2014-07-12 Dunwich Dynamo XXII

^^ Not necessarily noticed by Garminauts, of course.

Ha. Both pasta salad and soup were vegan.

I wonder how many omnivores you managed to trick into your evil ways...

Cycling there and back isn't that much fun… Here are my thoughts on doing it for the first time. I realise this sounds really mardie, I did have fun though, and I didn't have to deal with mass transport (the Bus pissed me off last year, as my bike and I ended up in different convoys…)…And yes I rode gears...

I hadn't cycled all week, and had tuned my brakes and gears so was feeling really fresh. Set off in high spirits, leaving London fields at 9ish, smug that the bad forecast hadn't turned out to be correct. About an hour in, Rod Munch and I, hit a Monsoon, the worst rain I have had to cycle through on a bike in a while. It lasted half an hour, most people stopped and took shelter, we didn't as we had planned on stopping for an hour total during the whole ride. We also thought it was 'so heavy it would pass', so didn't even put waterproofs on…During the 30 mins of rain, I probably saw very few other cyclists actually peddling. Most were hiding, how did that work out for you guys? Did you manage to stay dry? My shoes are still wet now. I did dry out by about 3 a.m. It was so fortunate that the temperature averaged 18 all night, even if the weather for most of out leg was 'rain between the showers'. A highlight of this section was cycling through a humid Epping Forest in rain and 20 degree temperatures lighted by bike lights, it was quite magical, perhaps even tropical. I think that was around 9:40ish.

I didn't enjoy the last 30 miles as much as last year (my highlight XXI). The stretch of lanes to Dunwich are beautiful, prior to the sun coming out as the sky is that awesome Blue, Mist rises, and you can smell the sea. But if your going there and back, it seems a bit less magical. We also ended up on some big A-road, for a few too many miles, during this section. Oops, and if you were that guy who followed us, sorry.

Got to the beach about 4:30ish. Had some cold pasta and set off and to turn around. Did manage to catch the Sun rise over the water, which was great.

R Munch fixed his slow puncture.

We set off on the return leg at 5:15.

During the first 60 miles of the return leg are it really helps to have people cycling the other way, giving you a wtf! stare, or pointing and saying your going the wrong way, but a lot shout , well done keep on going and honestly it does help! was also great to see the recumbent broom wagon sweeping through. A

Nothing really happened on the way back, the weather went from being constant drizzle, to sunny enough that I got a bit sunburnt on my face. I saw loads of energy gel wrappers strewn on the floor. It's really upsetting that A) people are using energy gels on this ride, and B) then throwing them on the floor.

At mile 210, my front wheel buckled and a spoke snapped off. Managed to patch it up.

Got home, opened a bottle of beer. Fell asleep on the couch watching the tour.

What I ate;
1 pack Shotblocks.
3 Powerbars
3 9 Bars
1 Trek Bar
2 banans
1 Pot of Pasta
1 Brie and Ham baguette
1 Packet Wine gums
1 Energy gel (did not inhale, did not throw on the floor)

people were already pounding gels barely 20 miles in it seems

On my hilly 40 mile local loop I'll take 2 gels and a bar. So by mile 20 on DD I would have been on mile 50 since leaving the house, although I did take every bit of litter home!
I'd like to be one of those people who can ride 100 miles on a banana and a teaspoon of honey in their water, but even on a restful day I'll have to eat every 3 hours.

I wonder how many omnivores you managed to trick into your evil ways...

Judging by the number of enquiries we had about whether the food was vegetarian or vegan, probably about 800.

DD catering has always been at least vegetarian or vegan, by the way.

Some more pics:

Packing & kit

London Fields

First pub stop (I think) Axe & Compass

Bikes resting

Yuri

Dun It!

Sitting up napping in the Ship, Good effort whoever this was
http://i.imgur.com/H37JzFQ.jpg?1

I spotted this photo on facebook so nabbed it for Rio.

The littering really pissed me off given that every 10 miles or so someone had setup a stop in a garden or whatever which makes even the worst most messy litter only inconvenient for 30min or so at most. I did see the odd bin too but they didn't have signs to point them out in the dark.

I did see the odd bin too but they didn't have signs to point them out in the dark.

They really shouldn't have to. Folks need to take some fucking responsibility for themselves.

So sad to miss DD. Well done all here who took part and contributed to this amazing thing.

It really is magic isn't it.

I carried an empty water bottle and styrofoam cup about 30 miles before I remembered/was near a bin. Litter louts are cunts.

They really shouldn't have to. Folks need to take some fucking responsibility for themselves.

The littering really pissed me off given that every 10 miles or so someone had setup a stop in a garden or whatever which makes even the worst most messy litter only inconvenient for 30min or so at most.

well done to the girl who was boshing it back to ipswich in front of me. was funny as i was tailing her but hanging back slightly as she overtook a bunch of guys who stared open mouthed as she went past (they didn't realise i was pretty close behind) clearly they were pretty fked at this point.

sure she's on here anyway. tall with mousy brown/ginger hair, lip ring, purple condor geared bike (i think).

for the record what i ate:

1 x burger at first stop
2 x cliff bar
1 x bacon roll at last stop
1 x banana

more than enough

The littering really pissed me off given that every 10 miles or so someone had setup a stop in a garden or whatever which makes even the worst most messy litter only inconvenient for 30min or so at most.

My post more in support of you. I understood you were anything but a culprit.

That was fun wasn't it?

Left at 8ish, arrived 7ish, didn't see a drop of rain the whole time!
Pub crawl until The Bell, many guinness then much stopping until way beyond the food stop.. Rolling time just over 7 hours in an 11 hour trip!

High fives with strangers, chased by dogs, following (and being dropped by) a cross trainer, snoozing in misty cornfields. Meeting loads of new faces from all walks of life. Quick dip in the sea, followed by a 2 hour queue for a bus ticket (wtf SS?).

All things considered, loads of fun! Although im sorting alternative transort back next time. Sleep deprived queuing when I could have been in the sea is not the one.

oh and THANKS DIGGER for the last minute ticket. Much appreciated :)

http://instagram.com/p/qYrcxDmLKi/

I can't believe that people would intentionally litter on that ride, so surely most of it just falls out of jersey pockets.

Marginal gains innit.

If you don't want the hassle/timings of the coach then you can make it easier/cheaper by doing:-

• Drive to Dunwich on Saturday afternoon
  
• Leave car/van in car park
  
• Get bike out of car and pootle to Ipswich/Darsham
  
• Get train to London with no problems about numbers of bikes on the train
  
• Ride to London Fields
  
• Do Ride
  
• Breakfast
  
• Swim (including big fluffly towels and change of clothes in car)
  
• Couple of hours kip in car (don't be a cock and drive when really tired)
  
• Drive home with few travel worries
  
  

With dismantling and creative packing you can get 4 bikes in a car, plus 4 people plus stuff. A 24 hour car rental, one train ticket and petrol will probably cost about the same as 4 coach tickets but you get to the convenience of having your stuff (towels, food, change of clothes, etc) at the destination already; and you can work to your own timings. No queueing in the rain.

Of course, if you bail on the ride (mechanical or lack of HTFU spray) then you've got some logistics to solve, but no real difference to bailing on the ride anyway (it's still o'dark'thirty and you're in the middle of nowhere, instead of getting home you need to get to the car in Dunwich).

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have literally no comprehension of how someone can ride back too, standing in the coach queue, gingerly licking a chocolate Mini Milk, feet burning, eyes heavy, stomach churning, soul begging for more morphine, just the thought of it made me want to pass out. So, well done Men/Women Of Iron!

Long distance riding creeps up on you. I was utterly fucked at the end of London to Cambridge (just 100km) in 2006 but it was enough to get me hooked and it just snowballed from there.

I just wish I'd taken up something that uses up less time, like marathon running.

the stomach thing was also my biggest complaint. I was suffering!

If you don't want the hassle/timings of the coach then you can make it easier/cheaper by doing:-

• Drive to Dunwich on Saturday afternoon
  
  
  
  

...I sold my car 5 years ago. This is already a ridiculously expensive idea.

...I sold my car 5 years ago. This is already a ridiculously expensive idea.

That's why I said you can rent one for 24 hours for ~£50.

Seeing as people are doing lists, and I love doing lists, here's what I ate:

Homemade flapjack with peanut butter, honey, banana, dried apricots / prunes / assorted fruit x 8 slices
Bread roll x 1
Soup x 1 cup
Coffee x 1 cup
Banana x 2
Maoam x lots
Dextrose things x 4 for extra funs at the end
Bacon roll x 1
Fry up x 1
Beer x 3
And lots of nuuns.

Could probs have done with less, but I eat a helluva lot when I'm not doing anything, so just about par for the course I reckon.

I ate;
2 bananas (second mainly so it wasn't in my pocket any more)
2 potato farl sandwiches with almond butter
10 ish mini flapjack squares from sainsburys.

and some banana bread kindly donated by hoefla

I think (and I used to) people eat to feel full even when riding, but you've got to remember that the body can only absorb a limited amount of carbs/hour so its a case of topping up, rather than saiting yourself.