Stories from the Dunwich Dynamo

The Dynamo run comes once a year to the lost city of Dunwich near my home. On the Saturday nearest the full moon in July a friendly invasion of up 1500 cyclists rides through the night from the elysian fields of Hackney collapsing 120 miles later into the pebble beach of a tiny fishing village lying between the resort towns of Aldeburgh and Southwold.


Its beauty is that it is unorganised. It's not a race, there's no start time, there's no corporate sponsors (yet). People just turn up and like a flock of starlings, suddenly it's time to go. Along the way riders share food and drink, help each other with technical problems and encouragement. The only organisation is by the Southwark Cycle Club who book coaches and furniture vans to bring riders and their steeds home. Others rely on being met by friends and WAGs or try their luck with the trains from Darsham. A feed stop in a village hall around the half-way point is also organised, the location varies year to year. In 2010, riders reported that an 'unofficial' but welcome bacon roll stall was set up in a front garden 50km from the finish which raised  hundreds of pounds for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.


I plan to do it next year. Hopefully its growing legend - thanks to social media - won't spoil it by then. Perhaps I might in the spirit of Halesworth's Bike Aid be generous and offer my orchard for camping (and it's very convenient to Halesworth train station). But until the night of 16/17 July 2011, I'll read the words of those who have already done it with admiration and just a touch of envy.


Rider's stories:


Barry Mason - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/southwarkcyclists/message/9152


Velorunner - http://velorunner.blogspot.com/2010/07/dunwich-dynamo.html


Otesha Project -  http://fb.me/Co0IBLZJ


Willesden Cycling Club -  http://tinyurl.com/2ujyy8l


Real Cycling - http://realcycling.blogspot.com/2010/07/dunwich-dynamo-2010-full-report.html


Semi Cyclist - http://semicyclist.tumblr.com/post/861258525/the-2010-dunwich-dynamo


Yet Another Cycling Forum -  http://bit.ly/bnNnL0 and


http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=21093.msg679903#msg679903


Nick Woodford - http://bit.ly/bU8kRW


Mark Ellison - http://tumblr.com/xy4e8ud2u


Andy Black - http://bit.ly/c9x2W0


Daily Crank - http://www.dailycrank.net/185km-ride-through-the-night-the-2010-dunwich-dynamo/


James Ashford - http://www.urbantravelblog.com/feature/dunwich-dynamo


Photo by TobyH - http://strengthofstrings.blogspot.com/2010/07/dunwich-dynamo-2010.html

JedB - http://jedb.wordpress.com/2010/07/31/dunwich-dynamo-2010/

Akira Chatani - http://www.flickriver.com/photos/akirachatani/sets/72157624627935350/


Images:


Action Plus - http://bit.ly/b4QzJC


Information Pages:


http://southwarkcyclists.org.uk/content/dunwich-dynamo


http://www.londonschoolofcycling.co.uk/dunwich.html


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunwich_Dynamo


Jessica asked for tips:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2010/jul/21/endurance-riding-dunwich-dynamo


Jessica's post-ride report: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2010/jul/28/cycling-dunwich-dynamo-endurance-beginners