Dunwich Dynamo 2019

[Ming the Merciless]

Was thinking about riding this again but going to help at an audax control on the day instead.

 

[mjr]

Useful info for those wanting to get the train back from Ipswich:
https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/form/dunwich-dynamo-reservation

Looks like they putting a lot of extra spaces on.

Anyone know how it'll work if you're not going towards London? Like how to book Ipswich-Peterborough or -Cambridge? Norwich is the same distance as Ipswich if you shortcut the cycle routes, so I guess that's as easy to ride to as train.

 

[RoubaixCube]

Well I dont know how many spaces they originally had available but I counted the number at 301 or 303 then it dropped to 241 when i refreshed the page a few minutes later.

Its great they are at least trying to make things work rather than have an all out ban and leave people possibly stranded, headaches aside i thought a business would jump at the idea of making a few sacks more of money. I know a lot of pubs stay open and welcome the extra business even if its only for one night.

Like the food stop that sells the burgers. Totally overpriced but the smell is overwhelming and it really lifts your spirits when you get one or two of them down before carrying on. They probably make more money in that one night then then do in 6 months at their regular pace.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I'm planning to ride this year having missed the last couple for various reasons. I'm just down the road from Dunwich (in Ipswich) so my problem is I'm struggling to get to London from Ipswich. The train overlords are only allowing six bikes per train, even although the guard's van can easily fit around 200 bikes. It might actually be the different between being able to ride the Dun Run or not.

 

[mjr]

I'm planning to ride this year having missed the last couple for various reasons. I'm just down the road from Dunwich (in Ipswich) so my problem is I'm struggling to get to London from Ipswich. The train overlords are only allowing six bikes per train, even although the guard's van can easily fit around 200 bikes. It might actually be the different between being able to ride the Dun Run or not.

Excuse me if this is a stupid question, but could you still take a stopper trains (the ones usually from platform 3 or 4 taking 1h20+) unrestricted?

As I understand it, the reason for the bike-reservation-required Norwich-Ipswich-London trains going to a 6 bike limit is that the new intercity trains (Flirts) can only carry 6 so they won't issue more reservations than that to avoid a mess when they switch over, but the new Ipswich-London stoppers (Aventras) take as many bikes as physically fit, same as the current ones (Dusty Bins).

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Excuse me if this is a stupid question, but could you still take a stopper trains (the ones usually from platform 3 or 4 taking 1h20+) unrestricted?

As I understand it, the reason for the bike-reservation-required Norwich-Ipswich-London trains going to a 6 bike limit is that the new intercity trains (Flirts) can only carry 6 so they won't issue more reservations than that to avoid a mess when they switch over, but the new Ipswich-London stoppers (Aventras) take as many bikes as physically fit, same as the current ones (Dusty Bins).

I was refused entry to a dusty bin / intercity a few weeks ago. The guards van was empty. You could have a point with the terrible little trains that stop at every station though, the first dun run I did the carriage was packed to the ceiling with bikes on the way to London.

 

[RoubaixCube]

I was refused entry to a dusty bin / intercity a few weeks ago. The guards van was empty. You could have a point with the terrible little trains that stop at every station though, the first dun run I did the carriage was packed to the ceiling with bikes on the way to London.

you mean like this

I heard this is why they banned cyclists coming from from the DD in the first place.

If upto 3000 people want to get home. They will get home unless they've been banned outright from using the service. While I can see that this is far from respectful for other train users that didnt take part in the DD, Greater Anglia or whoever runs the line should really consider laying on extra services for that day or half of the morning/afternoon to get people home. Im glad they have tried to organise something. even if it was just 300 or 400 tickets for cyclists. thats still 300 odd people that get ferried home.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

As ever there’s a bigger picture at play here. There’s only so much space on a 150 year old set of tracks and as I understand it at the weekends freight gets priority.

I would point the finger at privatisation but this ain’t the rumours and chat section of the forum

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I went to Ipswich station to book my ticket for Saturday and was told by the desk staff that all bike bookings have been removed from their system for this weekend. So I was told to go to https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/form/dunwich-dynamo-reservation so I could fill out the bike booking application form.

But the booking window for booking bikes onto trains for the Dun Run closed Sunday 7th July. Arg! So I won't be getting to London via train on Sunday.

I don't suppose anyone will be driving from Ipswich to London on Saturday will they?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

That form only applies to Sunday bookings. Did you explain you want to book your bike on the train on Saturday, not Sunday?

 

[Andrew_Culture]

That form only applies to Sunday bookings. Did you explain you want to book your bike on the train on Saturday, not Sunday?

I thought I told the staff that, but I might try again tomorrow just in case I wasn't making myself clear.

 

[mjr]

I was refused entry to a dusty bin / intercity a few weeks ago. The guards van was empty. You could have a point with the terrible little trains that stop at every station though, the first dun run I did the carriage was packed to the ceiling with bikes on the way to London.

Dusty bins (class 321) are the "terrible little trains" not intercities, although they do seem to be covering for an unavailable intercity at the moment. The new fleets can't come too soon! Although it will mean the end of the guard vans.

 

[nonowt]

FYI: Quite a few coach tickets back to London are cropping up for sale on LFGSS and the Dunwich Dynamo Facebook page.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

FYI: Quite a few coach tickets back to London are cropping up for sale on LFGSS and the Dunwich Dynamo Facebook page.

Smart. I only need to get as far as Ipswich

 

[anothersam]

Seeing as it’s that time of year again, I might as well dust this off:

Best of luck to all contestants.