Dunwich Dynamo 2018

Left earlier than usual, at about 7.15 to make up for the earlier sunset. Was nice and quiet through Epping, no annoyed drivers and it was easy to make progress on a section I like to get done as quickly as possible so you can relax into the ride.

At about 20 miles we were accosted by two kids shouting “FREE CAKE” so naturally had to stop. Brilliant brownie and banana bread. Thanks for that, baker person!

Made it to Sudbury without really noticing, and stopped for some very good food that we’d preordered from The Cyclist. We were in the first ten or so people arriving there apparently (this was at about 1120). Had a chat with some residents who’d come out to see what was going on, assume they were less chirpy and interested the later it got!

Was nice when the moon eventually broke through, casting shadows on the fields. I’m used to it getting light ish at about Brandeston, with Sunrise in the last 10 miles. This time it was still pitch black the whole way - never had to change the batteries in my front light before.

Made the beach at about 3:30am. Although we were earlier than normal this year I do think it seemed a bit quieter, even after a fry up and a nap on the beach it still wasn’t heaving at 5:30 / 6am.

Didn’t see any bad behaviour from riders or drivers this time, although did hear what sounded like a gravel based accident a bit behind us as a group went around a corner (had stopped in a field entrance for a bite).

@Bezzin
Amazing how different the ride is according to when you set off and how quickly you ride. I've never done a DD without seeing bad driving and inner-tubes etc left lying on the roadside, perhaps because I always tend to be running behind.

But like you, I've also never had a pitch-black ride all the way.

Thanks for that Oliver, you always cover all angles. I'm assuming that you didn't get wet.

Always good to remember Andrew Rawlings - for those unaware, Andrew was riding the DD in 2006 when he and another cyclist were hit by head on by a van that swerved into their lane.

According to court reports and witnesses, both cyclists were well illuminated, and there was ample streetlighting along High Weald, Essex where the incident took place. Unfortunately, Andrew didn't make it to the hospital. His companion had relatively minor injuries.

The driver responsible for suddenly taking Andrew from his wife and family was arrested and bailed, and eventually charged (not sure with what). He was convicted - £1000 fine, 1 year's driving ban.

There was some discussion among the organisers and shocked riders about the future of the Dynamo, but it was soon decided that it should continue to be held every year, in the same format.

Ola (Nishiki Alien)

Some very sad news. RIP Dominic

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:( RIP Dominic

That's ok, I didn't get to the beach until 9:30am. The double hit of ride leader stuff from Wimbledon to the freecycle and back made it 169 miles for me which was more but not too much.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1735695465

I passed 2 people having CPR with ambulances around them, one early near Epping that I was told had 6+ doctors stop(a driver+many riders), they had a heart attack/seizure/something while riding and stopped middle of the road, the oncoming driver was a doctor stopped and went straight into action. From what people have said that guy is recovering.

The 2nd was near Churchend, I had a puncture not long after and someone who stopped to help hold a light for me said she gave CPR until the ambulance team came, she didn't know if the rider was ok and it clearly played on her the whole ride as we seemed to keep the same time at stops. When I was riding up about a mile before I had the ambulance passs me then approaching seeing the blue lights and guy having CPR that will stay with me for a while.

Gerry+Paul D who work for CI did the ride raising funds for British Lung Foundation following Paul Lowe passing recently. They both made it to the beach.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gerry-del-guercio

Does anyone know if the 9 year old girl riding for her charity completed the ride?

Sad to hear, RIP Dominic

According to the Facebook group she did.

Great ride out. Left a bit too early and reached the beach at 3. Tried to sleep in a boat but it was too cold/windy. Can't believe people went in the water.
Got DAS'd but didn't spot who it was (I was in LS skinsuit)
Drank about 6 cups of tea.
Tagged on to some pretty pacy Penge riders until one managed to lose his bidons riding through a pot hole.
Saw @Pas142 briefly, did you do the double?

Slogged the double, rain most of the way and headwind all of the way!
Found a nice bunch of peeps also doing the double. Then we manage to have a crash and 3 punctures in the last 40k.
Was still worth it, met some sound guys!

Excellent ride. Left around 19:30. Got there for 4:20.
Started in a group of 9 casual cycling friends but quickly split into 2 groups.
Managed to form some good chain gangs amongst our 4 and assorted groups of proper pacy roadies (thanks all).
Das'ed someone in the lfgss skinsuit, may well have been @psg1ben
Was close to abandoning before we even left Hackney after my idiot friend pulled a wheely out of the lights, lost control, and promptly bashed into my front wheel untruing the whole thing. Managed to retrue and get there albeit a little wobbly-y.
Big fan of:

• the family who ran out and offered free cake. So joyful. Massive props
  
• the Sudbury DD sign
  
• the dip. Warmer in than out
  
• all the places that let us refill water
  
• only going off course for 5k. A new nav PB
  
• tailwind
  

Had a mostly good run, my second Dynamo and much faster than last year. Off from Hackney at 7.30 to beat the crowds, Sudbury by midnight, the beach by 4.30am. Had fully intended to cycle back but my insides felt, well, awful and I just couldn't face it. No idea what happened. I'm normally good for long rides. Had to wait for 4 hours for the Penge coach to leave.

@Oliver_Schick nice to meet you! Sorry for my lack of words, really wasn't feeling right.

Great to see you as always! Yep did the double. We had a bacon sandwich at the cafe (got there for 330am and waited 30mins for the privallage) and decided to push on as we knew that the combo of rain and headwind was Always going to be unpleasant - so better to get it over and done with!

Chapeau!

I rode it this year on my Bullitt, I thought it would be a good test ahead of potentially doing some cargo bike touring.

Set off at about 19:15, made it to the beach around 6am with a fair few stops. Bike and bag weighed about 33Kg, which was OK on the flat, but you do feel it a fair bit on the hills.

Great to hear from you, Ola, and if you want to get your username back, e-mail Velocio with the e-mail address you now want to use and he'll merge the accounts.

No, I didn't get wet--the rain didn't start on the beach until about 9 and by that time I was sitting on the departing coach.

Was it Rawlings or Rawling? I always remember Rawling. Anyway, by far the lowest point of the DD so far, which has overall remained largely incident-free.

Shame to hear about Dominic. Was he the rider on the A104 or the second rider Clockwise mentioned?

Thetre seem to be medical incidents like that at many mass events like the London Marathon (and doubtless others around the world). Still always sad when you think that if they hadn't ridden that night they might have been OK. RIP Dominic.

Give yourself a pat on the back for the 169 miles.

And that leaving early thing. I mean, I do understand the desire to 'beat the crowds' (quoting Niki), but it thins out so much even along the A104 that it's never seemed a problem for me. I remember riding it fairly fast one year and we caught two people who said they'd left at 4pm. They were incredibly slow, though. I can completely understand it for that reason. I suppose it's good if you just want to do the DD more slowly, e.g. stopping a lot (all the most experienced riders try to do it as slowly as possible and doing it fast is really a beginner's mistake), but what it leads to, in my experience, is just the start getting pushed further and further forward, as people tend to do the same thing as other people. Overall I wish people would leave at roughly the same time, and I've always found 9pm ideal, as it's calculated to take in the whole night and then the dawn across the Suffolk prairies. Mind you, with this year's World Cup-caused late date, the dusk was earlier and the dawn later.

@Mikenetic was that your pink one? You got papped by my pal!

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Yep, that's mine!

Was my first Dynamo. We left just after 20:00 and arrived at about 05:20. As an experience this felt right as we left in the light and arrived at sunrise. We ride at a fair pace but stopped at 3 places along the way for longer breaks and a couple of spontaneous shorter breaks roadside.
I really enjoyed it, thanks to my newly acquainted friends from the forum. I didn’t see any poor behaviour, bad bike handling or dodgy driving.

The train staff at Ipswich were well organised and very helpful, with water to hand. Something to note they mentioned the “new” trains will only accommodate 6 bikes, so will make this a fairly unfeasible option in the future.

I spotted this as I was leaving, you were just arriving.
Firmly focused on transition from road to car park surface :-)

Loved the disco lights

Spotted your arrival to the beach as I was getting ready to ride back. Was very jealous of your stove, was that a collapsible kettle?

Yep - the kettle belongs to my mate. It's collapsible and has a metal base, you can get them off Amazon for less than £20 (other retailers are available) - first time he'd used it, and we were impressed.

The stove is an MSR PocketRocket - had it for years, it's excellent.