Everything all at the same time: cycling

Wow wow wow wow...

I've wanted to do the Dunwich Dynamo for a few years now but my sister D and usual cycle buddy Connie's birthdays have been on that weekend, and if they don't want to do the Dun Run as their celebrations then I have to miss it. This year, the ride was a week earlier on 8th/9th July - the date is picked on whichever weekend in July is closest to the full moon.

And thus, in February, me and Con booked our coach tickets - Southwark Cyclists organise coaches back to London for you and your bike - a godsend as the trains are tricky that way when you (& many others) have a bike in tow.

A little info, the Dunwich Dynamo is an overnight ride from London Fields to Dunwich on the Suffolk coast, it's around 200km/120 miles but actually a little under that. (I cycled to the start point, so got a few more miles in that way if we're been picky).

The furthest I'd cycled previously was 60 miles and that was 2 or 3 years ago. I'd been meaning to start my training once I got a new bike on the cycle to work scheme, but didn't get round to sorting that out for a few months. As it turned out, the new bike arrived on June 7th so I had 4 weeks to get myself together. I started commuting to work two times a week, clocking up 20 miles a day. Connie and I tackled Box Hill as part of a 30 mile ride one weekend, but I chose to spend my one other free weekend ahead of the DD chilling in the park - in my defence, it was too hot to move.

Coming up to Chatsworth Road

Finally the weekend was here, I made sure to have a relaxing Friday evening and Saturday day (having a bath, trying to nap, etc) before I cycled over to Mare Street to fuel up on Vietnamese pre-ride with Connie. We started to get excited as we saw more and more cyclists arriving. A guy on a recumbent bike came into the restaurant too and we watched his bike when he went to the loo (we saw him at the beach later and it looked like he was getting back on his bike somewhere, one of the extra crazy riders perhaps!)

We headed over to London Fields and bought the map/directions for a quid. Connie had borrowed a Garmin and I had a piece of paper stuck to my bike of various towns we'd be going through (see below) and their mileage points - good to have options!

And at 8pm, we set off! Some children had their hands out for hi fives, so I stuck my hand out to meet them.

As we approached Epping Forest, I noticed the kids that would later knock down a fellow rider causing him to break his collarbone. We gave them a wide berth luckily and reached the Shell garage (12 miles down) unscathed for a quick wee (too much nervous energy!). Connie met the first of our recurring faces on the ride (although we didn't get a name) and it was onwards to Moreton.

Maybe at the 20 mile point

We were making a good pace, but I was aware we shouldn't go too fast as we had such a distance to go. Our plan was basically to eat/drink as much as possible so we made sure to stop and have food/gels every hour. On we rode... The sun began to set, beautifully as it had been a lovely day, then the full moon came out and it was equally wonderful - unfortunately clouds would cover it during nightfall.

Around 10pm, we turned on our big front lights (these ones bought especially for the ride, usually you only need to be seen, not actually see the road ahead). I lost one of my back lights soon enough on a downhill, I had packed another with me thankfully as it was lost in the masses. A lady went past us as we were discussing the distance covered thus far, she said yep, we're 40 miles down and we did a hurrah.

4.30 am

Cycling through the countryside at night is really something - people say you can just follow the red lights on the DD, you don't need a map - and seeing a snake of red lights in the distance was very tranquil. In terms of following the lights, we often found ourselves alone, I making a tentative descent into the darkness with no red flashes ahead to pave the way. But we didn't get lost, even when the Garmin gave up. And generally, I preferred just coming across a couple of cyclists and saying hello, as when a pack would descend, it got a bit loud and stressful. I'm a 3 chevron driver though!

On we rode... Families cheered us on from their gardens, reclining in chairs with a beer or peeking over fences and brought a huge smile to my face every time.

One rider called out "The only way is up" as we started up another hill, it tickled Connie for a fair few corners and then she repeated it. Said rider was still next to us, but this time we were going down a hill, so he replied "It's now Down down down d-down"... just one of the many silly snippets of joy to be found on the DD.

The cheap mount I bought for the new big light snapped off on another downhill - I managed to retrieve it though and using my little front light, we cycled for a little bit longer till we came across a van we had seen earlier who was driving the course supporting his cyclist friends. They helped us unscrew the mount (I hadn't bought that tool) and we readjusted it so we could reattach the light. Another cyclist (in the Fat Lad at the Back jersey) waiting at the bus stop offered us his light as we worked the mount. The Dunwich Dynamo is an unsupported ride in so much there is no official help, but there is so much kindness offered by strangers. Another chap stopped off where we were, he said he was only going to Sudbury (the halfway point) and we were 7 miles away - another rejoice!

Sun rearing its head

And yes, soon enough (1.30 am) we were at Sudbury's Torque Bikes. We stopped off at the fire station for a hot dog, hot drink and a toilet break. I bumped into our 'Fat Lad' again. I whooped and said we're halfway - but it also dawned on me, that we basically had to do the entire thing again. Connie had had her low point, mine was still to come but we'd found the first half tougher than expected. For a start, there were far more hills than anticipated, everyone had said it was basically flat. I disagree!

And so, my low came after that halfway point. We left the fire station around 2.30 am and at some point after (maybe 3.30?), my eyes were getting sore from concentrating in the dark so much - our big lights weren't set very high so the battery would last. I was not giving much chat to Connie and I was definitely struggling. My spirits lifted when I saw some lightness behind the clouds, sunrise was coming, I called "To the Sun" - my smile and wonder returned. On we rode...

Sur la plage

It was bright by the time (4.30 am) we got to 2/3 point - just before Gosbeck but there was a chill in the air. Weirdly chillier than when it was dark. The miles really flew by in that last third, the sun glowing big and blood orange as it rose, cockerels crowing and the dew lifting from the wheat fields creating a magical atmosphere. We decided not to stop at Needham Lakes as we still had a fair lot of miles to go by my reckoning but it did look lovely.

We cycled past the cutest lemonade stand. Then there was a cardboard sign, saying Dunwich 15 miles. Could it be? We didn't quite believe it. We stopped off at lady's house for pizza, tea and cola - she was also nursing a cyclist who'd had a accident - to fuel up just in case. And lo and behold, suddenly we were 8 miles away and then 5, and then 2 and a half and then at the Dunwich beach car park. At 7.30am! Hugs all around!

Dipping a toe in

I want to thank all the cyclists, 'organisers', pubs, volunteers, residents et al for their generosity and spirit. Yes, there were some annoying cyclists, as there was some annoying drivers (one shouting the c word at us (the royal us) in Sudbury stands out) but as in life, on the whole, we're a good bunch!

Of course, we had great weather and despite what we'd packed (see below), neither me or Connie got a puncture, but the Dunwich Dynamo 2017 was truly special. I recommend to all! My feelings during and afterwards were not dissimilar to Glastonbury a few weekends previous.

Dunwich Dynamo Bingo - aka bikes we spotted:
Rainbow lady with the fairylights - near Epping
Normal tandem
Recumbent tandem - getting admired lots at Sudbury Fire Station
Stairmaster bike - a few places during the 2nd half
G Randy Parts bike - was confused by this one, well done though!
A Brompton or two

Garmin stats:
It only recorded up to 80km, which was 3.45 hours ride time (it only recorded the cycling time). Average speed 22km/hr.
Max speed 44km/hr

For next year's prep and A Guide to the Dun Run....

What I took:
2 inner tubes - in saddle bag
Puncture repair kit - in saddle bag
1 x CO2 thing
Pump - attached to bike
Tyre levers - in saddle bag
2 water bottles in cages
Waterproof/windproof jacket - attached to handlebars
2 x red lights
2 x white lights (1 normal, 1 strong)
Multi tool - shared with Connie
7 energy/caffeine gels
Lots of homemade flapjacks
Paracetamol - in saddle bag and actually used around 4.30am
Electrolyte tablets things for water - in saddle bag
Cash/card
Coach ticket
Sunglasses

What I will take next time:
Swimsuit and maybe even a towel
Still thinking

List of those villages:
Epping 12 miles
Moreton
Fyfield 22
Leaden Roding
Great Dunmow 35
Great Bardfield
Finchingfield 45
Sible Hedingham 52
Castle Hedingham 53
Sudbury 58 - Fire Station eats
Great Waldingfield 61
Monks Eleigh 66
Needham Market 75 - Needham Lakes stop
Helmingham 83
Framlingham 92
Peasenhall 105
Left after Sibton
Darsham 109
Westleton 111
Dunwich 114

I often get hairbrained ideas into my head and become slightly obsessed with doing/seeing certain things.

A couple of these short obsessions resulted in me planning a long bike ride around the Thamesmead area. I roped in my sister and an another friend, picked them up from Hackney Central to head to Greenwich where we would start our ride proper.

Somewhere after Mile End, we got confused as to where we were going so I suggested doing the route in reverse and heading to Poplar, so off we went for our first stop at Robin Hood Gardens. It's set for demolition but like a lot of council estate demolitions, these things take a long time so I'm not sure where they are at with it. It seemed to be full of residents unlike Heygate which has been sitting predominantly empty for years.

It was designed by Alison and Peter Smithson with the 'streets in the sky' concept in mind and it was completed in 1972. We walked alongside the garages on the 'outside' before coming into the main grassy area.

To the left in the picture below you can see a big bin. As we walked past, a lady dropped her bin bag from the balcony (the gap in the wall) straight into the bin - they'd lined it up well for this purpose. Made me chuckle.

Robin Hood Gardens

From there, we were headed to Beckton Gas Works - I know much of it isn't meant to remain but I wanted to see for myself. Closed in 1970, it has been used in lots of filming, most famously, in Kubrick's 'Full Metal Jacket'. Beckton = Vietnam apparently

We cycled quite close to the river, going along Royal Victoria, the ExCel centre and under the new cable car. From there, we went through Beckton District Park and onto the Beckton Gas Works. There wasn't much to see, less than I anticipated and I realised perhaps I should have google mapped Beckton Alps (toxic spoil from the plant created a hill which people used to ski down!). It had started raining a bit, so we had a quick break eating scotch eggs next to a retail park before giving up on my Beckton dream and heading to the Woolwich Ferry. I'd never been to Beckton before so it was still worth it.

Beckton Alps

What I wanted to see

What we did see

I hadn't been on the Woolwich Ferry in about 10 years so it was nice to go on it again, especially with a bike. It's free and I got to see downstairs for the first time.

These were locked but a nice reminder of the past.

From the ferry, we cycled along the Thames Path to Thamesmead, we were heading for Southmere Lake. Binsey Walk is another place Kubrick has filmed, this time briefly for 'A Clockwork Orange' but you might recognise it more from the Channel 4 show 'Misfits' - most of the antics happen around the community centre.

Again part of this estate is getting demolished and some of the houses had already been knocked down - next to residents going about their business of course. This is a nice piece about its history with photos from then and now.

This sign about horse grazing made me laugh

I believe the towers are staying

Lots of lines

Southmere Lake

It was time for us to have a quick break before heading home via Greenwich. The sun started been all glorious as we passed the Thames Barrier and Antony Gormley's Woolwich Arsenal statues. I think we were all quite knackered by the end, so had dinner in the Cutty Sark pub and then got the overground home.