Dunwich Dynamo 2018

Noticed this hasn't been created yet. Whos planning on doing it this year?

Didn't get a place at Ride London so this was my plan B.

Coach tickets are still on sale by the looks of it:
https://southwarkcyclists.org.uk/product/dunwich-dynamo-xxvi-2829-july-2018/

Also whats the deal with coaches back, I haven't heard good things.

I haven't done this for several years now, but the issue was always the long wait. The 2 or 3 removals lorries turn up about 2hrs after the coaches. Not too bad if you're expecting the long wait. If the weather isn't too kind there's The Gregorian pub on the other side of Jamaica Rd. (never been in there tho)

... also, there are so many riders these days that you never get that "4 in the morning, not a red blinky light in sight, did I take a wrong turn" thing, which I think detracts from what it used to be. A victim of it's own success I suppose.

If you go, I'd advise taking your own food so you can miss the loooooong wait at the food stop. Cheese & pickle sarnies are my choice - if you're wondering

also, take a microfleece towel. A quick dip in the North Sea & you'll feel refreshed - and warm when you get out (it's fuckin' cold!)

I never experienced it years ago.
But despite one or two dicks. Still the cycling highlight of the year for me.

All of this is easily solved by riding back.

I did it last year for the first time and it was great. Stopping for food and a hot drink at the fire station took a long time because of how busy it was.
I didn't have any trouble us if the coaches, bikes turned up roughly the same time as us.
I'll be there again this year.

@ian(conker) nice one for the tips!

@winnifred0001 yeah I'm kind of thinking thats the option but do want a backup plan if I most likely change my mind when we arrive at Dunwich.

@psg1ben Good to hear, will probably book a coach and hope for the best haha

Coaches were fine last year - bikes arrived similar time back in London. Perhaps they've changed the system - seemed to be specific removals lorries for the specific timed coaches, so 9am lorry would leave Dunwich same time as 9am coach. Queuing traffic back into London wasn't much fun though - took about an hour from when I thought "ooh, nearly back in London!". There's a pizza place operating out of a shipping container by Surrey Quays Tesco that is good for post-coach sustenance.

Works by you queuing on the beach on arrival in Dunwich to get a slip saying which time bus you'll be on - first come first served, so recommend doing that fairly sharpish once you're there, unless you want to hang around for a long time.

Echo the above re: queues at all the food places. Also, about 30 meters after every crazy busy pub in Essex there seemed to be another pub, but much quieter!

I made the mistake of following red lights that went the wrong way a couple of times

If I do it I'll ride there and back.

I found there are so many mildly different gpx files out there that there was quite a lot of natural variation in routes once out of London. Was a bit unnerving at times as my partner and I would occasionally split off from everyone else down pitch black lanes.

Also, sat in a bus stop (Or bandstand, can't remember) somewhere near Dunwich having a sandwich and watching the 50/50 split between riders passing to our left/right. Then lost riders asking us "which way??". "Both!"

Yeah I'd noticed some splits. Makes it more fun meeting up with someone you saw peel off I guess

think i'm going to do this at last. early bird coach back price is pretty reasonable

Yeah, now I've been paid think I'm gonna book that early bird coach ticket. Looking forward to this!

I didn't realize its the same weekend as the ride 100.

This ^ is Good Thing. Might make the Dynamo a bit less mamil.

It's very late this year!

I might have to start a splinter ride as I think I'm on hols.

Exactly my thoughts!

I'll be riding it with my friend Charlotte again I think, most likely bump into people as we ride.

Yeah fair point. I was keen to do both but this will have to take a back seat.

This ^ is Good Thing. Might make the Dynamo a bit less mamil.

Only a tiny % of Mamils get an entry to Ride London.

What’re the conditions like for bikes on the removal trucks? Are they packed well?

Did the double a couple of years ago, my family live in Ipswich, so rode with my uncle and some mates down to London on saturday, did the dynamo and rode home, probably my best ever day - and night - on a bike, been wanting to come back ever since, this year I will be!

Me and some friends are touring along the south coast during the preceding week, finishing with the dynamo, should be a cracking week! If anything the thing we need to get cracking on is the route for the week before hand.

No, they're not. It's not like they bash them around, but they are just lined up all against each other. If you have something very precious it's prob wise to arrange alternative transport, otherwise just go for it.

Do the pizza container as @Brookly_Bay suggests. Share a pizza with a mate, and bikes will likely arrive as you finish. Not bad at all.