England : Suffolk The Nur Nud (Dunwich-London) 8 August

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StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
Further edit: Date TBC. But not on the 4th of July.
Further further edit: 8th August.

No, that's not a typo. Like a Dun Run, only backwards. Start in Dunwich, ride to 'ackney. I did mull the idea, originally suggested on YACF, of doing so on the night of the Dynamo itself last year (appealed for both practical and anarchic reasons), but didn't do it in the end (either way). But, I thought, it might have certain advantages for a group ride too. A few people were put off (with the benefit of hindsight, rightly, I think) Olaf's run in October as they thought the speed was likely to be too high for them. And returning from Suffolk is a bit of an issue for London-based types, let alone those of us really south of the river (and in my case, after a Friday night at work to boot).

So....what about the other way round then? The transport issue instantly becomes easier to deal with- those who live in the smoke and its environs are home(ish), southern types a couple of hours from it, and trains rather more frequent and cheaper. Getting to Dunwich for a Friday night start is obviously going to be a pain, or impossible without taking leave (in my case certainly). Saturday night, though, just like the Dynamo...no problems for most, people can spread out their arrival times if need be, go via Diss/Ipswich/Darsham as they see fit. Depending on start time and pace, half way (ish) stop in Sudbury could be Tesco (closing midnight) or McDs (closing 11pm, but opening again at 5am)- either that or alfresco self-catering...The Colchester Mc Ds are all open 24 hours, but that's way off the canonical route, missing the point to me. Absolutely no problem finding somewhere open for breakfast in the smoke on Sunday morning.

For start time, either 5pm/6pm ish (in order to make the fifty-odd miles Sudbury before midnight), or the traditional midnight option, which would entail hanging about in Dunwich (or somewhere else and then travelling on) and (of necessity) a more conversational pace.

Thoughts, anyone?
 
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anothersam

SMIDSMe
Location
Far East Sussex
.detseretnI
 

Colin_B

Active Member
Location
East Suffolk
I like the idea but traveling by train to London from Suffolk at the weekend is going to be a problem if there is bus replacement for the train as they are doing a lot of weekend line work.
What pace are you thinking of for this ride ?
 
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StuAff

StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
I like the idea but traveling by train to London from Suffolk at the weekend is going to be a problem if there is bus replacement for the train as they are doing a lot of weekend line work.
What pace are you thinking of for this ride ?
Gentle as need be.
 

kimble

Veteran
As one of the proponents of this idea on YACF, it certainly appeals. I was thinking about doing the Dun Run again this year, but the prospect of getting back from Dunwich is always a bit off-putting.

If you do it at the same time as the Dun Run you get all the feel of the event, and a half-way stop is provided. Needless to say that trundling along at touring pace, allowing the fast roadies to assume we've already made it to the beach and are on the way back has a certain appeal too...
 
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StuAff

StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
Bump- OK, let's do this thing....as the Greater Anglia train thing has concerned quite a few people, I'm with Kim- let's run the same night. See the first post.
 

rb58

Enigma
Location
Bexley, Kent
So, the same night as the actual DunRun? If so, my concern remains the same as when this was mooted last year - going against the flow of hundreds of bikes travelling in the opposite direction is an accident waiting to happen. I'd suggest running it another night.
 

rb58

Enigma
Location
Bexley, Kent
Most of the road, most of the time. And, yes I think the lights could be distracting - it's bad enough following poorly adjusted rear lights, let alone when they're coming at you.
 
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4F

Active member of Helmets Are Sh*t Lobby
Location
Suffolk.
I am in agreement with rb58, I would have reservations about cycling against such a large stream which as he says often takes up the whole road.

Just cycle there and back on the real Dun run and then there is no problems with the trains
 
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StuAff

StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
I would point out that vehicles of all shapes and sizes can and do travel in the opposite direction on DD night regardless of hipsters and chain gangs, and that the faster riders won't be at Dunwich until half-three or so, which would put them at Sudbury at midnight- that would give the NN four or five hours of (relatively) peaceful unobstructed riding. We should be roughly at the same pace as the bulk of the ride, but stopping at about the same time at the same places. There will be congestion, full stop, doesn't make much difference which end of the road it came from....And the further on from there we go, the quieter it gets.
 
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User10571

Guest
Then again, it could become much quieter than anyone was expecting..... permanently.
Consider the other side of the coin......

I am contemplating doing the Dun Run this year - having missed the last three, and done it six or seven times prior to that.
Put yourself in my position that night, if you will....

I'll be looking out for and listening for motor traffic, traveling in the same direction as me, as well as the opposite - as one might expect.
In the absence of any evidence of such, I'm likely at some or several points, late into the night, to ride on the wrong side of the road whilst engaged in banter with my fellow riders.
I'll do this only once I've conducted a dynamic risk assessment, and assured myself that I am not at risk from motor traffic coming from behind, or towards me.
I'll do it because on rare occasions, such as this one, I can.
I'm unlikely to consider that there might be other cyclists, traveling apace, in the opposite direction.
At that time?
In the middle of Suffolk?
The middle of nowhere?
Srsly?
Nah.
That risk isn't even going to register on my radar for assessment.

One further thing which worries me about this plan, Stu, is that although you and I are both experienced night riding cyclists, who most likely have the capacity / experience to deal with a tricky and unexpected situation, for a significant proportion of those on the Dun Run (traveling towards you), this is their first journey on a bicycle into the unknown.
The unsupported.
The sleep deprived.
The 'I've only ever ridden 15 miles before'
The ones on the Xmas pressie BSOs - with the forks fitted backwards.
The ones who for whatever reason, think they have something to prove.
Those who do not cycle, but are doing it for a bet.
Those who are doing it 'cos they don't cycle, but they love their partner, who does.
Etc: Etc; The list goes on....
All perfectly laudable stuff.
All of the above, and more, are what you'll have not so much as company, but more as conflict, if you elect to do the Nur Nud on the same night as the Dynamo.
They're not riders whom you can expect, in fairness, to have the capacity / skill / experience to get out of your way, at the flick of a handlebar, when you are thundering towards them, blinded by their, and their fellow riders lights.

The Dynamo is mostly a happy event. It has been bringing pleasure to and bonding people for years.
Why change that?
Do your ride Stu. And if you do, I hope it is a fine one.
But seriously question whether doing it on the night of the Dunwich Dynamo is the best of ideas.

If that reads like a lecture, it is not meant to.
While I would be one of the first to say that messing with people's heads can be fun, I don't think that what you are proposing on the night of the DD, is either a good or a safe idea.
 
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User10571 makes several compelling points.

As an administrator of the Facebook group for the Dunwich Dynamo, if the NN goes ahead on the same night as the DD, I will feel compelled to give out warnings from now until the date -- and know that hundreds of participants (conceivably 1000+) will never see or hear of these warnings -- to be vigilant of oncoming cyclists travelling at speed with serious night riding lights, just when they are (a) looking at their companion, (b) swerving around a pothole, (c) checking their watch/computer, (d) fumbling for a flapjack or their drink bottle, (e) feeling desperate for a pee, (f) mumbling nonsense to themselves to try and stay awake, and/or all of the above plus any number of other activities on a virtually infinite list, while in a state of mind, body and spirit ranging from barely impaired to barely functional. None of which you will be able to see, much less assess and react appropriately to, on a case by case basis for several relentless hours.

Think: Dellzeqq would never run a FNRttC on the same night as a charity night ride, using the same start and end points, much less using the exact same route. Running it in the opposite direction, as User10571 says, only makes matters worse by converting companionship into conflict. Needlessly.

Stu, there is always another time -- a better time -- to enjoy this ride, if that's your aim. Please don't do this on the same night as the DD, Stu. This is not about you or whatever your motives may be for riding such a ride on such a night. This is about the potentially 1500-2000 other vulnerable people out there with you.
 
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The concept of the "battery powered" versions of the Dun Run that I've occasionally run over the years has been to enable a small group of riders to enjoy the solitude of the quiet roads, the night life and all the other things we enjoy on a night ride, as well as the actual journey of getting to Dunwich without of course the 1,000+ other riders getting in the way. I've also always done them leaving on a Friday night to avoid all time issues such as the Sudbury Tesco shutting at midnight on a Saturday night. Whilst the concept of doing the route the opposite direction has some merit simply to do something different for a change, for all the excellent points made above, doing it as the same time as the official Dun Run would not be a good idea.

In addition, I simply wouldn't want to ride 112 miles and have to suffer umpteen hundred sets of steady and flashing bike lights in my face - where's the fun in that on a night ride?
 
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StuAff

StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
Points taken, ladies and gentlemen. Sanity (yours, not mine) has prevailed. It is of course the season for blatant policy u-turns....Doing it the other way on the same night would make more sense if one could count on sensible, level-headed riding from the DD crowd. Unfortunately, not the sensible level-headed ones that cause the problems....date amended to 18 July. I've decided I don't want to be on the same roads as all the ****s who made DD 2013 a rather frustrating experience for me, in either direction.
 
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