Dunwich Dynamo 2012
After a slow 9 mile bimble to Ipswich I met Scilly Suffolk and Matt O’Brien for the 16:09 for London Liverpool street before the short hop over to London Fields where a pint of ice cold Guinness was consumed. A short hunt for a bite to eat then followed which resulted in some dodgy looking Tapas which claimed to be pork but in reality could have been anything and thankfully my fears of whether this was a wise decision due to the lack of toilet facilities for the next 112 miles did not transpire.
We set of about 8:15 in our mini CC peleton from London Fields as the masses were starting to move and had the usual first 8 miles of silliness with being general cut up by others who weren’t looking where they were going or seem to have any basic cycle road craft.
We re-grouped after about 6 miles as we headed off into direction “The Coast” and set about a good pace. With the ride being earlier in the year the night seemed a lot lighter which was helpful in avoiding the potholes on the run through Epping. One looked in quite a horrific state and I am sure you would have needed a ladder to get out had you had the misfortune of entering.
Before we knew it Great Dunmow had been and passed and I was more than pleased to see the back of this place as it was where I had an issue with some drunkards on last year’s ride. Sible Hedingham arrived and it was here that the three of us split for a while. Scilly went for some grub, a bottle refill and a kip, I had already decided that I would give it a miss due to the horrific queues encountered in 2010 and cracked on. Matt caught me up 20 minutes or so later and we steamed on towards Sudbury.
We stopped at the bus stop at the top of the hill for a bite to eat and also at the bike shop that had set up an overnight bottle refill, free flapjack and repair centre, top marks to all involved.
Matt and I left Sudbury and the time had just gone midnight which was way earlier then I have ever got here before and certainly helped by the decent pace we had set and the favourable tailwind. A five minute pit stop at Needham lakes followed to answer a call of nature before cracking on to the bacon roll stop in Helmingham. As per last year the bacon was excellent followed by a decent cup of tea and I read that they raised over £800 for charity, again top marks.
This fuel seemed to recharge the legs and we headed of with the time showing 2:20 am knowing that we had less than 30 miles to go to Dunwich. A peleton of about 20 bikes formed and we kept together in the same group virtually all the way greatly aided by one of the chaps having a Garmin shouting directions as we approached turnings. Having always reached these points previously in the morning sunrise they looked very different in the darkness and I was more than thankful for modern technology.
As I mentioned to Matt to look out for stones on the small road at Sibton I had a brown trouser moment as the familiar crackling sound came from under my wheels with a corner looming but thankfully stayed up right and onwards we went.
Across the A12 we went which is where we pushed the pace up and went onwards to Dunwich and before we knew it we had arrived despite me turning at The Ship PH rather than straight on, doh.
The time was 4:07 am which had easily bettered my best expectation of arriving before 6 and the queue for the cafe was a short twenty minutes which was a right result. A full English was ordered and comsumed with three cups of tea and it was at this stage that thom sat at our table and after spotting my cycle chat top and we had a natter for a while.
Matt and I then decided that we would head off home sooner rather than later and at just after 5 am we headed on back in the direction of Ipswich and the 30 miles that this entailed. The very favourable tailwind to Dunwich was now a slightly unpleasant headwind home and was as I remember from last year, a bit of a chore but before we knew it we said our good byes at Martlesham and headed off in our respective directions homeward bound.
I arrived home at 7:15 which somewhat surprised Mrs 4F and the short 4F’s having told them that I would be home before lunch,rather than before breakfast (which turned into breakfast number two).
Total miles on the clock 158 with a time of 10 hrs 33 mins.
This for me was my most enjoyable Dun Run having really laboured to finish last year’s one and already looking forward to 2013.
After a slow 9 mile bimble to Ipswich I met Scilly Suffolk and Matt O’Brien for the 16:09 for London Liverpool street before the short hop over to London Fields where a pint of ice cold Guinness was consumed. A short hunt for a bite to eat then followed which resulted in some dodgy looking Tapas which claimed to be pork but in reality could have been anything and thankfully my fears of whether this was a wise decision due to the lack of toilet facilities for the next 112 miles did not transpire.
We set of about 8:15 in our mini CC peleton from London Fields as the masses were starting to move and had the usual first 8 miles of silliness with being general cut up by others who weren’t looking where they were going or seem to have any basic cycle road craft.
We re-grouped after about 6 miles as we headed off into direction “The Coast” and set about a good pace. With the ride being earlier in the year the night seemed a lot lighter which was helpful in avoiding the potholes on the run through Epping. One looked in quite a horrific state and I am sure you would have needed a ladder to get out had you had the misfortune of entering.
Before we knew it Great Dunmow had been and passed and I was more than pleased to see the back of this place as it was where I had an issue with some drunkards on last year’s ride. Sible Hedingham arrived and it was here that the three of us split for a while. Scilly went for some grub, a bottle refill and a kip, I had already decided that I would give it a miss due to the horrific queues encountered in 2010 and cracked on. Matt caught me up 20 minutes or so later and we steamed on towards Sudbury.
We stopped at the bus stop at the top of the hill for a bite to eat and also at the bike shop that had set up an overnight bottle refill, free flapjack and repair centre, top marks to all involved.
Matt and I left Sudbury and the time had just gone midnight which was way earlier then I have ever got here before and certainly helped by the decent pace we had set and the favourable tailwind. A five minute pit stop at Needham lakes followed to answer a call of nature before cracking on to the bacon roll stop in Helmingham. As per last year the bacon was excellent followed by a decent cup of tea and I read that they raised over £800 for charity, again top marks.
This fuel seemed to recharge the legs and we headed of with the time showing 2:20 am knowing that we had less than 30 miles to go to Dunwich. A peleton of about 20 bikes formed and we kept together in the same group virtually all the way greatly aided by one of the chaps having a Garmin shouting directions as we approached turnings. Having always reached these points previously in the morning sunrise they looked very different in the darkness and I was more than thankful for modern technology.
As I mentioned to Matt to look out for stones on the small road at Sibton I had a brown trouser moment as the familiar crackling sound came from under my wheels with a corner looming but thankfully stayed up right and onwards we went.
Across the A12 we went which is where we pushed the pace up and went onwards to Dunwich and before we knew it we had arrived despite me turning at The Ship PH rather than straight on, doh.
The time was 4:07 am which had easily bettered my best expectation of arriving before 6 and the queue for the cafe was a short twenty minutes which was a right result. A full English was ordered and comsumed with three cups of tea and it was at this stage that thom sat at our table and after spotting my cycle chat top and we had a natter for a while.
Matt and I then decided that we would head off home sooner rather than later and at just after 5 am we headed on back in the direction of Ipswich and the 30 miles that this entailed. The very favourable tailwind to Dunwich was now a slightly unpleasant headwind home and was as I remember from last year, a bit of a chore but before we knew it we said our good byes at Martlesham and headed off in our respective directions homeward bound.
I arrived home at 7:15 which somewhat surprised Mrs 4F and the short 4F’s having told them that I would be home before lunch,rather than before breakfast (which turned into breakfast number two).
Total miles on the clock 158 with a time of 10 hrs 33 mins.
This for me was my most enjoyable Dun Run having really laboured to finish last year’s one and already looking forward to 2013.
Total miles (with station runs) 135mi. Next year considering riding back to either Diss or Ipswich, depending on the wind -- so long as there's a train to Cambridge -- and racking up an even better total, although I don't think I could yet manage to do it there-and-back. Although, perhaps ...
