Dunwich Dynamo 2011

I completed this event last month, but due to me being on the other side of the world, I've only just got around to writing about it.

The Dunwich Dynamo is a 120-mile, overnight ride from a pub in Hackney to the tiny seaside village of Dunwich in Suffolk.

The beauty of the DD is in its simplicity: It's free, there are no marshals, no timing chips, no goodie-bags, no motorcycle outriders, no changing rooms, no showers, no results service. You just turn up at the pub some time on the Saturday evening, then set off when you feel like it. This is how cycling should be.

There were route cards given out at the start, but these aren't much use without a map. Fortunately, I'd packed one. The 1500-or-so riders who'd gathered at the start were a diverse bunch: Hipsters on fixies, Sunday riders in club kit, beardies on tourers (like me!) and girls with baskets on their bikes.

Slowly, over a period of half an hour or so, people started to ride off in groups, and I joined one of them. The few miles out of central London were uneventful: in road cycling, there is definitely safety in numbers, and drivers seemed to show patience and respect towards the mini pelotons heading East.

The last outpost of civilisation was Epping High Street and, with the light fading, we headed on into Epping Forest and the countryside beyond.

There is something beautiful about a line of hundreds of red, blinking LEDs on unlit roads, and something magical about how quiet all those bikes are. To me, this is the whole point of The Dynamo: To experience the darkness, silence and peace of riding at night through countryside.
Contrary to popular stereotypes, rural Essex is extremely beautiful, and we passed through several pretty villages which consisted of a few cottages, a church, a pub and little else.

At roughly half way, there is a food stop at a village hall, staffed by volunteers, at which you can buy bananas, tea, coffee, and hot food. The queue for the hot food was ridiculous, and at the finish I heard many tales of people queuing for an hour to find there was no food left. Me, I just filled up my water bottles, grabbed a quick coffee and went on my way.

Suffolk turned out to be just as picturesque as Essex, and as it grew light my legs were starting to complain, but I knew I'd broken the back of the ride.

Here's the best bit: When I arrived at the finish, at roughly 7am, I discovered the pub was open! I rode onto the stony beach, took a photo then headed inside for a pint of Adnam's and a Full English. Result. It was a slightly overcast morning, but it was dry and not too cold, so I unwrapped my orange survival bag and grabbed a couple of hours' sleep on the beach, along with at least a hundred others.
Now for the worst part of the experience: If you book a coach ticket back, be prepared to wait until the afternoon for your ride back to London. Actually, I was enjoying the sea, the fresh air and the peace so much that I didn't really mind the wait, but even with my post-ride endorphin-rush, I'd rather have gone back sooner.

The coach deposited us not back in Hackney but at Smithfields Market, and the 12 mile ride back to Stanmore (where I'd left my car) was a perfect recovery ride. I was glad, though, to sling my bike in the back of the car and head onto the M1 for the long drive back home to my bed!

My Very Average Cyclist tips for a successful Dunwich Dynamo:

1. Take your own food, so you don't have to rely on the half-way refreshment stop.
2. Take a plastic orange survival bag. They fold up small and are perfect for grabbing a kip on the beach.
3. If you book the coach transport home, be prepared for a long wait on Dunwich Beach.
4. The route is rolling rather than flat. Be prepared for plenty of gentle climbs.
5. Take a map. You can't always rely on the people around you to know the way.

My Dunwich Dynamo kit list:

On the bike:
SST-50, 1200 Lumens front light
2x Smart 1/2 watt rear lights
pump
2x bottles, one containing water and one containing Hi-5
Route card and map (in map case)

In my saddle bag:
waterproof jacket
bananas, flapjacks and a dodgy egg sandwich
spare batteries for lights
money
2x inner tubes
tyre levers
multi tool
plastic survival bag