2009-07-04 Sat - Dunwich Dynamo 2009

Fat 15 year old girls on Halfords dual-suspension mountain bikes did it last year so don't over-engineer your anxiety, you'll be fine.

I did it a few years ago on a hybrid after making the decision about 30 minutes before it started. 3 of my equally clued-up friends (2 hybrids and 1 mountain bike) came too and I think we were pretty much last in.

We all found the distance, hills (I kept telling myself that it would be mostly downhill since we were going to the beach - it's not) and lack of sleep (we were slow) difficult but it was probably the first time any of us had ridden in the countryside for about 15 years.

I'm keen to do it again although my only bikes are the trusty hybrid and my fixed gear. Maybe I should get a nice but cheap road bike. Either way I'm definitely going to do some sort of training.

Nice rock.

I wouldn't sweat too much about training.
Anybody can do that distance.

I'd say:

Eat well in the days preceding the ride.
Service your bike prior to the ride.

Take decent portable food and plenty of fluids. Eat and drink regularly, before you get hungry/hit wall etc.
Wear padded bike shorts (under your normal cycling attire or whatever)
Take some decent layers.

Get/borrow decent lights and or ride with someone who has them, take spare batteries.
Bring a selection of tools, split the load with your friends if needs be.
Bring spare chainring bolts and a length of chain, if not for you, someone else might get caught short.
Bring a few spare spokes.

Most importantly: Do not worry about being fast, pace yourself. You will get there in the end and you certainly will not be the slowest in.

Fat 15 year old girls on Halfords dual-suspension mountain bikes did it last year so don't over-engineer your anxiety, you'll be fine.

Nice one MA3K!

And as for pacing, if you've not done this distance before, don't follow MA3K.. he will smoke you and leave your quivering body for the locals to find. ;)

Above riding about 60 miles, the most important training that you can do is learning to draft. This will make the ride much easier, although the views might be less enjoyable.

That is so last year. ;)

"Above riding about 60 miles, the most important training that you cando is learning to draft. This will make the ride much easier, althoughthe views might be less enjoyable."

Depends who you draft :)

And what you like to look at.

Fat 15 year old girls

that's all I needed to hear - I'm in. And I need an excuse to quit smoking....

i am in too!

I'll be there again - perhaps on a geared Pogliaghi again.

I rode ss in 2005, fixed in 2006 and geared in 2008 and although I was unfit in 2008 it was a much faster ride. My friend and I got to the cafe about 5th/6th; having spotted a small group of red lights ahead of us a couple of miles shy of the coast we did a full-pelt two-up TT style ride over the heath and so nearly caught them on the last couple of bends before the beach. The cafe owner was complaining bitterly (happily really, I suspect) about how early people were arriving.

That's because some people are muppets and leave early, TT it down there to be "first".
Epic 'point of the ride' fail.

Never really understand why loads of people rush there as fast as possible.
You miss most of the lovely views of the Suffolk countryside as the sun comes up and then have to hang around for food and transport back home.

That's because some people are muppets and leave early, TT it down there to be "first".
Epic 'point of the ride' fail.

Never really understand why loads of people rush there as fast as possible.
You miss most of the lovely views of the Suffolk countryside as the sun comes up and then have to hang around for food and transport back home.

Depends on what you prefer, really. I've done it slowly as well, in 2004, but I didn't like it that much. I ride with a mate of mine who lives near Dunwich. We ride it fast and usually aim to be in Dunwich before 4:30 to see the sunrise on the beach. It's just our rhythm which we've established over the years and we both like it that way.

I then don't hang around much, either, but try to get to Ipswich quickly. I wouldn't wait for the coach or sleep on the beach, but then for other people going swimming is their high point of the ride. Each to their own.

Perhaps in many years I'll be one of those grizzled Dunwichers who like riding as slowly as possible, stopping at every pub, socialising as much as possible, all to make the ride last as long as possible, but I'm not quite there yet.

Never really understand why loads of people rush there as fast as possible.
You miss most of the lovely views of the Suffolk countryside as the sun comes up and then have to hang around for food and transport back home.

Partly true, but then again it's not often that I get a chance to push myself, and the friend I was riding with was keen to redeem himslef for the slow ride he did in 2005.

As for food - did any of you see the food, drinks and shelter being laid on from the back of a car from about 4am onwards? The most delicious home-made stuff, beer, cakes, freshly brewed coffee, all served up by a pair of angels who had parked on the beach the night before. "Hanging around" for transport back home was one of the best bits!

And when the transport home arrived, it took the shape of a comfortable family car (complete with family) and whisked me off for a pub lunch (with Adnams) in Orford before the sleepy drive back to Londonton.

Mind you, this year I do plan to take it more gently and perhaps pootle back on the bike as well.

That's because some people are muppets and leave early, TT it down there to be "first".
Epic 'point of the ride' fail.

huge fail.
if there's one ride that really isn't any kind of race...there are plenty of sportives and real races across the calender!

still, I expect these are the same type of people who think the 0830 fluro commuter peloton is a "race" and would shit themselves in a crit or on the track

i'm in, barring any friends inconveniently getting married on that day, as they did last year.

done it geared, so will do it fixed this time. IMO anyone with a few miles in their legs and a hipflask full of HTFU juice will both be capable of doing it and also enjoy it.

BTW - is that the weekend of the start of the tour? could be EPIC

Partly true, but then again it's not often that I get a chance to push myself

Hogwash, you can push yourself any time you like. There's audaxes and sportives on every weekend of the year.

hipflask full of HTFU juice will both be capable of doing it and also enjoy it.

My local shop doesn't sell HTFU juice, do you reckong I'll get by with a hipflask of Speyside?

Halfords dual-suspension mountain bikes

don't over-engineer your anxiety

I enjoyed that linguistic virtuosity, thanks.

Hogwash, you can push yourself any time you like. There's audaxes and sportives on every weekend of the year.

Hogwash? That's a very restrained turn of phrase! I thank you!

Actually, with my other commitments the DD is one of a limited number of times in the year when I can spend several hours riding at whatever pace I choose. I do manage a fair proportion of the Friday Night Rides to the Coast but they don't always provide opportunities for much whizzing, as there's usually a lot of regrouping and waiting.

I don't fancy all the organised lycra of a sportive, nor the expense, and I've yet to dip my toe in the scary world of audax.

The DunRun is whatever you want to make of it. I didn't know it had a point other than to enjoy it.

I've yet to dip my toe in the scary world of audax.

Audax isn't a scary world. It's like sportives but slower, with better food, the option of beer, better conversation and less lycra. In fact the only real downside is facing the fact that you will be beaten around the route by someone twice your age.

I think it's the distances that scare me more than the sandals (hey, I ride with full mudguards and a carradice), combined with the fact that at least some of the audaxers I know display signs of quasi-religious zeal, particularly once they're on the subject of PBP or LEL. Nice folk, certainly, but it seems to take quite a lot of commitment.

PS I did consider starting out with the Poor Student this year, so I'm not really that scared...

what's all the fuss about anyway, dulwich isn't that far!

Pro Plus washed down with Red Bull ftw.

I'm in.