Dunwich Dynamo 2007

AndyGates

Righto then, who's going? 125 miles overnight... again. I never learn.

floatman

I'm considering it - would be my first time - but have done a couple of sportives this year already so I know I have the legs for it .... just worried about staying awake - never tried any kind of night run before ... the swim at the end sounded much better when there was some hope we would have a summer ...

AndyGates

A nice cool dip does absolute wonders for tired legs!

Staying awake is.. interesting. At some point around 2am there's a tricky hour when your body tries to shut down. Only once have I been solo at that point and it was harsh - forming a little bunch it's just fun from end to end. Pack espresso beans!

I'll be the one on fixed with those lovely blue ropelights (as seen in the C+ Exmouth Exodus writeup...)

Big Red S

Last year I was very much up for doing it this year. But, as ever, as the event draws closer I've changed my mind.
Maybe next year?

powenb

What do you take with you?
How many bottles, what happens when they run out?

Bagonabike

You can top up bottles at the food stop at about half way.
I've taken two 750ml bottles in the past, along with a bottle of Coke. Lots of different food is good, as what you might fancy during the day isn't what you might want at 3am. Cold pizza, flapjacks, cheese rolls and Eccles Cakes have all been consumed in the past, and if you take too much there's always someone who'll scoff it.
Lucozade tablets are also good for a quick boost.

snakehips

"You can top up bottles at the food stop at about half way"
................
That's good to know.

I have just treated myself to a GO SIS event pack which has a few energy bars and gel packs ... and an 800ml bottle.
Got it in Evans and they gave me one of their 2007 TDF commemorative bottles free

Snake

jonnywilkinson

AndyG - what time you setting off and what av speed are you cruising at?

I am up for it this year. Hell yeah

AndyGates

Bagonabike is wise. Two bottles is what I take - one with energy goo, the other water. Refill em at the midway, and/or at the traditional chocolate stop at filling station at the top of Epping Forest. I may also pack a little bottle of Irn Bru as a talisman against bonk.

Dunno when I'm leaving - in the mass, probably, I like the nutter parade!

jonnywilkinson

looking forward to it

Majikthise

Been toying with this one for a couple of weeks, .........s** it I'm up for it.

Did L2B and back to Guildford a tad over the century so the legs should be up for it.Used to live N of Ipswich so it'll be good to see it all again.

poopcp

I'll be there again.

Johnpsanderson

Alll things allowing i'll be there. Good to see tips on the water, i was going to bring a camel-pak but reckon i'll be OK one - without having read the other posts.

Only problem is - I live in Ipswich so will have to fight the urge to pack at 5am as I go within a mile of my front door!!!

AndyGates

Nah you come all the way to the beach - then help us get the motivation to get to Ipswich station for home!

Porgy

I bought myself a coach ticket for getting back to London.

Only - I've booked accomodation up there now, and getting a lift home on Monday.

Does anyone want a coach ticket? They can have mine for a few quid less than the current asking price.

Porgy

floatman wrote:

I'm considering it - would be my first time - but have done a couple of sportives this year already so I know I have the legs for it .... just worried about staying awake - never tried any kind of night run before ... the swim at the end sounded much better when there was some hope we would have a summer ...

I never have any trouble staying awake - not till after breakfast at Dunwich anyway.

The trick is - have a good lay in on saturday.

I've been working nights this week - so I'm already in nocturnal mode.

As for the swim - I've been to Dunwich Beach twice now - and it was equally freezing both times. I reckon it should be warmer in the water.

AndyGates

You're not wrong. I considered towing a surfboard this year...

Johnpsanderson

Nice footer: how about going really old skool: cocaine heroin and strychnine.

Check out the story of Arthur Linton and 'Choppy' Warburton for the low-down on the good ol' days before people invented 'health'...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/ ... /-/187085/

AndyGates

""Choppy" Warburton ... drugged Linton up to his walrus 'tache. Doping wasn't illegal and in the early days was barely covered up: cocaine flakes dropped on to cyclists' tongues as they pedalled past, or drunk with coffee, or mixed with cocoa butter and rubbed into their legs. The Belgians went for ether-soaked sugar cubes, and the French dabbled with digitalis. Heroin and cocaine "speedballs" were almost standard. And if you think strychnine is unlikely (it apparently has anaesthetic qualities in low doses), then contemplate the desperate frenzy of experimentation that led to some riders clearing their airways with a quick nip of nitro-glycerine."

"In 1924, Henri Pélissier, the previous year's winner, abandoned the Tour in a huff after the organisers tried to penalise him for discarding a jersey in contravention of some mindlessly draconian stipulation. "You have no idea what the Tour de France is," he ranted at a journalist later that day. "But do you want to see how we keep going?" In high strop Henri emptied a bag of bottles and ampoules out on to the table: "Cocaine for the eyes; chloroform for the gums. You want to see the pills, too? Under the mud our flesh is as white as a sheet … our eyes are swimming, and every night we dance like St Vitus instead of sleeping.""

Crikey. :shock:

AndyGates

I've put a rough Dun Run route up if anyone feels the need to feed it into their GPS. It's in Google Earth KML format, so GPSbabel will export it to the usual gadgets.

The route is here: http://www.ravenfamily.org/andyg/dunrunroute.kml

jonathan r

Well that was a washout. I don't know about any one else, but I was bl**dy cold by the end.
Seemed like It rained for the whole night.

The first half was ok, being with a good group and keeping an 18mph av speed. But this plan went to pot in the second half. I got to the feed station, but started to stiffen with the cold, so after a quick coffee and energy bar decided to carry on and was on my own, till near the end when I met another shivering cyclist. We cycled together till Darsham.

I was so glad that I had brought my car earlier in the day. It took me an hour warm before I could drive back. Just could not face sitting in the cafe shivering.

The one real problem I had was in the last 30 miles, caused by my left hand going numb, making it imposable to change chainrings. However I was greatfull that I did not get a flat.

I am glad that I completed, but would think twice before redoing this under similar conditions.

chthonic

Well, at least you made it to the end. I'm afraid I bailed out at the feed station - my legs went stiff and cold about 2 miles before Sudbury and it was all I could do to climb out of the town and get some soup.

There were 20 of us on Sudbury station when the first train came in

Never seen so many people who were clearly much fitter than me in such a bad way with cold and shivering.

Pity - when it stops being fun there's not much point, is there?

ThomasAquinas

I take my hat (Giro helmet) off to anybody who even started the Dunwich last night. I was considering it all day yesterday but kept looking at the weather forecast and it didn't look good at all so I stayed at home.
I did it in 2005 and really enjoyed it, The conditions were perfect. I arrived at Dunwich at 6am thoroughly pleased with myself and vowed to do it again. I missed it last year because I was on holiday and I've been looking forward all year to this one. However, it sounds as though I made the right decision!! See you next year!

Johnpsanderson

I thought about bailing but as I live in Ipswich anyway it was either ride home - or stick in the final hour and do the whole thing. Shame it rained all the way from London Fields to the beach.... Plus we weren't hanging about and having left London at about 8:30 we arrived in Dunwich at 4:30 so we didn't even get warmed by the rising sun!

Not exactly fun - but quite an experience considering i'd never done a century ride before. I certainly won't be doing it again - unless i'm guaranteed a rain free night!

Thanks to the chap in the grey Giant shirt with the GPS - it just about kept us on the straight and narrow. And thanks to all the riders with £200 + lighting rigs - it meant I could get by on £12 LED lights sitting in your slimstreams!!!!

bbarker

Hope you made it back of chthonic - you looked a bit knackered... The rain certainly put a damper on things, although the morning was nice. Last year I left at 0830 and arrived at 0440 - this year left at 2000 and arrived at 0810, despite being in better shape. I also found it harder work - I guess that's rain and cold for you. Looking forward to next year though...

AndyGates

That was character building! Finished despite the rain and the blown knee, and had a lovely swim and a cuppa before limping home on the train. Man, I smell really bad.

Well done to everyone who made it. Well done to everyone who even started in that weather! Next year we need good weather so that the wacky bikes are in force again.

And if anyone was wondering about the ambulance shortly after the midway stop, that was one of ours who had described a face-plant. He's fine, just uglier now.

ChrisX

Another bailer here. After last year's memories of getting wet and frozen I had a moment of clarity when I reached Sudbury. I decided it would be a better idea to cycle the 20 miles home than risk hypothermia and another 5 hours in the saddle! Quite disappointed with myself as it's the first time I've ever pulled out of a ride but sometimes common sense prevails!
Am gutted I missed the swim and was really looking forward to the the two breakfast challenge at the caff.

Well doen toa ll those who finished and see you next year!

petegale

Well done to everyone - those who made it and those who didn't.

We got to the food at halfway and so nearly bailed, but the forecast was for better weather to come, so we hung around there till 4.30, and then second half was mostly dry. We even had sunshine for the last 40km, and more importantly, on the beach.

My instinct is usually to go as quickly as possible, but this time, taking it slow and waiting for the weather to break paid huge dividends.

snakehips

Ah well , that was hard work but we can laugh about it now.

Respect to anybody who did it on their own , including the guy we met at breakfast who did it even though his mates ducked out when they saw the weather forecast.

Also to the young boy in the Discovery kit who did it with his family , and the guy with the dodgy left hand and foot , I hope he made it.

Interesting that some of you guys suffered more with the cold. My group of three was OK until the feedstation. When we left it the rain was probably at its worst and there was a cold wind.
We suffered for a while but the effort warmed us all up fairly quickly. I was thankful that I had two short sleeve shirts and one long sleeved shirt under my waterproof top.
It was also a bit dispiriting then because the numbers had thinned out dramaticaly and the comforting swarm of red tail lights that characterised the first half was no longer there to guide and encourage us.

I wonder how many made it in the end. I believe that a couple of the coaches that turned up for the return trip were not needed because of the reduced numbers.

That was my first time so I picked an interesting one to start with.

Would I do it again? ...............?

Watch this space.

Snake

AndyGates

I've never seen DNF's like it! Ah well, here's to better weather next year!

knotter

Cold, wet, miserable, bad knee, possible broken finger (waiting for confirmation from brother) too much weight in my panniers.

Bring on 2008.

First time for my brother and me to do a century plus ride, previous longest was 70-75 miles to Skegness 10 years ago.

Started at 20:30 left with a huddle of people we saw leaving as soon as we got a map, did not want to get lost leaving London.

Arrived at Dunwich beach 06:30.

Found the long line of flashing red infront and the line of white behind to be completely awe inspiring. The looks of amazement from people we passed on the street, some taking photos on mobiles, some clapping, these images made me realise I had made the right decision to do this ride.

Then the rain came!

By the time we got to the feed station at 01:30 we were wet but warm, put on our waterproof tops then queued for forty minutes to fill with fresh water. Ate some ready made pasta and set off again at 02:30. All this time getting colder as our bodies cooled.
I was unable to control my handlebars as I was so cold. Never been so cold as this before when riding, teeth chattering, arms, neck, upperback starting to go into spasm. I thought 'thats it, I've had enough', but with some encouragement from my brother and some spinning, two miles later I was plenty warmed up to carry on. Besides we were over the half-way distance mark, and I knew what lay behind me.

Hills, I read that this was a flatish course with one hill of any note. Maybe there were not many hills, maybe I was just suffering from the effects of the weather and cold more than I realised.

Despite all this I will be back next year with better preparation.