Although physically gruelling, it wasn't impossible, and the �50 hired cycle made it 120 miles in the dark without punctures or problems
Over the past few weeks, I've been telling people about a cycle ride I was going to do called the Dunwich Dynamo. I've been told I'm crazy, brave, hardcore, stupid, and yet somehow awesome for even trying.
How come? On Saturday night, I convinced myself to cycle 120 miles, in the dark, on a so-called Boris bike - those 23kg cycle hire beasts provided for public use around London - and I made it.
If you haven't heard of it, the Dunwich Dynamo is a free, turn-up-and-go bicycle ride from Hackney in London, to Dunwich beach on the Suffolk coast. It takes place at night with at least 1,000 participants each year.
What on earth made me want to attempt this on something as unsexy, heavy, and slow as a Boris bike?
This was my second year doing the Dynamo (or Dun Run) and I thought I might try something completely different, other than a normal road bike. Initially, I just thought it just would be a fun thing to do.
It sounded both ridiculous and hard enough, that it might just work. So that's what I did. I took the opportunity also to try and raise money for Shelter From The Storm , a London-based homeless charity.
Soon after, I asked myself what I would do if I had a breakdown or puncture. How hard would it be to repair? Could it even be repaired? Could I physically endure this? These bikes aren't designed to be ridden for more than a couple of hours in one session and painful saddle sore is what I've experienced in the past.
Also, would I make it in time for the return coach? Could I afford Transport for London's �300 non-return charge if I had it for more than 24 hours? What about bad weather?
I did think about the potential disasters that were awaiting and, although concerned, I received some great support and motivation from other riders on the London fixed-gear & single-speed forum.
I prepared as best I could with some tips from a former Boris bike engineer and went ahead.
So, how was it?
The first challenge on the day was actually finding a bike in good enough condition that I felt confident about riding. Most bikes I've used have under-inflated tyres, very loose or uneven brakes, broken mudguards, rusted chains and wheels that don't spin freely - not great for a 120-mile ride.
I took a bus down to Waterloo where the largest docking station is installed. They have 120 docks there and I was sure that if I was going to find one it would be here. Out of the 80 bikes docked at the time, I went through every single one and found only two decent bikes, picking the one with the most pressure in the tyres but slightly looser brakes.
I made my way over to London Fields for 6pm, the departure point. All of a sudden it started bucketing down rain but luckily stopped after 10 minutes, and the sun started to reappear - a good sign.
My plan was to set off an hour or two before everyone else as I had no idea how long it might take me, and I didn't particularly want to be behind everyone.
If I had others catch up to me somewhere in the middle this would be better for morale. This turned out to be a good choice.
I left at 7:15pm on my own and made my way out towards Epping Forest, seeing some incredible scenery along the way, rabbits hopping about, and the gorgeous sunset going down behind me as I passed through some very quaint villages. I didn't really see any other cyclists pass me until sunset, around 9:30pm in North Weald, so I must have made a decent head start.
The previous year, I found that cycling for a long time, especially in the dark, can really grow quite tiring, so although it added more weight to the already heavy bike, strapping a 3kg radio to the basket turned out to be the best decision I had made.
I was cycling in solitude for most of the journey, and having some music on kept me company and provided a huge morale boost, making the time pass quickly to a point where I was actually enjoying it.
I found uphills were a struggle and slow, flat roads were okay. I couldn't go faster than 12mph, but downhills were great. The sheer weight of the bike meant that I just had to start rolling and the bike would virtually start flying.
After what felt like a quick five hours and roughly 50 miles in, I had finally reached the feed stop in the village hall of Sible Headingham. The queues for food tend to be very long and they were on this occasion too. Thankfully, I had brought a huge pasta dish I cooked in the morning and some home-brewed coffee in a flask. Also a good decision.
Despite a relatively sore backside, I was feeling good at this point and wanted to get on with it. I set off again with the Boris bike past hundreds of bemused cyclists the village hall car park and carried on through towards the next town.
Remembering the ride from last year, I knew there was a very steep and fast descent into Sudbury, so I set my speedo on and dropped my head for the downhill. Yes, it was absolutely thrilling to reach the (mediocre by road racing standards) speed of 38mph on a Boris bike in pitch black.
I made it into Sudbury in one piece and passed an old chap ringing a bell and cheering on all the cyclists. This put a huge smile on my face and almost everyone I spoke to at the end remembered him.
The rest of the way I alternated between various riding companions and random conversations with passing cyclists. Most flew on past yelling "chapeau!", "Boris bike!" or other kind words of support. Quite a number also slowed down to have a chat with me. The most common question was "won't you get a massive fine for this?" Not a fine but it did cost me �50 for 24 hours hire.
The last 20 or so miles seemed like forever and were quite gruelling. I was tired, my quadriceps were burning, and my backside was numb.
I had the odd rest, and kept eating and being careful not to let my body give up from lack of energy. I started to do silly things like aggressively climb hills to keep me motivated and awake. Having a riding companion helped too, and one stuck by me at a slow pace for the last few hours for which I am grateful. We talked rubbish and all the interesting things you could do with peas (we passed through Peasenhall, which was having a Pea Festival that day) to keep ourselves awake.
I finally arrived at the beach at 8am, 12 and a half hours after I left, to cheers and strangers offering pints.
Although physically gruelling, it wasn't impossible at all. In fact I rather enjoyed it, and it was only the sleep deprivation that was really getting to me.
Overall, the weather was absolutely perfect (with tailwind helping), the people and the camaraderie were great.
I loved exploring the countryside on my own as well at the start, but without the radio I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it so much. Oh, and proper padded cycling shorts - these saved me.
The bike fared very well too, with no punctures or problems at all.
Was the �50 money well spent? Yes, the entertainment value for both myself and others was priceless. It's been another year, and another adventure.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2011/jul/19/dunwich-dynamo-boris-bike
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