Dunwich Dynamo (Sat 16th - SUn 17th July)

[User10571]

on the other hand, ride back was a hell and tiring and wet AND windy!!!! but I made it at the end...

Stone me! Rather you than me - Well done!

Did Dangiz ever find you?
He was wandering the beach at Dunwich saying something (but not entirely) like "Mama, Wo bist du?" when he was looking for you (You need to have seen the German version of Walt Disney's Bambi to fully appreciate that)

 

[Auntie Helen]

Some moments from the ride that stick in my memory...

Meeting 4F, Will1985 and Wowbagger at Liverpool Street and us starting a mini-Peloton to London Fields with various other hangers on.

Hundreds of us leaving at once and watching the passers-by grinning from ear to ear

The doggies in the cargo bike.

Rower40 and Slowcoach from yACF looking after me on the ride out to Epping.

Having people cycling around me wearing TdF kit and looking fit enough to be proper riders.

Two pieces of CrinklyCake - lovely!

Noticing my Heart Rate was up to 177 and around the 170s for several minutes on the long drag up the hill out of London and realising I was overdoing it - but trying to stay with the flow. I think this is what made me extra-tired by the end.

A chap in an Aston Martin having a long chat with me on a quiet country road about what we were doing.

Being passed by hundreds and hundreds of people and only passing about six people myself who were riding. I'm not usually THAT slow, am I? But I remember on FNRttCs that I'm always slower than I am in the daytime - clearly not night rider material!

Major surprise at the numbers of mechanicals. There seemed to be people in hedges with bikes upside-down every 100 metres or so for the first 40 miles

Picnic in Dunmow with Tomsk and Dan and my constant repetition to Dan that I was surprised he didn't just go home to bed; I would have!

Random drunk people in Dunmow wearing most peculiar clothing - a lamé trouser suit with flares on a lady was the highlight

Missing the feed stop in Sible Hedingham due to taking a short-cut which shaved 0.2 miles off the journey; I didn't realise the feed stop was on the extra bit!

Only stopping twice for 10 minutes each time as I realised I was so much slower than everyone else.

About 500 cyclists saying "Happy Christmas" to me as they passed my Christmas lights. I replied "Happy New Year".

Cycling round a tight corner and finding a cyclists lying unmoving in the road. Discovered he was a (presumably local) drunk still cradling his can of Fosters. Several other cyclists stopped and he was encouraged onto the pavement. Initially thought he was one of us so it was a bit scary!

From Sudbury checking the distance home on my Garmin - just 17.5 miles - but soldiering on.

Ditto every mile or two further on, until at Bildeston I called it a day, feeling impossibly sleepy.

Cycling up the wretched Semer Hill between Bildeston and Hadleigh at 2mph. This was on my way home but not the DunRun route - and seeing four people who I recognised from the DunRun riding the other way; they had clearly taken a wrong turn and gone up Semer Hill. I noticed they didn't warn me I was going the 'wrong' way!

The final drag up from Dedham to home - a fairly minor if long hill which is normally fine; halfway up I was considering ringing James to come and collect me four miles from home!

Realising that my Schmidt Dynohub with B&Q light and Alfine Hub Gear were worth every single penny - and more. Brilliant lighting and effortless gear changes. Fab!

Walking through the front door, having a hot shower and then bed - bliss.

Being woken up by Poppy the Cockapoo after a walk where she got soaked slipping out of James's grasp and jumping under the bedcovers and all over my head. Nothing better when you're half asleep than having a soaking wet dog in the bed with you.

I think I've concluded, once again (as I do after every night ride) I'm not cut out for 'em, but am hugely impressed by everyone else and how well they did!

 

[iZaP]

Stone me! Rather you than me - Well done!

Did Dangiz ever find you?
He was wandering the beach at Dunwich saying something (but not entirely) like "Mama, Wo bist du?" when he was looking for you (You need to have seen the German version of Walt Disney's Bambi to fully appreciate that)

Cheers!

nah, Dan didn't find me, cause we left dunwich shortly after our lil talk.

 

[4F]

really enjoyed the bacon roll at Gosbeck. had a few drunks in Dunmow who thought they would walk in the road and play a game of chicken. I sped up and aimed for the small one and fair play he left it until I was a foot away before moving, tosspot. The 32 miles home was a chuffing hard work before peeling off and leaving Tynan to find the train station.

I actually thought it was quite warm and just used arm warmers and a gilet for a few hours.

Bring on 2012

 

[StuAff]

Right,
Made it home about six. The station manager at Ipswich, the splendidly-named Alan Boagey, is a very very nice man. There's supposed to be a maximum of six bikes in the guard's van. There were sixteen of us on the 1343. He took the view that as long as the bikes were secure enough and the two minutes or so that the train was due to stop weren't extended, then he'd be OK with more going on. He saw it as 'you scratch my back I'll scratch yours'. And he gently twisted the guard's arm about it. No cycle reservation, but my bike and everyone else's went on.

As for the night itself...didn't get up to LF as early as I'd have liked- was at Fratton station in time for the 1754, following four or so hours of somewhat sporadic sleep, but there was extreme platform congestion on account of Pompey hosting some team from That London in a friendly. Made the next fast train when the hordes in blue (both lots) had largely dissipated. Made LF just before 8.30, and spotted some familiar-looking faces in familar-looking jerseys- YACF Team Slow. Said a few hellos, bought my route sheet from the lovely Rebecca O-B, admired Alfie the trike, and then they decided they were off, so I tagged along. After the initially glacial pace out of the East End, the speed gradually picked up, and I left Charlotte, Wow et al to pootle along. Ideally, I'd have rolled along with a bunch of suitably-paced friends, but I was more than happy just doing my own thing- kept the pace to a level I was happy with, reasonably quick without busting a gut, and stopped as and when I felt like it/remembered to top up the carb levels, every hour or so.

Got to Sible Headingham, took one look at the queue and thought 'nah'. According to the guys and gals at Ipswich station, the food and drink provision was poor on all counts- not enough, no quality, soup wasn't even hot. They need to get the Scout group in Fortunately, I'd prepared for that- the usual couple of bananas, not one but two malt loaves, and a lump of bread of pudding. Ate in the bike park, and out again in fifteen minutes or so, saw User10571 and Katsura on their way out. And then I promptly fell over in a the low-speed tumble- no idea why, tbh- and banged my right wrist again (fourth time this year, though only three my fault!). Only scraped a bit of skin off, so naturally MTFUd and carried straight on.

The rest was fairly straightforward, though I deviated from the route sheet and went through Yoxford (I knew the way, so stuck with it), and made Dunwich pretty much dead on 5.30, though I then promptly added a couple of minutes by going up a path instead of round to Beach Road. Whoops...


Overall time 8:59:56, moving average 13.9 mph. Not as quick as User10571, but not half bad I think. After the epic breakfast queue (breakfast itself not half bad) had a good chinwag with User10571, Kat & Sgt Pluck before they headed off, Ant (sittingduck)- well done mate!- also chatted with William (139NI), saw Des, Arnold (iZap) and Tynan, though not to talk to. In view of the headwind, I allowed plenty of time to get back to Ipswich, and glad I did, it was hard work and I took a couple of unplanned detours that added four extra miles. 2 hours 50 for 34 miles...
What with the FNRttC and the trips to and from stations, that's 220 miles or so since Friday night. Not bad going....

Same again next year? Why not....

 

[Tynan]

If Auntie Helem was the bent with the crimbo lights sticking up on some sort of post, we passed her quite rpaidly, sadly due to Auntie's speed rather than ours

ouch on the collarbone at the start of the ride on someone else's light, that is bad luck, one thing commuting is good for is test to destructions, I had a rear flash on their notoriously dodgy mount, but with one of my daughter's hair bands securing, and my monstrously expensive front light's now suddenly worn out metal mount was secured with a zip tie, whci snapped after some adjustements to elevation, thanks again to 4F for hovering with light and bad cess to me for poncing zip ties off the IT wallah at work, they were silly brittle

our average was 14.4 (not including the Ipswich section which might have been in single figures) which seems fair, nervous of mt recently sore knees I was doing high cadence, the bottom half of the casette did;t see much chain last night

oh, and there seemed to quite a few riders on fixed doing a stering job of it, there seemed to be a lot more hills than I remeber, a few were longish, I enjoyed the good nature bithing and moaing of the fixie types pon those hills

I had my nap and got out out of bed to a howl of protest from knees, back abd all over, but saddle is not correct I think, thank god, I imagine there're all excecise related from a body not prepared for that sort of ride and a not that well fitted bike, after my serious worries about my knees, result

all good, Polish lager 2 on the go and feeling very pleased with myself, thanks to all that helped, joined in etc etc

 

[Tynan]

2 pauirs of shorts?

44 mph?

all that matters is finishing on this one I think

an extra 15mph? ouch

 

[Little yellow Brompton]

Just got in ( just after midnight) too tired to think at the moment.

 

[patheticshark]

Thanks to everyone who looked extremely amused by the very unathletic looking girl heading back home this morning; had literally hundreds of smiles and encouraging comments which cheered me up no end. Took me a while - home at 5pm, after leaving at 9pm Saturday - but I made it.

 

[tmcd35]

I arrived at London Fields just after 8:30 and headed straight out. 100's cyclist blocking traffic in East London is a funny site and thankfully most of the drivers seemed see it that way.

Seemed to be more twats on the road around Epping Forest this year. Don't remember as many blacked out BMW's over taking so close they were stripping skin from my knuckles, driving at 100mph while resting on the horn, last year.

But overall the rise out to Great Dunmow was pretty and easy and uneventful, apart from the ambulance at Epping. I remember more drama on this stretch last year.

Again the ride to Fitchingfield was a lot easier than last year. Also I noticed how bright a night it was. There were some good views to be had across the Essex countryside.

Passing the Braintree turn off in Wethersfield made me grin as that's were I bailed out last year.

I got lost around Sibel Hedingham, some how passed the pit stop barely noticing it was there and off on the ride. Passing the "Suffolk" sign was a really good feeling and Sudbury wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I decided to walk up an hill, towards a roundabout with McDonalds on, in Sudbury and was over taken by a drunk kid (17/18) racing fellow cyclists up the hill.

I found the stretch between Finchingfield and Needham Market the hardest. Too many hills and seriously fighting the need for sleep. I don't think I've passed a road sign that's brought me so much joy as the sign that said I'd made it to Needham Market.

By this time day was breaking, lights werent needed and sunrise wasn't far away. I downed a can of Reckless in Needham Market and the caffine hit along with the daylight got me to Dunwich fine.

Passing the A140 was tough. I could have followed the road straight home, but I kept going.

Finding the public toilets open in Framlingham was a, er, welcome relief!

I got to Dunwich at 7 and sat on the beach for half hour. Was going to walk the 5 mile to Darsham when I saw the sign, in Dunwich, pointing me to Southwold. How could I resist? Back in the saddle and 2hours later I was at Lowestoft train station waiting to go home.

Next year?

Try stopping me

all that matters is finishing on this one I think

A big +1 to that!

He is a she, and suffered a broken collar bone when she came off her bike after riding over a light jettisoned by the bike in front of her. Very unfortunate. GWS.

That's good to hear, it looked much worse as I passed the scene. Hope she gets well soon.

 

[al-fresco]

Amazing night chasing flashing red lights and being followed by a thousand flickering fireflies.

In one village we were greeted by a man ringing a handbell at 2.30am - bet his neighbours loved him!

Rode into the rising sun for the last few miles and, after half an hours kip on the beach, awoke into a perfect summer's morning.

Saw just about every bike that's ever been made and met some very special people.

Great ride!

 

[wanda2010]

Had a great experience on this ride. Chatted with one other FNR person, whose name escapes me. So sorry!

Chap nav had me miss the foodstop but that was ok. I'm glad I did this. 125.89 miles on the clock including the ride the to start. Longest ride of my life to date. Yay!!!

London, Newhaven to Brighton should be a piece of cake then, right?

 

[Tynan]

ah yes, the hand bell loon

and I now recall a moment as i freewheeled gratefully down a long sweeping hill, the road lit up like a car on full beam, and with a whoosh a tandem will full kit went sweeping past me very fast indeed, must have been well into the 30s, marvelous sight

I passed another chap shortly after and asked if he'd seen the tandem

I said i though I was being captured by aliens

he laughed and said he thought he'd stopped

 

[rb58]

My longest ride ever at 245 miles. Wish I'd totted the mileage up a little more carefully as I swapped GPS units because if I'd known I was that close to 250 I'd have gone round the block a couple of times.

As iZap says, we cycled back via Ipswich. Tim stopped for a nap soon after Dunwich, then Arnold's mate jumped on the train at Ipswich, leaving Arnold and I to do battle with the fierce headwind all the way back. It was particularly bad coming over the flat lands just before Manningtree where we stopped a for a petrol station lunch. A puncture in Colchester was quickly dealt with and on to Chelmsford where we holed up for quite a while sheltering from the storms, and where Tim re-joined us. Then the final leg down to the Dartford Crossing and on to home. Arrived on the doostep almost 24 hours after I'd left. Dirty, smelly, hungry, tired and cursing the bloke who invented the Brooks saddle.

Until next year.....

 

[redjedi]

Well done ladies and gents. I'll try and join you next year.

And Tynan...still no ride home? Next year?