2011-07-16/17 Sat/Sun - Dunwich Dynamo DD19

Next to none. Last year I think the last of the forum rolled in at around 10.30am. It's a minimum of a 3 hour journey back to London and to unload.

I think it's doable but it might be a bit hectic. Ben, you can only do it if you can get someone to drive a car up there for you. You wouldn't be able to do it by train. I should think that you should be able to get to Dunwich between 6-8am. You would then have to catch your lift there immediately.

The last day for cheap coach tickets with Southwark Cyclists is 31st May, at which point they go from £14 to £27, so it would be best if a decision either way on a forum coach was made by then.

Last year I drove the largest white van I could lay my hands on and it was, in short, wasn't large enough by at least ten bikes. Even with a forum wedding (seriously, what self respecting cyclist set up a wedding on DD weekend) I reckon this year will be at least as popular as last year.

Couple of bits of advice for the van driver.

1) Park the other side of the park from the pub to avoid clashing with cyclists when you leave.
2) When you get to the beach, park close to the entrance to the parking area to avoid clashing with cyclists.
3) When you start driving away from the beach, don't even think about getting above 20mph until you've cleared the heath and got through Westleton.
4) If you do set up and alternative food stop, the location last time in Sudbury was pretty much ideal. As far as I can tell I didn't piss off any of the locals and was easily spotted by all people.
As a suggestion, in order to run a support vehicle and to operate within the budget, two large white vans might fit the bill. Also, Big Yellow Storage sells large rolls of bubblewrap at a reasonable price. Good luck to whoever picks up this task, it's kind of fun and a pretty rewarding experience.

Im thinking a transit luton box van. did you only have one level of bikes tsk or did you manage to get some on top (possibly laying flat with loads of bubblewrap?) then I could drive the van without any problem. (dont have the licence for anything larger than the biggest transit.)

if im not doing the van and someone else does it, im officially offering my services for a back/food stop/luggage wagon/broom waggon/ambulance in a renault espace for the people on the coach/any foremengers. also doubles up and might actually be able to hold 5 bikes on its own.

I like the idea of two large vans. I would offer my services for one at least. anyone for the other?

I might be able to be convinced. Have been thinking about it for a few days; I'd love to ride but know how ace the forum bus and van was last year, and how awful the Southwark lot had it.

Also don't have the licence for anything out of the ordinary though so it'd have to be two big transits.

What happened to the idea of hiring bus + driver and small lorry + driver? I'd be up for doing the clipboard-bit (my flatmate calls me clipbard Kate when I'm organising bike races for my kids at school). Plus am up for an extra-early start (6pm or something) and trying to hang on to Paragon in order to get to the beach nice and early.

im still looking into the options. i need to pm David over the weekend to get a bit more info about what it involves. idea is still

coach plus driver and
larger truck+driver/two smaller vans. if it was the larger truck+driver i would offer to be the support waggon for everyone on the night.

The reason I suggest alternatives to a luton is that after Sudbury, the route gets into lanes that are quite a bit tighter and picking up stranded riders gets a lot more difficult, particularly around lots of other tired cyclists.

We did have bikes stacked on top of bikes in the van and still too small.

If you can get a luton with a driver and drive a car then that would probably work pretty well. Best thing I can suggest is that someone make a firm commitment to organise van and coach now and sort out the actual vehicles in a couple of weeks time when numbers are a bit clearer.

pmming da boss man now....

/not a firm commitment just after moar info...

1. Sparky
   
2. Branwen
   
3. kboy
   
4. Shinigami
   
5. Cafewanda
   
6. pt
   
7. Digger
   
8. Oliver Schick
   
9. machineisbored
   
10. Cg
    
11. Fox
    
12. Johnbobsquarepants
    
13. shambolic
    
14. dicki
    
15. FridayMarch26th
    16.Shoosh
    
16. conker (riding home - from Smithfields)
    
17. Ark Minor
    
18. JAH tim-on-sea
    
19. leifal
    
20. pascalo
    
21. JaRyder +1
    
22. lardboy
    
23. LittleHeather
    
24. tom k&e
    
25. S/J
    
26. Spenceey
    
27. stupidPony
    
28. stupidPonys imaginary friend G.Love.
    
29. Clever Pun
    
30. nneil
    
31. Ramaye
    
32. Bikeman
    
33. Mark Cult
    
34. mattty +1
    
35. PaulR
    
36. Rossi75
    
37. TSK (silly oop norf route)
    
38. upstart
    
39. juanito
    
40. Tiswas
    
41. The Original Mexican Bob (common list fucker upper)
    
42. Katie-Coo +1
    
43. friar tuck
    
44. laner
    
45. Stonehedge (If I am ok after my 350mi ride a week before)
    
46. Soul
    
47. alexmckerrell + my dad is he's up for it
    
48. dimi3
    
49. 105champ
    
50. ChainBreaker
    
51. middleofnowhere
    
52. Sumo - on a bmx
    
53. jenny j
    
54. Loafheads
    
55. nelaii
    

1. Sparky
   
2. Branwen
   
3. kboy
   
4. Shinigami
   
5. Cafewanda
   
6. pt
   
7. Digger
   
8. Oliver Schick
   
9. machineisbored
   
10. Cg
    
11. Fox
    
12. Johnbobsquarepants
    
13. shambolic
    
14. dicki
    
15. FridayMarch26th
    16.Shoosh
    
16. conker (riding home - from Smithfields)
    
17. Ark Minor
    
18. JAH tim-on-sea
    
19. leifal
    
20. pascalo
    
21. JaRyder +1
    
22. lardboy
    
23. LittleHeather
    
24. tom k&e
    
25. S/J
    
26. Spenceey
    
27. stupidPony
    
28. stupidPonys imaginary friend G.Love.
    
29. Clever Pun
    
30. nneil
    
31. Ramaye
    
32. Bikeman
    
33. Mark Cult
    
34. mattty +1
    
35. PaulR
    
36. Rossi75
    
37. TSK (silly oop norf route)
    
38. upstart
    
39. juanito
    
40. Tiswas
    
41. The Original Mexican Bob (common list fucker upper)
    
42. Katie-Coo +1
    
43. friar tuck
    
44. laner
    
45. Stonehedge (If I am ok after my 350mi ride a week before)
    
46. Soul
    
47. alexmckerrell + my dad is he's up for it
    
48. dimi3
    
49. 105champ
    
50. ChainBreaker
    
51. middleofnowhere
    
52. Sumo - on a bmx
    
53. jenny j
    
54. Loafheads
    
55. nelaii
    
56. MissMouse
    

Would be happy to help organising stuff (defo my forté) but cos I haven't done it before I'm not sure about requirements etc. But if any of you guys above want to hand out some responsibility would be happy to help, just not take charge.

1. Sparky
   
2. Branwen
   
3. kboy
   
4. Shinigami
   
5. Cafewanda
   
6. pt
   
7. Digger
   
8. Oliver Schick
   
9. machineisbored
   
10. Cg
    
11. Fox
    
12. Johnbobsquarepants
    
13. shambolic
    
14. dicki
    
15. FridayMarch26th
    16.Shoosh
    
16. conker (riding home - from Smithfields)
    
17. Ark Minor
    
18. JAH tim-on-sea
    
19. leifal
    
20. pascalo
    
21. JaRyder +1
    
22. lardboy
    
23. LittleHeather
    
24. tom k&e
    
25. S/J
    
26. Spenceey
    
27. stupidPony
    
28. stupidPonys imaginary friend G.Love.
    
29. Clever Pun
    
30. nneil
    
31. Ramaye
    
32. Bikeman
    
33. Mark Cult
    
34. mattty +1
    
35. PaulR
    
36. Rossi75
    
37. TSK (silly oop norf route)
    
38. upstart
    
39. juanito
    
40. Tiswas
    
41. The Original Mexican Bob (common list fucker upper)
    
42. Katie-Coo +1
    
43. friar tuck
    
44. laner
    
45. Stonehedge (If I am ok after my 350mi ride a week before)
    
46. Soul
    
47. alexmckerrell + my dad is he's up for it
    
48. dimi3
    
49. 105champ
    
50. ChainBreaker
    
51. middleofnowhere
    
52. Sumo - on a bmx
    
53. jenny j
    
54. Loafheads
    
55. nelaii
    
56. MissMouse
    
57. FixedCheese + cheesey work colleagues
    

i'm interested

contemplated doing it SS/Fixed - who else is doing that?

^ me, unless I go to a friend's daughter's wedding in Belgium

It's perfectly doable fixed. There are no real climbs so, in my opinion, easier than doing Brighton. At least until you start fighting sleep deprivation at around 5 in the morning but no amount of gears can stop that weirdness.

At least until you start fighting sleep deprivation at around 5 in the morning but no amount of gears can stop that weirdness.
This has almost convinced me to do it.

Hoping to ride this year.

One of my favourite memories from last year was the magic tea stop that appeared around that time. Queuing up for a cuppa with the niggling suspicion that I might be in the throws of a sleep deprived hallucination. That at any second I might snap out of it to find myself drinking out of an ornamental bird bath in some poor strangers front garden.

That was such a godsend. I had run out of water, I was knackered, sick to death of the food I'd brought along, thirsty, and then like manna from heaven there was tea and bacon sandwiches!

Sounds ace. @middleofnowhere your coments are confidence-ispiring as i did the brighton ride recently and it was certainly doable, even with the climbs. It sounds like this is flatter. I guess the question now is fixed or free? I had no knee-pain after Brighton.

I also look forward to hallucinating: were you disappointed to find that you were not, in fact, drinking from a bird bath?

Still not convinced I wasn't.

defo doing it fixed.

1. Sparky
   
2. Branwen
   
3. kboy
   
4. Shinigami
   
5. Cafewanda
   
6. pt
   
7. Digger
   
8. Oliver Schick
   
9. machineisbored
   
10. Cg
    
11. Fox
    
12. Johnbobsquarepants
    
13. shambolic
    
14. dicki
    
15. FridayMarch26th
    16.Shoosh
    
16. conker (riding home - from Smithfields)
    
17. Ark Minor
    
18. JAH tim-on-sea
    
19. leifal
    
20. pascalo
    
21. JaRyder +1
    
22. lardboy
    
23. LittleHeather
    
24. tom k&e
    
25. S/J
    
26. Spenceey
    
27. stupidPony
    
28. stupidPonys imaginary friend G.Love.
    
29. Clever Pun
    
30. nneil
    
31. Ramaye
    
32. Bikeman
    
33. Mark Cult
    
34. mattty +1
    
35. PaulR
    
36. Rossi75
    
37. TSK (silly oop norf route)
    
38. upstart
    
39. juanito
    
40. Tiswas
    
41. The Original Mexican Bob (common list fucker upper)
    
42. Katie-Coo +1
    
43. friar tuck
    
44. laner
    
45. Stonehedge (If I am ok after my 350mi ride a week before)
    
46. Soul
    
47. alexmckerrell + my dad is he's up for it
    
48. dimi3
    
49. 105champ
    
50. ChainBreaker
    
51. middleofnowhere
    
52. Sumo - on a bmx
    
53. jenny j
    
54. Loafheads
    
55. nelaii
    
56. MissMouse
    
57. FixedCheese + cheesey work colleagues
    
58. MA3K
    
59. KRZ
    

I think I'll be doing it on my track bike. Whether or not I'll be doing it fixed is another story, I'll see how my knee heals up first.

was planning to do it geared and bomb it down from the start to finish, but not so sure now.

sometimes journey is more important.

I'm defo doing it geared, but not "bombing" 120 miles.