2010-07-24 - Dunwich Dynamo DD18

And of course the majority of riders are what make the dynamo very different from what it used to be.

The myth is that it was started by a bunch of couriers heading East-North-East-ish from London and not stopping until the seaside, but that is just bollocks.

In reality it started as a pay-to-enter event for recumbents run by Patrick Field. It quickly grew to be too big an organisational headache (they had marquees setup at Dunwich for the finishers) that it (under Barry's oversight) became a free ride staffed by volunteers and funded by routesheet sales and goodwill. The hipsters chose to claim it as theirs and the courier myth was born.

(To the previous person; not TSK) It's what you want it to be, but when you stop liking what it's is slowly becoming then you'll see our point.

I'd do it again, but only because I take my own food and can avoid the queues at the half-way feed stop, plus I'm used to the distance so I can take in more of the event, especially if I ride home again. Next year I'd be tempted to do it in reverse. Get a train to Darsham for 9pm-ish on Saturday and cycle home overnight. Transport problems solved, plus I'll get a good few hours of occasional contact with other riders.

If my knees get used to distances, I might do a Nick next year! If not, better not.

Go Pascal!

The further I am from the previous return journey, the more I fancy the next.

Well, like I said, it all depends on me knees. Not everyone is young and springy like you and Tom.

Next year I'd be tempted to do it in reverse. Get a train to Darsham for 9pm-ish on Saturday and cycle home overnight. Transport problems solved, plus I'll get a good few hours of occasional contact with other riders.

I could be tempted by that. Could even use the lfgss wagon for a feed station. Do you fancy some company? If so we can run a book on how many people say "you're going the wrong way", how many follow us because they think they're going the wrong way and when we see the last rider through.

^^Funny, I've recently been considering how much springyness I have left. I reckon there's enough, but apparently I've a lot of peddling to do.

I could be tempted by that. Could even use the lfgss wagon for a feed station. Do you fancy some company?

Cunning.

But, no chance next year. I'm doing a minimal SR to qualify for PBP and then PBP itself. Baby GB means I have to keep my riding to a minimum.

SR will be based on gratuitously hilly rides although I'll probably end up doing them on the geared bike as I won't have the time I had in the run up to LEL to get the hilly fixed miles in (The Dean 300, Elenith 300 and Bryan Chapman 600 all done on fixed last year, along with LEL). I wouldn't attempt the Kernow & South West (my planned 600 for 2011) on fixed without doing it on gears first anyway as it's just a little bit bonkers (and lots of short 10%+ climbs and drops rather than nicely graded Welsh climbing).

PBP will be done on fixed naturally, there's no gratuitous climbing at all, and plenty of miles of fixed commuting between now and then should help get my knees back into the fixed routine.

[EDIT] Anyway, as far as DD is concerned, riding back is the easiest way to do it. Big fry-up breakfast at the Dunwich cafe and hit the road again. Second breakfast in mumble can't remember, will look at GPS tracklog, and then disengage brain for the remainder of the ride. I remember I made it back to London in time to be cycling along Lambeth Palace Road with a couple of other people who'd just got back via the coach and were cycling home to South London. Those last 10km seemed to never end...

The myth is that it was started by a bunch of couriers heading East-North-East-ish from London and not stopping until the seaside, but that is just bollocks.

Patrick and Barry have been known to spread that myth ...

In reality it started as a pay-to-enter event for recumbents run by Patrick Field. It quickly grew to be too big an organisational headache (they had marquees setup at Dunwich for the finishers) that it (under Barry's oversight) became a free ride staffed by volunteers and funded by routesheet sales and goodwill. The hipsters chose to claim it as theirs and the courier myth was born.

As far as I know, it re-started as a free event before Barry's involvement--he soon took up the slack, though, because people were finding it hard to get home. The coaches have certainly been one of the main factors in the ride's growth.

Patrick and Barry have been known to spread that myth

Part of it was from a post I read from Darth Stuart from bikefix, I thought there was also a BarryGram that confirmed it (which is why it stuck in my head). The rest was based on hazy memories of conversations I had whilst riding with Patrick on LEL; on the 2nd night between Longtown and Eskdalemuir, and again on day/night 5 between Gamlingay and the finish.

Just because they've spread it doesn't mean that it has to be true. :)

I'd do it again, but only because I take my own food and can avoid the queues at the half-way feed stop.

Would it be feasible to have a vans carrying food for the people of the LFGSS on the DD? so we'll be able to avoid the feed stop queue?

The last pay per ride version was run by Patrick, Mosquito (sic ) and a bit of bike fix in , I think 98. I did it . There were two more food stops and bike checks by Darth Stuart; imagine the contempt you might have recieved .

It was Patrick' s thing thereafter and then Barry came along , first via greenwich lcc and then via Southwark lcc . I ve never quite worked out where he lives

I think there is some truth in the courier myth, it certainly grew out of the courier, recumbent bike fix scene of the mid 90s. This was before forums.

I have been of the view that Barry and Patrick , as the event has grown, have been a bit negligent as to the consequences of that growth , and I am person all for autonomous self organisation. I just think they are missing a trick by not attempting to involve local communities and clubs in its running. Extra organisation would not alter its character and we might get some people into the clubs which organise the majority of the events you might also want to ride. though that's not to say those clubs are not guilty of being more concerned with running" their events" than attracting new members.

The DD is , i suspect , at a tipping point , perhaps some honesty about the event and its future is needed.

Phew, for a moment there I was worried you might go out on a stolen cycle. ;P

Jus' like that!

Would it be feasible to have a vans carrying food for the people of the LFGSS on the DD? so we'll be able to avoid the feed stop queue?

That's what we did this year so yes, I would say that it is completely feasible.

I have been of the view that Barry and Patrick , as the event has grown, have been a bit negligent as to the consequences of that growth , and I am person all for autonomous self organisation. I just think they are missing a trick by not attempting to involve local communities and clubs in its running. Extra organisation would not alter its character and we might get some people into the clubs which organise the majority of the events you might also want to ride. though that's not to say those clubs are not guilty of being more concerned with running" their events" than attracting new members.

They haven't really been negligent.

Back in 2004 there were about 350-400 riders and that was completely managable. 2005 was, I think, still less than 500. This level of ridership didn't really require any more organisation than is currently offered by the return coaches, the feed station and the Flora cafe. At this time, the police, specifically the Met were taking an interest in this kind of ride and wondering if they should be prevented (this was also the time of the big Critical Mass fiasco). Actual organisation would have attracted a lot in the way of liabilities, responsibilities and meant that the organised part of it may have to be cancelled unless you charged for entry. (Take a look at the concerns and possible consequences of unregistered riders on the Tweed Run).
In 2007 the starting ridership was possible 600 and finishing probably 450ish. It's only in the last 3 years that the growth has been particularly large and the only indication of expected numbers has come close to the start of the ride with a flurry in SC coach bookings. When I spoke to Barry at the end of last year's ride, the expectation was that the 1000ish riders was a bit of a one off. Add into that the point of the ride that it is free, unorganised and unsupported and something that needs to be preserved.

I have been of the view that Barry and Patrick , as the event has grown, have been a bit negligent as to the consequences of that growth , and I am person all for autonomous self organisation. I just think they are missing a trick by not attempting to involve local communities and clubs in its running. Extra organisation would not alter its character and we might get some people into the clubs which organise the majority of the events you might also want to ride. though that's not to say those clubs are not guilty of being more concerned with running" their events" than attracting new members.

The DD is , i suspect , at a tipping point , perhaps some honesty about the event and its future is needed.

To my mind, the DD has its charm and appeal given to it precisely by the current level of organisation. It's all done by volunteers--what they can do determines what can be done. Likewise, why not look to the local communities to get involved themselves?

At the end of the day, the ride passes through areas pretty quickly. You might be able to have one or two additional feed stations (as apparently there used to be), or people might take their own initiative, like the house that apparently set up a small cafe in their garden this year, but options for 'involvement' are really quite limited.

The one thing that I think would be useful would be to put on different trains from Darsham that can take larger numbers of people to Ipswich, but I think that has been explored and didn't happen, although I don't know why.

I think if it grows, it'll grow naturally, and what accompanies it will grow naturally, and you have to let that run its course.

I think that the reason that different trains from Darsham didn't happen was because the carrier at the time "one" didn't want to be bothered with additional shunting and coupling on a Sunday morning. A repetition of the rail industries Cant Do attitude. IIRC the BHF L2B was cited.

Shunting and coupling? Whatever next? Ooohh vicar ...

To my mind, the DD has its charm and appeal given to it precisely by the current level of organisation. It's all done by volunteers--what they can do determines what can be done. Likewise, why not look to the local communities to get involved themselves?

I think, Oliver, that's what I was suggesting. Perhaps the WI opening up in Dunmow or Oxford?

Yes, but leave it up to their intiative. Wait until they feel they want to get involved. I didn't make clear enough what I meant, I think.

The one thing that I think would be useful would be to put on different trains from Darsham that can take larger numbers of people to Ipswich, but I think that has been explored and didn't happen, although I don't know why.

agree.

Got any spare rolling a stock to take 1000 bikes ?

I don't think National Express do

Got any spare rolling a stock to take 1000 bikes ?

I think someone over on yacf with some connections in railways made some enquiries about running some a special train (or trains) with plenty of space for bikes using the Leiston/Sizewell branch all the way into London.

The biggest problem is that it's just too expensive. It's a one off with too high a cost of getting the train made up, from the depot to the east coast, staffing it with a guard and driver, getting it back to the depot after it's been used, etc, etc.

Unless, of course, you can find enough people happy to pay £30+ to get such a train, and that's for a single train; if you want to run it back/forth between Dunwich and London to give people a few options for leaving times then it's only going to get more expensive as it'll be needed for longer.

In the past, they usually shunts wagons together to transport them from A to B (they use to have huge shunt yard all over the country for this purpose), but nowadays we have 'block train' without needing to spilt up, resized, etc. eliminating the need for shunting, the same goes for passenger train which have a multiple units (like the Eurostar for example), which is why the cost is too high to simply shunt together a train specificity for the DD.

However in the past, it wasn't uncommon for the railways to simply add one more carriage if there's too many passenger at the next stop, hence why in the past you can have those easily without extra cost.