[Closed] Anyone doing/done the Dunwich Dynamo?

I did it a few summers back - on the loaded TD bike. It was my first ever organised road ride and the number of stops that roadies make is unbelievable! They were in at every petrol station, pub, bbq etc picking up food and water then overtaking me again.

There was a lot of 'pack' riding with folk in matching clothes and on the lanes we had riders on the other side of the road and then shouting out 'car!' on a surprised fashion.

Its all quite flat, well signposted and the atmosphere at the start was fun and relaxed - you can get rolling whenever you please and there were lots of places to eat at the start.

The wait for the bus ride back to town was dull and the bikes go on a big waggon. Bikes are then propped up against hedges/walls/on the ground in a giant carpark back in London with minimum security I recall.

Worth doing but I didn't make it to the coast to see the sun rise as I was riding with buddies who did not hold the pace. I'd rather ride on the downs.

I’ll just be setting my legs to ‘steady’ and plodding on

You've nailed it already.

Great event with a fantastic atmosphere and save a smile for the cafe workers at the end who stay up all night to keep the breakfasts coming. Sad I have to miss it again this year.

Did it a few years ago, and we were hoping  to do it again this year, but can't make the logistics work (combination of Ride London and the DunRun on the same weekend plus the usual nonsense about trying to take bikes on trains)

I found the ride out of London a bit hairy - thousands of plodder/nodder/commuter cyclists at 10mph, inundating the cars (who were then getting wound up) and then bunches of roadies/club riders trying to overtake everything. I tagged onto a couple of quick guys and we did the majority of it down the centre of the road with some distinctly dubious riding (and I say that as someone who's commuted in London for 20 yrs). Fun at the time, but could have easily ended in disaster.

Once out in the country though, it's lovely. Bumped into a few people I know, chatted to random strangers. Nice. You just keep following the flashing red lights. There was only one point where I ran out of people to follow, but then a chap with a GPS turned up (it was just as they were starting to get popular) so a little bunch formed around him.

The official foodstop is OK, but once into Suffolk, there's a good few enterprising folk who stay up all night to cheer you on and knock up bacon baps etc. The café at Dunwich Beach is pretty greasy-spoonish, but heaven-sent when you get there

Annoyingly it started raining on the beach, and I ended up setting solid/shivering whilst waiting for the SO to turn up with another 30 miles to go back to her parents. Tip - take a coat!

Cheers chaps.

The wait for the bus ride back to town was dull and the bikes go on a big waggon.

If I'm honest, this is the bit I'm looking forward to least, hanging around waiting for the bus then sitting on it, knackered (I can never sleep on buses/planes). How long does the bus back take?

This will be my first Dun Run also. Looking forward to it and just did my first 100 miler last Saturday in preparation. Fb group may be worth a look if you haven't already for answers/advice.

If you see a tall guy on a red Triban 3, please say hello!

If I was doing it again, I'd ride back. Probably quicker, certainly more fun than the bus.

I'm in for it, getting dropped off in London, then riding on home to Norfolk, so will be around 200 miles by the time i get home, but in no rush and will just be out for a craic..

Anyone riding on from Dunwich to get on to Norfolk or Cambridgeshire for train stations or home?

Done it loads of times.

First time (in the very early days of DD) I got the coach back and it was a right faff waiting around on the beach for hours, a long hot journey home and then loads of waiting around while we waited for the bike truck (which had got lost en-route), waited for the bikes to be unloaded...

After that we used to ride to Ipswich and get the train but they started getting really strict with booking bikes on, only being on the specified train etc.

Then one year we had an absolute nightmare of a journey when the train stopped half way due to a vehicle hitting a bridge and we all had to disembark and get on replacement coaches. By then it was chucking it down, torrential rain, the train was rammed with very rich cruise passenegers who'd just disembarked at Harwich and who were very unimpressed at finding the train (and then the coach) ful of stinky cyclists and that journey just went on forever.

One year a mate drove her car out to Darsham station on Saturday morning, parked there, got the train home to London and then we rode out there on Saturday night, slept on the beach for a bit then she drove us home. That was probably the easiest.

Last time we rode from Dunwich to Cambridge (different line, no restrictions) but that was 85 miles on top of the previous night's 125!

Get your eating and drinking sorted before hand, know what works for you & your tummy. For me, on a long ride: hot cross buns, torq bars, malt loaf & jam, electrolyte tabs if hot, coca cola towards the end. Slim your kit down and have a system (I wear a watch set to 12:00 when I start & keep tabs on ride time and food consumption via that).

& and don't forget that Robs advice above of "ride back" is from the mad man who's done the SDW double double. But it is what Mike would do. 😉

Been meaning to do it for years but something else has always clashed. This year might be the last chance for a while with mini CD mk2 arriving soon.

I did an overnight sportive from Hunstanton to Southwold a couple of years ago, not many people and some sections were quite remote, at one point I hadn't seen anyone, not even a rear light, for over an hour, the tiredness and darkness really starts to mess with your head and rode off the road a few times. After that, I had a 7 hour wait until the trains started running in the morning which spoilt the experience a bit.

Scud - If I do it I will probably ride to Lowestoft and get the train to Norwich then Ely but that's a lot of waiting around so might cycle all the way back if not feeling that bad (wishful thinking as I've not done any century rides this year).

Get your eating and drinking sorted before hand, know what works for you & your tummy. For me, on a long ride: hot cross buns, torq bars, malt loaf & jam, electrolyte tabs if hot, coca cola towards the end.

That's being FAR too scientific!

You stop at a pub out Epping way for a pint and a pack of crisps / nuts, have a bacon sarnie wherever you can find a pop up stall and then a coffee a bit further on. Once on the beach you fall into the greasy spoon cafe and have a fry up.

@Cheersdrive.

I live in North Norfolk near Swaffham/Fakenham so will be cycling back that way, but always happy for company. I am a big diesel, i did a 200 miler Round Norfolk Epic a few weeks back, but will only average about 15-16mph, let me know if you fancy it?

Yeah, food wise I do pretty well on anything 'normal', rather than gels and all that, so I'll have some stuff with me and I'll make use of any ad-hoc bacon butties that may come my way. I'm considering having a water bottle in one cage and and a flask of coffee in the other 🙂

And I ain't riding back...

Did my first Dun Run last year, some observations...

The DD can be whatever you want it to be, a mad sprint to the sea with your team kit club buddies, a long distance pub crawl with your drinking mates, a  personal physical / mental challenge or as in my case just one of those rides that needs to be ticked off the bucket list.

I rode on my own and just hoped that a) I wouldn't get lost and b) I wanted to get to the beach for the sunrise.

The weather obviously has a big impact on things but luckily it was a cracking summers day with bright sunshine.(Not sure I would want to do it in the rain tbh)

The Pub in the park gathering was cool, never seen so many different niches of cyclist in one place, and their numbers just kept increasing as the afternoon went on, all getting on, no judgmental bike snobbery just all chilling out with plenty of beer, banter and the smell of bbq with the occasional whiff of weed in the air.

People started moving off around 7.30, not knowing what was best I waited till 8 before leaving but many people leave it till later so they can fully embrace the riding in the dark aspect of it.

It's busy like a critical mass type thing with bikes everywhere amongst the gridlocked traffic getting out of London. Loads of banter and "what's going on ?"  from bemused onlookers. As for which way to go it was just a case of follow the crowd and was like riding with hundreds of mates you never knew you had.

Once out of the city people spread out a bit but you can still just follow the infamous trail of red lights to keep yourself on course.. About 20 miles in I had my only doubts about completing it, for no reason other than the realisation that I had a long way to go and that the furthest I had cycled in one go before was about 50 miles .As it got dark any negative thoughts were soon replaced by the spectacle of a highly illuminated carnival of bikes and riders, some people really do make a big effort with this.

Every pub along the way seemed to have cyclist outside taking a break and providing more cheering and banter to all those passing through.

My first stop was at the very popular Sudbury fire station around the halfway point. Many people stop here to regroup as riders get separated along the way. Although they have a great setup with drinks bbq and toilet facilities  unfortunately for me anyway the queues were far too long so I waited for a bit then cracked on. About 20 mins later I came to a pub with bbq setup outside so stopped there for a burger and water refill as the queue was much smaller.

So just over half way, fed  watered  and with a fresh application of chamois cream, arm / knee warmers and Gillet on ( It was never cold but the early hours just before dawn are a bit damp/chilly)  I set off once more into the early morning darkness.

Everybody s pretty spread out by now but there was always someone near you to follow. I came across another large gathering point that was apparently Needham Lakes but once again didn't stop as it was very busy.

Unless you have special dietary requirements don't worry too much about carrying lots of food & drink with you as although it is quite a strange sight  to see whole families sit out in their roadside gardens  providing pop up refreshment stops and encouragement throughout the route.

Route sheets are available at the start in the park @ £1 a go, not essential but a nice souvenir. I had also downloaded the gpx onto my Garmin just in case but never resorted to using either I just kept following the person in front and as twilight started I started to recognise some landmarks that I had seen from videos of previous DDs so knew I was getting close to my destination. I also started to see some of the "doing the double"  riders that were on their way back to London, Chapeau to them.

Next thing I was passing the welcome to Dunwich sign and down to the road junction for the beach. I arrived  just as the sun had come up off the horizon with lots of tired bodies lying out all over the beach.

I surprised at how emotional I felt and I may of shed a tear at this point or maybe it was just dusty.

Once at the beach you have to have a swim,  it's traditional after all, water was lovely and warm but maybe that's because of Sizewell power station being just along the coast.The shingle/stones were not so pleasant however.

As above the waiting around for the coaches was the worst bit. I was keen to get on an early departing coach so didn't bother with a sleep just chilled out watching the latest arrivals as they completed their personal journeys.

Both the Tea rooms on the beach and the Ship pub were very busy with people celebrating their achievements.

Once my bike was loaded onto the first lorry and I was aboard the coach it was time for a serious nap waking up just as we got into London and then it was like a tourist bus ride around all the famous landmark sights before arriving back at  Surrey quays shopping centre. The unloading experience depends on whereabouts your bike is in the lorry and so be aware it can take quite a while if it's near the front..

So that's my experience of the phenomenon that is the Dunwich Dynamo, would I do it again ?

Hell yeah it was an incredible experience hopefully it will be just as good the 2nd time.

Good luck see you next weekend.

Edit: whoops didn't intend to ramble on that much

Lovely post, cheers Muke!

You make it sound like a great experience.  It's been a way down my "not sure if I'm bothered" list, but you've bumped it up to "maybe one day" list!

nice post, Muke....

i attempted it about 12 years ago on my slicked-up xc hardtail.

i stopped for a piss and a smoke just before Sudbury and when i went to get back on the bike managed to sit on a testicle. was in agony. tears in my eyes. had to phone my old man and he drove from mid-essex to pick me up.

would do it again.

As Nike say "Just do it"

Not mine but a video from the start of last years...

I also liked muke’s post.

This is on my list. Plenty of time yet.

That's really useful Muke, thanks.

would do it again

What, sit on your testicle? Weirdo.

I did it years ago, was grand, weather is important, i imagine its full of thousands of hipsters now… which is great as i like hipsters.

Soooo, it's this weekend then. I'm quite looking forward to it now. I think I'm ready...

I've found somewhere that looks suitable to leave the van overnight in Bermondsey, so easy to get back to after the coach drop off at Surrey Quays and possibly/probably have a(nother) tactical kip before driving home. Might have a potter around the RideLondon Freecycle event on the Saturday afternoon too.

Last try, anyone else?

If you are, look out for a chap on a red Holdsworth with a big ol'seatpack,

wearing an orange Holdsworth jersey:

Then say hello!

I'll be riding my baby blue Rourke. Setting off 19.30ish as I want to get back to Cambridgeshire before the rain and wind worsens. If I make it back home it will be 190 miles which is over 3x my longest ride for the past 12 months, eek.

Ooof, good effort. Looking like a chunky tailwind for the rode out to Dunwich though 🙂

The reward that awaits you...

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Looking like a chunky tailwind for the rode out to Dunwich though

I've got to remind myself to take it easy on the way out and not get egged on by the tailwind.

So Dun Run 2018 is done, numbers seemed down on last year maybe because of the Ride London clash but at least the food queues were smaller as a result.

A great mix of amazing people and bikes but I thought riders were generally a bit quieter with less banter, everyone was just getting on with their ride.

Chapeau to the guy with only 1 leg who went flying past me, absolutely awesome.

My original plan for this year was to maybe start a bit earlier go slower, take lots of photos but it didn't happen like that. I had to work an 8 hour shift before starting so was a bit tired already but my plan fell apart when I decided the traditional  8pm start and sunrise on the beach were too important to be ignored and so became my main focus instead.

My main error was I wasted a lot of energy pushing on and trying to catch faster groups also because I knew what to expect I found myself getting distracted by watching the mileage a lot more instead of just enjoying the ride.

I did manage to loose the trail of red lights a couple of times and also went on a short detour by following a group who missed a turn along the way.

The noise as you went over the loose patches of gravel on some of the fast blind descents was a bit of a butt clencher and a bit of cramp on some of the short sharp ups obviously didn't help.

Still enjoyed it though even if the sunrise on the beach wasn't one of the most spectacular.

Finally  sad news on DD fb page about the fallen rider who unfortunately never got to finish his journey to the beach.  Well done to those that helped and condolences to family and friends RIP Dominic

Folks - check out Ride to the Sun - www.ridetothesun.co.uk - the northern/Scottish homage to the DD. Website is about to be updated but find it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too. Feedback on the website and Facebook page is superb.

Enjoyed it, was feeling rough due to tonsillitis, but managed to get to the beach in time for sun rise, then pushed on to get home to North Norfolk, 180 miles but at a slow speed.

Funny old event, maybe it was me, but didn't seem that friendly, spoke to a few people who simply didn't answer.

Stopped to help a lass who had a puncture, she couldn't  work why the 26" MTB tube she had brought with her wouldn't fit in her road bike, i gave her a road tube and then she had a go at me as i asked if she needed help fitting it "because just because i'm a woman doesn't mean i don't know what i'm doing", that'll teach me to give her right tube and try and be helpful!

Thanks to @Cheers-drive for sticking with me for last 60 miles

@scud - I was Ride Captaining RL yesterday which involved fixing a few punctures for people..... some people are just arseholes.

Never done the DunRun, but have been toying with idea. What about the Friday Night Ride to the Coast ones - anyone done them / what are they like?

https://www.fnrttc.org.uk/

We've been thinking about the Friday Night rides, but it hasn't worked out for us this year. We're thinking of doing our own Friday night ride out through the Surrey Hills to the South Downs at the August Bank Holiday.

Must admit there are nicer beaches than Dunwich, reminds me of the horrible shingle beaches of my home town of Pompey!

Always thought a good run would be Cambridge to Wells next the Sea and back, 75 miles each way, so could do it one way or return, beautiful beach, quiet roads and a great seaside cafe, if anyone ever fancied it?

@scud, no problem, most people who had tonsilitis would have never started in the first place! Thanks for the lift home as well, hope the coffee at maccy D did the job to keep you awake for the drive home. Definitely interested in Cambridge to wells and back.

The noise as you went over the loose patches of gravel on some of the fast blind descents was a bit of a butt clencher

Very much so, one Cambridge CC rider in front of me probably soiled himself after a sideways moment. Better than the lanes Scud and I took on the way back, they were like beaches.

Yep, I can now say I've done the DunRun.

Started out with a bit of a faff; drove from The Shire to That London and parked the van in Bermondsey so i could get back to it easily from the coach drop off at Surrrey Quays. I'd plotted a route across to Hackney, got halfway there riding through the big city (Tower Bridge is, er, interesting on a bike) and realised I'd left my water bottles in the van, so had to find my way back. Start again, got to the start with no more issues.

Grabbed a burger and a beer at the start, it was a good atmosphere. Set off about quarter past eight, the mass of riders in the traffic for the first two or three miles was interesting, some driver frustration, some people riding like dicks, but soon out of the way.

From then one it was tailwind all the way so I just cruised along. I finished at about 4:30 and seemed to be one of the early ones (probably because I didn't really stop). Having a swim before sunrise was pretty cool, followed by a coffee, cheese roll and a beer. Obviously there was a bit if hanging around waiting for the coaches and stuff, but on the whole all that bit was organised pretty well. I was back at the van for about 13:00 on Sunday.

To be honest, I'm not quite sure to make of the event. I probably, in all honesty, got it 'wrong'; I rode it like a sportive, in that I set my own pace, occasionally drafting in or pulling on the front of groups, mainly just riding on my own, but on the whole just cracking on to the finish. I stopped at midnight about fifty miles for a coffee and a Snickers from the 'Only Foods and Sauces' van (great name), and then at about 03:30 (I think) for a bacon butty and a coffee at about 90 miles from a great set-up in what seemed to be someone's very large front garden. I didn't stop at any of the pubs, although clearly many, many people did, and I think this is probably what makes the event for most people.

Would I do it again? Maybe, but if I did it would be in a group, treating it like a nice long day out on the bike with a couple of pub stops, it just happens to be done overnight.

The noise as you went over the loose patches of gravel on some of the fast blind descents was a bit of a butt clencher

Deffo, and this leads me to my only real gripe; folks with daylight-esque front lights riding behind you, so you end up pretty much riding blind as you're in your own shadow. This had pee'd me off a few times, but I had it really badly on those final descents, I couldn't really see anything.

Agree about the bright lights, i had Exposure Joystick but on lowest setting and angled really down, lots of times on some of the descents, couldn't really see a thing except my own large shadow!

Noticed a number of fixie guys who were too cool to have a lights at all though!

Did the ride and back to London, 230miles all in, by far my longest ride, good fun!

Ride in to the office this morning was a bit sore..!

Good effort doing the double! I did 20 miles back home from the finish and it was miserable - headwind and knackered, can’t imagine what another 90 on top would have been like.

Agree with much of the above - some very bright lights (front and back) which made things unpleasant at times. Seemed a bit less friendly / eccentric this year. But all in all a good ride out, though never doing it fixed again.

Ps - if one of you was the bloke on the pink fixie I was talking to, apologies for cutting short our conversation in Sudbury, I had to stop at the bike shop for some emergency chamois cream!

Oh yeah, as others have said i wouldn't describe it as a 'friendly' event. It wasn't necessarily 'unfriendly', but I didn't get any feeling of the general camaraderie I've experienced on other events (like HONC, f'rinstance).

I have to say ,fair play ,to those who rode back. The wind yesterday was brutal.

next year perhaps.

A short film about Jon Wilson the DD rider who only has one leg...

First Dun Run for me also, and I had a great time.

VERY glad I bought the spare rear light I was going to leave at home as I thought one light plus spare batteries would be fine. 20 miles in it packed up for good. I don't think I'd have entertained the idea of riding without one although I did see a few people without any kind of rear light. Crazy.

I left at 8.50 after sharing the train with a couple who were tackling it on their very nice tandem.

I was riding on my own so I kept stops to a minimum. Once to sort the rear light, once more at 30 miles in to top water up/have an energy bar and then kept going until the fire station where I had a proper refuel.

I'd done two 100 mile rides with a decent bit of elevation gain in the two weeks prior to this and I have to say it paid off as I felt great for the whole ride pretty much. Didn't bother stopping after Sudbury and just ate/drank on the go, arriving at the beach at 5.30 I think.

Breakfast, dip in the sea and then that poxy queue to get the bike loaded up, definitely the least enjoyable bit of the experience.

As IHN said, I too may not have rode it in the spirit of the ride but had a great time nonetheless. Loved the solitude you had at times, just empty roads, moonlight, a few flickering red lights ahead and the occasional clicking of gears. Magic stuff.

Big respect to those on ss's, Bromptons, the American guy with one leg and that amazing 9 year old girl who completed the whole thing after setting off earlier in the day.

Commiserations to the guy who I helped locate pieces of his destroyed rear mech and of course thoughts go out to poor Dominic who unfortunately never made it to the beach.

I'll definitely be back for more of the same next year.