2015-07-04 Dunwich Dynamo XXIII

How did it all go? Gutted to be missing it. Was meant to be starting my new job tomorrow and last year I was a little grouchy on Monday and Tuesday

Was great weather, although not much moonlight. Beautiful sunrise. That said I'm glad I'm not at the beach now- wet wet wet

First!

Got soaked on ride back to Ipswich. Glad I'm not due on a train today. Rail replacement service. Arf.

I'm still riding....knackered, fucking wet, but just about to tuck into a full English in marks tey.....I'm even sitting outside, coz I cants get no wetter!

Got soaked for the last 30km back home, but the rest of the ride was very jolly. Legs are now feeling a bit worse for wear, but I did it fixed, and the return journey home was 120km. #boastpost

My favourite thing from this year is the guy with the horn that sounded like a dying squeeky toy who was using it to reply to the spectators who shouted us on. Or maybe more than one person had those, it's all a bit of a blur.

My final dd, and at last got some lovely weather at the beach so swam in bib shorts. Perfection. If it's warm do not hesitate. No salty chaffing after effects on the Ride to Ipswich if you were wondering.

Even the rainstorm / Ipswich rail bridge debacle couldn't put a damper on this dynamo.

Nice to hear some positive vibes trickling in this thread ...

Now ... please ... did anybody keep the route instructions for me? Going to do this in daylight a week tomorrow.

Mine got soaked on the way back so is in the bin. I've logged it (in two parts, for irrelevant and boring reasons - up to the M25 and then beyond the M25) so I could send you a gpx file.

I've still got one, didn't even look at it in the end. Can scan/photo it for you

Best one yet for me, hope the GoPro footage of the descents comes out

so I could send you a gpx file

Do you even skull?

Mine is in good shape. Pick up from kings x

Fifth DunRun for me, and definitely my favourite. Left relatively early and pushed on a bit, managed to get to the beach to watch the sun come up.

Was nice and relaxing going early, no queues for things, although I was about 30 minutes early for the BBQ at the Fox in Finchingfield. Just about time for a bitter shandy while I waited and chatted to spectators.

Oh my god. I almost bailed at the last minute due to biological fail. Rallied and felt rather proud of myself at the beach. It was all going so well. Then finding the trains only went as far as Colchester due to a damaged bridge. And not being let on my specialty reserved and purchased ticket train. So, next train as far as Colchester. Waiting in a carpark while buses fill with non-bike passengers. Almost riding to Chelmsford then getting on a coach with dismantled bikes in the luggage hold. Getting to Chelmsford to a massively overcrowded train station. Riding back from Chelmsford into a hilly headwind. Having to walk two hills. Not being able to feel my toes except for pain.

I know you lot are all like "yeah, I just rode back, no big deal". But I've done an awful lot more riding in the last 24 hours than I really meant to :(

Best Dynamo EVER!

Vibes, weather, tent (GOALLL), pace, food, everything! To top it off, my tag-along totally smashed it, with not a single whimper over the whole ride, in denim hotpants on a clunky Carbolite. Well impressed.

Still feeling fresh, this is surreal!

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ps @hoefla sorry I didnt read your post first. Get some rest, have a bath. You'll recover.

I believe I have seen Skülly in the flesh on one occasion (the LFGSS CC velodrome day at Lee Valley). I take it he eschews electronic navigational aids, for which I salute him. I'm far too lazy not to.

It goes without saying that the instructions Skully requires should be written in runes carved into a clay tablet.

Was a good ride, I was proper grumpy at the start and nearly bailed for home a couple of times but I'm glad I rode to the beach, had a swim and seeing the rail reports, I'm glad to have been on a Southwark coach.

beautiful sunrise sky before during and after... up until the heavens opened for the cool-down which lasted duration of the ride to Ipswich, :-/

this sums up the feeling right now, after a bath,

Oh I certainly will. And yes it was a fantastic and beautiful dynamo. It's just the return journey was borked when I hoped it would be low effort... Now on my 3rd and hopefully final connection of public transport in central London, avec bike. This bit's going ok and there aren't any unexpected hills to deal with.
And yes, I'm looking forward to a shower when I get to destination.

We had a good time at the feed, despite quite a few volunteers having to drop out because of bad misfortune. There are always people on the ride who muck in when they arrive, so it was much less of a problem than it could have been. Thanks to all! Maybe it was because of the heat, but I can't remember feeling so knackered at the end of a feeding session before. We all had to have quick naps after everybody had gone through, which was at around 4am.

Highlights included seeing some forumengers, mainly middleofnowhere, Ramsaye, and howradmichello, plus a few quick snatched hellos with others. Also nice to meet Clockwise for the first time, albeit briefly. What was also good was seeing some Sible Hedingham residents help with directing people. Two people living there saw that a sign had been turned around and people were sent off riding along the wrong country lane, so they not only turned it back around but also used tape to spell out '<--- VILLAGE HALL <----' on the prominent wall at the turn. Thank you!

The village hall is great, and the best for miles around, but lots of people miss us because they either sweep round the bend at the bottom of Prayor's Hill (the hill you ride down when coming in from the direction of Wethersfield) and continue along Rectory Road (which always used to be the ride route before the feed moved to SH) or they miss the turning into Parkfields from Alexandra Road.

We experienced the downpour in the van back to London. I think we must have seen quite a few people riding back, a good number of likely candidates in and around Epping, with night riding kit on their bikes. This was around 11 or so, so they were making very good time if that was indeed what they were doing.

Well done all, and here's to next year.

Great timing to see the sky fade up into light at Needham lake, with its ducks.

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I believe I have seen Skülly in the flesh on one occasion (the LFGSS CC velodrome day at Lee Valley). I take it he eschews electronic navigational aids, for which I salute him. I'm far too lazy not to.

You probably mean 'I'm far too lazy to eschew them' rather than the opposite. :)

I am fairly sure that Skülly would not be in need of any navigational aids, traditional or electronic, once inside the velodrome and riding on the track. :)