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Me and Joeboat passed you when you were taking that break, both of us craning our necks to compliment your bike!
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Thoroughly nice ride, enjoyed it much more than the last time I did it. Weather was perfect (mainly because we escaped before the rain). Big thanks to Southwark for getting all those bikes back safely and with considerably better organising than previous years it felt like, chapeau.
I think I enjoyed it so much more by deciding to stop at the various food stations before the beach, grab some excellent chili con carne and unlimited tea and watch the first glimmers of sunrise at 4am, rather than wait for hours for the breakfast at the cafe. Sat out the front of The Ship at 8am soaking up the sun and some ale was the perfect end to the perfectdaynightI know everyone on here knows this already, but in case some people see it when searching and deciding whether to ride for the first time next year, a few tips to keep this as enjoyable as possible for all:
- Lights. Jesus wept, you're doing a night ride, get some lights. Anything, please. Coming up on you in the middle of the night on a pitch black lane and not seeing you until the last moment is really dangerous for everyone. And how are you seeing where the road is?
- Overtaking. Please please please just take a courteous look over your shoulder and see if anyone is behind you before pulling out. Not saying you need full-on group riding skillz but there were some awfully near misses from not checking and pulling out into someone. You do this everyday checking for cars, please do it for other cyclists and keep things safe.
- Coach ticket queueing. We've all ridden through the night, we're all tired and want to get home, we're all in the country that proudly regards queueing as it's national sport. So keep everyone happy and wait your turn like everyone else to get a time slot home. I'm looking at you, lady in front of me who decided to take her and her seven mates' tickets, push to the front past 100 people and magically got a slot an hour before I did. You should be hung for treason.
- Lights. Jesus wept, you're doing a night ride, get some lights. Anything, please. Coming up on you in the middle of the night on a pitch black lane and not seeing you until the last moment is really dangerous for everyone. And how are you seeing where the road is?
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Buy bigger shoes - 1 size bigger is fine - you may otherwise lose your toenails! Ouch.
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I don't think it's tightness or size. Plenty of wiggle room at the toe end. I scrunch the toes up on very long rides. Shoes are due for replacement soon anyway, might put some effort in this time in case a different insole is needed.
These shoes are getting disinfected after visiting the toilets in the caf at Dunwich!
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Great ride - then the real fun! I cycled to Ipswich to catch a train. Thanks to @hairnetnic. Sadly no trains. See earlier posts. Walked across the road for a pint at The Station Hotel. Decided it was all too much so checked into a room. Had a looooong hot bath. Slept for a couple of hours. Went downstairs to the bar and ate for England and watched the TdF on the big telly. Walked back across to the station and was offered a train in 10 minutes to Liverpool Street. So that's what I did. Cost of hotel room and grub - £45. Best bath sleep and burger I've ever had!
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As ever the Dynamo delivered in spadefuls. Still my favourite UK ride by a long distance - even as it has grown and attracted a more mainstream riders there's still a slight air of delicious chaos to the whole affair.
Lovely to catch up with so many faces from previous forum rides and I thoroughly enjoyed my stint 'helping' out at Sible Hedingham. Recommended for anyone considering it next year, you also get the added bonus of riding the second half at about 4am - straight into a sunrise all the way and bumping into a very chilled group of riders who are taking it easy and soaking up the whole experience.
My highlight for the night was the aforementioned local lady at Sible Hedingham who popped out for 5 minutes at 11pm in a summer dress to check that the signage was still in place and ended up staying till about 2:30am giving directions in and out of the food station. She seemed to be having a ball and was full of praise for the riders - all of whom were unfailingly polite and chatty. I did ask whether maybe she wanted to use my phone to let her husband know about her extended sojourn, but she didn't seem to think that was necessary - it was pretty clear who ran that household.
I tried the Dunwich to Diss exit as an alternative to riding to Ipswich - far superior: about 28 miles through largely deserted lanes, you get on the same train that stops at Ipswich later and no one bothered to check on minor things like bike reservations.
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Try moving your cleats back a bit.
My toe area was extremely numb/painful by the end of the extra bit, although bearable at dunwich, and moving the cleats back has worked before. I suspect they may have shuffled forward a bit. I'm also terrible at mashing when tired, instead of spinning around properly.
(I also just have crappy dysfunctional feet.) -
I thought there were far fewer novelty/unusual bikes this year?
Apart from the posse on the funny treading machines. I didn't see any Ken/Santander bikes, bmxs or pennies. Saw a few spaceframe Moultons leaving London Fields, and several Bromptons on the way. One guy on a bakers bike with big box upfront. I was impressed by the orange cargo bike with big sound system in front, 24" wheels I think, going at a fair clip. -
Would have been good to catch up Nic - next time. I actually wasn't that difficult to spot since I spent a good proportion of the evening twirling a glowstick and sending people left for food. People generally asked one of 3 questions regarding directions in or out - the answer to each one was 'left'. I could happily get through life never using the word again.
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My first DD was thoroughly enjoyed. Weather, vibe, food, drink, all lovely.
Really good route/ride for my first long fixed ride too. Flowing with smooth road surface all the way. Although no previous to compare to, thought there were very few FGSSs?
Woke up on the beach in the warm sun.
That cafe at the beach is brilliant. Beer and breakfast within 10 minutes of joining the queue.
Felt a slightly smug when it started raining as our coach was leaving the car park. -
^^No worries, I run cold so should really of made the decision myself!
In no paticular order, the highlights of my night:
Near clipless moment about ten mins into Essex saved by the driver who pulled up next t0 me allow me so I could use their car a balance aid.
The fat bike rider!
The bakers bike rider!
The lady with the neon light tutu!
Team Elliptical.
Best sunrise ever.
Best soup ever.
Swimming in bibs.
The mist rising on the Suffolk fields (best best bit).
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Love those pictures.
TooTallTim
Joeboat
MetalMelly
Yemble
balmain
hoefla
Kidneys
stedlocks
Backstop
Ruserius
jdp
Clockwise-
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About
2015-07-04 Dunwich Dynamo XXIII
Posted by
@Oliver Schick
before this escapes my RAM, gonna propose a group forum ride to Ipswich from the beach of Dunwich for 2016, unaware of the dates btw, so if somebody with this year's routecard would be so kind, will post up in Rides and Races;
idea is a cool-down social, chatty ride along quiet back-roads, most likely those suggested on the official route card, but possibly a slightly alternative route that enables uninterrupted two-abreast riding for the whole duration,
mongers could then get a pre-booked train to Lundun-town (as long as the trains are running that day!), or continue riding homewards to Lundun-town via train stations: Manningtree, Colchester, Ingatestone, which might necessitate in-advance route-planning!
@ ride companion to Ipswich, @RodMunch,