Dunwich Dynamo 20-21 July 2013

[rogerzilla]

I still have 3 brevet cards from the first 3 Dynamos in 1993, 4 and 5 which I did on a tourer (later stolen), a racing tricycle (still riding) and Italian racing bike (later stolen) respectively.

So...is it true that the legend about couriers is a myth and it was actually started as an audax ride by recumbent riders?

[Jurek]

I still have 3 brevet cards from the first 3 Dynamos in 1993, 4 and 5 which I did on a tourer (later stolen), a racing tricycle (still riding) and Italian racing bike (later stolen) respectively.

So...is it true that the legend about couriers is a myth and it was actually started as an audax ride by recumbent riders?

Couriers on an all night mission =myth.
A figbox of the late, great, Barry Mason's romantic imagination. G0d bless him.
A pay-to-enter ride originally - thanks to Patrick Field.
Not entirely sure when the Patrick/Barry changeover took place.
It was before I first dabbled my toes in 2007.

[Kim]

So...is it true that the legend about couriers is a myth and it was actually started as an audax ride by recumbent riders?

What sane person would chose Dunwich as a destination for a recumbent ride?  It's rubbish.  You either want it pan flat, or properly rolling so you can use your momentum to get most of the way back up the other side.  Failing that, long draggy climbs followed by ye-ha descents so you can have some fun.  The Dun Run has none of these things, and is simply annoyingly hard work on a 'bent (more so in its modern guise, where you're permanently surrounded by uprights and constantly wasting energy to match pace).

[rower40]

permanently surrounded by uprights and constantly wasting energy to match pace.

Mea Culpa.
If I can fettle the Grasshopper in time, will you join me for next year's NurNud?

[Kim]

Oh, no.  You guys know about recumbents and tandems and so on, and expect that I'm going to twiddle up hills and then leapfrog on the way down.  But unless you're really fast or team slowing it, there's random people on bikes everywhere who can't be relied on not to do something silly, which limits overtaking opportunities.

[Synec]

I still have 3 brevet cards from the first 3 Dynamos in 1993, 4 and 5 which I did on a tourer (later stolen), a racing tricycle (still riding) and Italian racing bike (later stolen) respectively.

So...is it true that the legend about couriers is a myth and it was actually started as an audax ride by recumbent riders?

Couriers on an all night mission =myth.
A figbox of the late, great, Barry Mason's romantic imagination. G0d bless him.
A pay-to-enter ride originally - thanks to Patrick Field.
Not entirely sure when the Patrick/Barry changeover took place.
It was before I first dabbled my toes in 2007.

It was started by Patrick Field and organised/ supported by Mosquito bikes for about 5 years until they bowed out. Indeed it was pay to enter with breakfast thrown in and some freebees at the feedstops. Initially there were 3 stops. One at Leaden Roding, second at Monks Eleigh (residents did not like the noise - excited chatter of pioneers, y'see - so it moved to Great Waldingfield for later rides and 3rd at Earl Soham - soon dropped). There were also 3 start times 4 pm, 8 pm and midnight. The ride ended on the Heath (right turn about a km before the Flora cafe) with cook wagons to prepare and serve breakfast - no chairs. Route used to go along the A1120 which was absolutely deadly - long, dull and straight into the sun with tired eyes. There are better routes. I am delighted the ride has become so wildly popular. Obvious really - it is such an English idea; quixotic yet down to earth.

[rower40]

You guys know about recumbents and tandems and so on

Be that as it may, the presence of muppets on the road (including the recipient of my so-called 'passive-agressive' overtake) during the Dun Run Proper suggests that we should have a contra-flow NurNud, on 'bents only (or, at least, with a 'bents-only faction).  I used my brakes on the Orange Bling much more than I wanted to during the event - so it would be nice to do a ride where the brakes are there to provide a sense of security, rather than a need to constantly convert kinetic energy into heat so as to avoid the wheel in front (which, more than likely, has just overtaken one).  It's way worse for recumbents on group rides; not only does a 'bent rider have to remove speed on downhills, but their bikes weigh more anyway. AND they can't see past for a safe overtake.

So let's do Dunwich (dep 1900 Saturday) to London (not necessarily The Pub in The Park in London Fields, but somewhere that can do a decent fry-up) on the night of the DunRun next year, with a spoken agreement that brakes are for sissies, lights are for confusing the oncoming riders, Sybil Headingham is for avoiding, and chainrings are our crumple zone.

Paging Charlotte...  Charlotte to the baronial RED aerodynamic courtesy phone please.  And any other 'bent riders...

[Kim]

You going to resurrect the Windcheetah then?   

[rower40]

You going to resurrect the Windcheetah then?   

Stranger things have happened.  Such as Wowbagger and the rest of Team Slow covering the distance from Hackney to Dunwich faster than Team Steady.  Which suggests something totally b0rked with the fabric of the multiverse.  I blame the black hole known as Sible Headingham.

[rogerzilla]

Route used to go along the A1120 which was absolutely deadly - long, dull and straight into the sun with tired eyes. There are better routes.

Hundreds still do.  If you miss the unsigned right turn at Framsden or get it wrong at Brandeston or Kettleburgh, you tend to end up on that road.  I suppose it's a "fail safe" option.

[jane]

I still have 3 brevet cards from the first 3 Dynamos in 1993, 4 and 5 which I did on a tourer (later stolen), a racing tricycle (still riding) and Italian racing bike (later stolen) respectively.

So...is it true that the legend about couriers is a myth and it was actually started as an audax ride by recumbent
riders?

Couriers on an all night mission =myth.
A figbox of the late, great, Barry Mason's romantic imagination. G0d bless him.
A pay-to-enter ride originally - thanks to Patrick Field.
Not entirely sure when the Patrick/Barry changeover took place.
It was before I first dabbled my toes in 2007.

There were coaches definitely the year before. Beyond that, my memory gets hazy.  I never did a pay to ride one, though.  The courier thing is a myth, you're right, but it may well be, like much folk history, born
 out of shreds of truth drifting here and there.  In the mid 80's  on warm summer Friday nights after a hard, hot day riding dirty London streets and then a few hours in the pub imbibing a varied  mixture of intoxicants it was not unknown for a few of us to head seawards to catch the sunrise.  Southend, Brighton, Birling Gap, these were the destinations I remember.  A few times, we took wrong turns, once getting lost in the Surrey Hills (maybe we were trying to find Bognor) and that became a regular night ride too, there and back.  But the main aim was sunrise on a beach, any beach.  Maybe some couriers once got lost on the way to Southend and ended up in Dunwich.  Me and my mates would definitely have been capable of that.

[rogerzilla]

The stop was also at Monks Eleigh in 2005, my first.  Made the second leg fairly short; only just over 40 miles.  2008 was Lavenham and Sible Hedingham started in 2010.

[Synec]

The stop was also at Monks Eleigh in 2005, my first.  Made the second leg fairly short; only just over 40 miles.  2008 was Lavenham and Sible Hedingham started in 2010.

I remember the 2005 one - I had to pack on that one with vicious knee trouble. Monks Eleigh churchyard made a pleasant spot for a nap if a little chilly. Left knee was later operated on and sorted for a complete and untroubled ride the following year. Wasn't the Lavenham one used because great Waldingfield was being rebuilt/ refurbished? I remember that one too as I ignored it and carried straight on the original route that year

[Wobbly John]

Anyone else from cambridge fancy that? (although it'll add another 10 miles for you)

It's been done before - either 2006 or 2008, a few Cambs Cycle Campaign (mainly recumbent types) did it.

[Ham]

The best alternative route out of London I would say is to go through chigwell and Grange Hill, crossing under the M25 here https://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=51.652883,0.177627&spn=0.029342,0.056906&t=m&z=15 however that does provide a section of pretty naff A road until Chipping Ongar, but after that it's all good.

[spesh]

The best alternative route out of London I would say is to go through chigwell and Grange Hill, crossing under the M25 here https://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=51.652883,0.177627&spn=0.029342,0.056906&t=m&z=15 however that does provide a section of pretty naff A road until Chipping Ongar, but after that it's all good.

The Chigwell-Chipping Ongar diversion seemed to be the best of a bad bunch when I was having look at alternative routes upthread:

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=60972.msg1263531#msg1263531

What might still be up for debate is the route to Chigwell, or whether one starts from Hackney at all.

[Ham]

The improved route to Chigwell and out to the M25 is this https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=London+Fields,+Westside,+Hackney,+London,+Greater+London+E8+3EU&daddr=51.5604722,-0.0025373+to:51.558592,0.007034+to:B175&hl=en&sll=51.645028,0.16119&sspn=0.0392,0.073986&geocode=FcRzEgMdBBT__yEyTyVIXu2dNSmxZc3H6Bx2SDEyTyVIXu2dNQ%3BFRjAEgMdF_b__ym1Qiv9gB12SDHQsgs5xoUREw%3BFcC4EgMdehsAACmxNt-4eKfYRzGgugs5xoUREw%3BFSIwFAMdBJ8CAA&dirflg=w&mra=dme&mrsp=3&sz=14&via=1,2&t=m&z=14

There is a cycle path up the side of Leytonstone High Road, this route makes a slight kink as it is probably easier on the road.

As I said the only naff section is directly after crossing the M25 where it is a narrow, busy/fast, incline (just to remind you you are bypassing Toot Hill on the left)

[Morrisette]

You know, I am up for this next year. Work can get stuffed!

I'm back BTW. If anyone noticed I'd gone

[rogerzilla]

I thought I'd got out of this by booking two weeks' holiday overseas, but that turns out to be a week later than the Dun Run 

If I ride, this will be the year the Fuji fixie finally makes it, probably by 3.30am or something stupid.  It's not a bike you want to sit on for any longer than you have to.

[TimO]

Damn, I need to start thinking about how I'm going to do this!

So, either (i) use Vince with the coach back, and chuck him onto the back of the trucks, (ii) Use Red and cycle to Ipswich after a brief rest on the beach, or (iii) one of the other bikes, with minimal camping kit, and then cycle to Ipswich the following day, after having gotten in a decent bit of sleep.

[marcusjb]

Hmm. Week before LEL.

Tempted for a fast tear up there and back. Leave a little early (7-8) to avoid the worst of the mayhem getting out of London (or find an alternate route) and bomb down there.

Of course, should be minimising sleep debt.  But where's the fun in that? Plenty of folks will be riding the 24 that weekend before LEL. Dunwich and back is far easier.

I probably wouldn't be bothered enough to make it a DIY 400 (which would require a trip out west of lndon to take a run up for hackney), but leave it at a 300.

Anyway, long way off yet. I am hoping to be fit and fast by then!

[Wowbagger]

I'm hoping to do it on the Mercian, which is now a single speed.

Having said that, there's a good opportunity, since I'll be up there, to carry on and camp in East Anglia for a few days. Anyone else interested in this ridiculous prospect? It wasn't an option last year as the Dun Run was immediately followed by a normal working week. This year, I will have finished teaching.

[Wobbly John]

*Registers possible interest*

[loadsabikes]

Sounds like my sort of lunacy. Very possible.

[delthebike]

I'm hoping to do it on the Mercian, which is now a single speed.

As long as you can carry enough spokes I don't see that as a problem.