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Dunwich FAQs 2005
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Please note these are the FAQs from 2005.
What is the Dunwich Dynamo? A turn-up-and-go challenging slightly-scary free-entry overnight on-road 120 mile bicycle ride. Simple as that.
More? It's not a race. It's unsupported. There's no van following. It's a long way for nearly all of us, and there will be times when you wish you were tucked up in bed. But not for long, you'll love it. The experience/achievement will cling forever. For a lot of us it's the highlight of our bike year and that collective/supportive buzz is fabulous. Unmissable.
Organisation? Minimal. Honest. Patrick Field's London School of Cycling has been in from the start and provides route maps and the half-way hall and food there. www.londonschoolofcycling.co.uk/home.html For the past few years Southwark Cyclists have organised the convoy back.
How many people ride it? Around 430 did it in 2004. The biggest ever. Only a couple dropped out along the way. 230 in 2003.
Who does it? A few semi-pro cyclists, some fixed-wheelers, a whole fleet of low-life recumbents, several Bromptons, but mostly your average bike-to-workers for whom this is long long ride. A daunting exciting challenge.
How long does it take? Most get to Dunwich between 7am and 9am the next morning......plus or minus 10 hours then. Depends on your pace and number of stops.
What's it like? It's a friendly adventure with bike-minded people along surprisingly traffic free country lanes. We settle into bunches at the pace we like and give each other the mental and, if possible, the mechanical support all the way to the sea. The glimpses of village Saturday night and the throbbing marquee in the middle of nowhere, bats, stars. The sense of very real achievement at the end is a huge lift that will stay with you. The worst bit is missing a night's sleep. But that's also the best bit. We ride into the sunrise. Resonance FM¹s Bike Show special on the 2004 Dunwich Dynamo is available online in streaming Real Audio (best for modem dial-up access) or downloadable MP3 format (30 MB! Best for broadband).
When? (Ed - Click here for info on next years)
Since when? People have been riding London to Dunwich on the July Saturday nearest the full moon since 1993. Legend has it that a few half-civilised City couriers just headed east after work one balmy Friday evening....and kept going till they hit the sea. Splash.
Where is Dunwich? About 200km (120 miles) north east of London on the lonely Suffolk coast between Southwold and Aldeburgh right next to the internationally important Minnsmere bird reserve. The wind should push us there.
What is Dunwich? A thousand years ago wool-rich Dunwich almost rivalled London. Coastal erosion means the medieval metropolis is now half a mile offshore, on a quiet night they say you can hear the watery tolling of the lost church bells. Nothing stays the same, the ride gets shorter every year.
Where is the start? The ride meets at the Pub on the Park, Martello Street, London Fields, Hackney, London E8 (020 7275 9586). Map. Bikes everywhere. Bemused locals.
What time? 8pm for a 9pm start. That's PM. Saturday evening. 23 July 2005. (Ed - Click here for info on latest) Careful, that start time isn't precise, people start to leave when they feel like it after 8pm. A sort of momentum develops like bats from a cave, and suddenly it's gone.
How do I follow the route? You'll be given a route sheet at the start (minimum £1 donation to help cover some costs) but the route is unsigned. OS Travel Map Road 8 (south-east Enlgland including London covers the whole route. ISBN 0319 230813. We'll try and put some night-light jamjar lanterns out along part of the way. Follow the flashing red-lights ahead. That memory will linger.
What's the route like? It leaves London surprisingly quickly and slightly confusingly, is all on tarmac, and once through boy-racer bouncer-guarded road-pub Epping Forest, it's mostly unlit county lanes all the way with a few villages and small towns. Moreton, Leaden Roding, Great Dunmow, Great Bardfield, Finchingfield, Castle Headingham, Sudbury, Great Waldingfield, Needham Market, Framlingham, Rendham, Darsham, Westleton...
Topography/Contours/Nasty bits? A few short sharp hills and more steady climbs, nothing very serious, but mostly very flat. Tarmac throughout.
What do I need? Lights. The clear sky requested, last Thursday's full moon, and lots of stars out there make it surprisingly undark. If you use city LED's you'll sometimes want to tuck in behind someone with a beam..... it can be dark out there, unnerving in the gravely tree tunnels. Bring spare batteries, a pump, a spare inner tube or two.
Any stops? Best avoid the siren call of open pubs unless you need coffee/loo. A few all-night garages can be handy. About 65 miles out in deepest Suffolk the village hall at Monks Eleigh is specially opened by lovely people and you can buy hot drinks and good basic food there. Wonderful moment as you step out refuelled into the dawning new day. Mist draped over the fields, the warm sun coming up.
What happens if my bike or I break down? There's no following magic bus to sweep you up or mend your bike but fellow riders can often work wonders. The ride is unsupported. You are on your own. If you're in trouble, expect help from fellow riders. But if you just get too tired or a knee gives out or whatever, then you'll have to find a lift or cab to get you to the nearest station.
What happens at the finish? Dunwich Beach. The steep shingle beach makes for great cleansing wake-up swimming. (I took a change of clothes last year and, squeaky clean, got accused of not doing the ride. Shocking). The very good Flora beach cafe opens specially for us at 6am for cooked breakfasts, and turns back into a fish and chip shop for lunch. Most then snooze on the shingle a little, some then have a beer or two. The pub opens at 12 noon.
How to get home? A few seasoned riders just turn round and spin back to London. Most get the coach or train. Some just cycle up the coast for a long weekend.
Train? The nearest station is Darsham, four miles from Dunwich. The single fare to London Liverpool Street is £28.60 on the day, less in advance. The first train of the day (this was correct on 23 June as I update this para but check yourself) is at 8.42am. Arrives Ipswich 9.32am. Change to 9.42am Liverpool Street train. Arrives 11.01am. Later trains go every two hours. There's no warning of engineering works yet but Sunday is the favourite day for them and coached sections that might have no room for bikes. Ipswich station is 30 miles away and has 3 trains and hour. Journey time of about 75 minutes. Check www.nationalrail.co.uk for engineering works notices nearer the time.
Coach? We recommend the coaches for the snooze home. Evolution: we've ditched the bike trailer this year and instead are using bigger furniture vans and their professional packers. Tandems and recumbents fit easily. If you're worried about your pristine paint job then bring a wrapping sheet or blanket or similar but we've asking the firm to bring lots of cardboard etc. We work the coach on a cost-covering not-for-profit basis, transparent books. Any surplus gets split between the London School of Cycling and Southwark Cyclists to help pay for the glow-lights and the food. If a loss develops, I'm in trouble. No refunds though, that would make organising all impossible. The coach loads from 1pm and leaves Dunwich Beach before 2pm and gets to West Smithfield, London EC1 (Smithfield Market) about 2 hours later, here. And sorry, no, we can't add in extra stops. Some of us then find a pub. Optional extra. Coach tickets are £13 if paid for before 30 June. And £20 afterwards and on the day. Late booking costs more to encourage early booking and easier estimating of numbers. It's not easy getting more capacity at the last minute. Early booking is advised....seat numbers are of course limited. We try to ensure there's room for all who turn up, but cannot of course promise that. (Note: some ask that the coaches leave much earlier. The convoy is for those who want to swim, eat, snooze, relax, savour the moment, not rush. Hence the leisurely timetable). To book a coach seat send a cheque for at least £13 per person (extra money donated split as above):
(Dunnage to Dunwich!). You can order a seat by phoning or emailing me, I'll hold it for a week by which time I should get your cheque to confirm. Make sure you sign the cheque. Write your email address (or phone number) on the back of the cheque and I'll acknowledge it on receipt and have a ticket ready for you on the day. I'm on
Be nice. Be considerate. And, seriously, we got two sensible complaints after the 2004 ride. Our first, and last hopefully. Please please remember that we're riding through villages. People will be asleep. Don't chat loudly under village bedrooms at 3am in the morning or at any other hour.
My Survival tips: Do some longish rides beforehand…..Southwark and Greenwich Cyclists do a lot: see Rides and Events on this website. Don't overdo the alcohol etc for a few days beforehand. Pack spare layers of clothes, it can be very warm or chilly or damp or wet. Money. Always handy. Phone: yes. Jeans have lumpy under-seams that you don't notice for a few miles. Then you notice. Tools: at least a pump and a couple of spare inner tubes. Tyre levers too. Make sure your bike is in good nick. Give it a good clean and service a few days before. On the day, give it another look and, for example, flip it over and check the tyres for those infiltrating little bits of glass. If you've been thinking about getting new tyres, splash out before the ride. Lights: you'll need them. Dynamo? LED's can last all night, but bring spare batteries anyway, tuck in behind someone with a beam for those tree-tunnel lane stretches. Saddle? Apply Vaseline, cream or calledula or similar if/before your bits get sore. Recumbent riders, they boast, needn't bother. Carbo-loading works for me: a huge pasta meal the night before. A friend of mine swears by cutting out caffeine for a few days beforehand so that the 3am coffee really jolts. Drink water before you get thirsty, snack and nibble before you get hungry. That way you'll avoid hitting the spirit-draining brick wall of no energy. Don't sprint off with the skinny greyhounds unless you are one. Settle into a group doing a pace you like. If it turns out slow, dance in the pedals and catch a quicker group. Bit too fast? Drop off the group and wait to be caught up. Read what I wrote after the 2003 ride.
Love it.
Barry Mason 4 March 2005 07905 889 005 |
The big, long, late at night one! |