoying the peace of the ride,

(i) groups of club riders hurtling past too close for comfort and then crashing spectacularly when one of them drops their bike light,

(j) riders with lights that replace night with day and take away half the magic of night riding,

(k) the queue for breakfast at Dunwich.

But there are still fantastic bits:

(l) pausing with another rider while he fixes a puncture, and a barn owl swoops past us to have a look at what's going on,

(m) the candles in jars as you approach the food stop,

(n) families who set out their chairs in their front gardens to watch us go by and cheer us on,

(o) yoofs in cars in Epping who ask us where we're going, and are genuinely speechless when we tell them we're going to the seaside,

(p) those magical last few miles over the heathland between Darsham and Dunwich as it's getting light,

(q) the occasional penny farthing, unicycle etc

(r) being able to stop for a pint of Adnams at the pub in Finchingfield and watch the ride swooping round the village green and up the one tiny steep slope of the whole ride,

(s) having the freedom to wander off route for peace and quiet from time to time,

(t) sharing the experience with a constantly changing mixture of friends and strangers,

(u) lying on the beach at Dunwich and listening to the peaceful chatter of tired riders, the waves on the shingle and the calls of seabirds,

(v) being taken out for a pub lunch by your partner and then driven home.

Great list, totally agree! I find a lot of the negatives can be avoided by just leaving earlier or later than the main bunch. Do it on your own terms.