Dunwich Dynamo 2016

Haha I had a friend with me anyway, just wanted to see if there was anyone else around.

We took it quite slow, lots of stops for food and what not. Generally it was all fine until the last 10 or so miles where the tiredness was setting in. Never done anything near this distance before fixed or geared so it was quite an achievement.

Only problem I had was a puncture from hitting a big pothole while going downhill at speed. Unfortunately, an hour earlier, my saddle pack had come undone and my tyre levers were lost in the night. Despiratly trying to flag someone down, a surprising amount of people went past before anyone bothered to stop...

Biggest plus was how silent riding fixed was. So much more peaceful then having to listen to freewheels

a surprising amount of people went past before anyone bothered to stop...

That's a shame. We tried to at least ask if people were okay if not stop.

The silence is the most attractive thing about fixed. I had a clicky freewheel but not too bad. Couldn't quite get my head around people with massive front lights, sound systems, noisy whirring etc, you don't get to see or hear much of your surroundings, but each to their own. Some clearly enjoying the various disco trains.

Another lovely Dun Run. Best weather out of the last couple of years for sure. Left a little earlier (7:30) as I was riding with my GF who has only been cycling "properly" for the past 3 months or so, and whose previous longest ride was about 70 miles.

Surprisingly calm and traffic free through Epping, but it's always nice to get to those super quiet B roads through the Rodings. Stunning sunset, equalled by the moonrise. A welcome stop at the fire station in Sudbury, was amused to hear the firemen talking to each other at about 1am: "the queue is still bloody huge, how many more of them are there?!"

Love the little snapshots you get riding through villages - suddenly noticing people sat out on their lawns with deckchairs and bottles of wine. The dude in Epping sat on a folding chair on the pavement with a tin of beer and a trackpump, who I think I've seen every year. The pissheads stumbling out of the pub in Castle Hedingham.

Regretted riding my Pompino with rack and pannier as we got into the lumpy hills through Cretingham and Brandeston - a lower gear would have been welcome. Great sunrise just outside of Framlingham, got to the beach for 6am. GF loved it and is already thinking about next year!

thank you, alas unlikely to make it there tomorrow afternoon, as much as i'd prefer that to being in the office during the afternoon!

completely agree Mr Schick, tis most blissful in that sea after riding there, :-)

yup, that's her, nice lass too, :-)

But the bugs, the bugs!

May need to take flip flops next year, ouchy walking down to the water.

That was the toughest Dynamo I've undertaken. Zero prep does not make for a great experience. That and picking a slow puncture that lead me to do the middle 30 miles or so on a flat tyre.

The weather was lovely, most riders were fine. Some of the club riders need to learn some manners but they were few and far between. And spotting the Andromeda galaxy was a pleasant treat for a mile or two.

One new item I don't like the look of is the appearance of support vehicles for groups of riders. Two transits buzzing back and forwards for a couple of hours spoilt the atmosphere a bit.

I'm sure with some better prep I'd be a lot happier with it all.

oh yes, I remember seeing the transit for the yellow fairy lights team and wondering what was going on there.

I think 150miles in a weekend is more than my total riding for the rest of 2016.

Also could the fucking cunts who had people pick them up in their cars not speed up the final straight down to the beach when there's still hundreds riding along it yet to finish?

Here you go.............

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Reminds me of several raves I was at, back in the late 80's......bliss.

Got any E's?

oh, they're alright, its just extra impetus to move onto the pub, :-)

+1

For those not riding back this year, 2017 coach tickets now on sale through Southwark Cyclists.

Last year's coach ride was awful. 4 hours squashed into a blazing hot coach, about an hour waiting for my bike to be unloaded, and the bike got scratched :(

Think I'm gonna invest in a bike rack and drive myself back this time.

Top tip, get drunk before getting the coach. Spend the entire journey snoring and farting on a hot sweaty coach.

Make a new 2017 thread.

https://www.lfgss.com/events/2572/

I had a few warm cans of fosters or some old shite beforehand. I'm rather tall, so the only seat I could fit my legs into was the one right at the back above the engine. I spent half the journey asleep, sweating and farting and the other half trying to find some kind of position that was at least slightly kinda not agonising, again whilst sweating profusely and farting.

Lesson learnt, either myself or a put upon loved one will have to drive me home.

Cycle home lazy bones.

^

Or try to, anyway (what I did in the end last year)