Don't Do the Dunwich Dynamo...
...without prepping these 6 things first!
☠️ DUN DUN DUN (RUN)
For the uninitiated, the Dunwich Dynamo is a 185km / 115mi night ride from London to Dunwich that takes place on the Saturday in July closest to the full moon. This year it will be on the 20th of July.
I've done the Dun Run 3 times now, and I am going to share with you all the mistakes I've made along the way. If you have useful mistakes to share, please pop them in the comments!
I have had too much bad luck over the years with the weather, so I'm now a fair weather Dun Runner. I won't go again unless it is absolutely guaranteed not to be raining, and also when I prepare all these following things:
1. BODY
I'm now in my 40's, but in my 30's my body was much more forgiving and adaptable. I wasn't a roadie, I just cycled to work and back every day, which is about 10k round trip. I would occasionally go on long rides but group riding was not my cup of tea. But the idea of the Dynamo was enthralling and people were so encouraging that I didn't really prepare for the Dun Run, I just went. I did pay the price all 3 times though: the first time I struggled all around, the second time my rear derailleur went into my back wheel and broke 2 spokes (more on that in section 3), and the third time my left knee gave out and I cycled the last third on one leg, plus it rained which dampened my spirits.
If you are a potato like me, maybe think about getting some long rides in at least a month before you go, to get your body used to being in the saddle for 6-8hours. Pain points may reveal themselves so you may want to try some different saddles (like in our Saddle Library) or get a proper bike fit now as well! DO NOT DO THIS THE WEEK BEFORE.
2. KIT
This includes what you wear plus what you carry. Don't assume that just because it's a lovely hot day that it will be a lovely hot night. The last time I went it was a glorious sunny Saturday, only to lead into a chilly night where I had to buy extra clothes from a bike shop along the route, and then it had the audacity to rain. Wear layers, and bring a jacket, no matter what the forecast says. Bring a swimsuit (or not) and a small towel if you plan on a post-ride dip in the sea.
Bring a tiny pot of chamois cream. This is especially important if you've not done long rides before and are unsure of how your nether regions will respond. It doesn't hurt to have a little salve, just in case. We like Charlie the Bikemonger's Happy Bottom Bum Butter - vegan, all natural, and no liquid plastics (paraffin, carbomer, silicone, dimethicone, propylene glycol, etc)
You don't need a bike computer for the route but it can be nice. There are many GPX files floating around, and you should at least download this onto your phone before you go. I was a bit of a wild one and just followed people, but if I was going to do it today I would download the route onto my Beeline. (I love my Beeline, this is not an ad - it's so simple, I never could figure out Garmins).
Don't depend on other riders to bring bike fixing parts/tools. Unless you have solemnly sworn a blood oath to not separate from your group, you're more likely to end up riding with one or two other people who are going the same speed as you. This is great as you'll meet lots of nice humans this way, but if your original group were carrying your tubes or tools, you will have to depend on the kindness of strangers (which, again, is likely, but should not be relied upon!)
We teach puncture repair in our Intro to Maintenance class, and also do an Emergency Roadside Repairs class if you'd like to become more self sufficient!
3. BIKE
Don't wait until the week before (or day before - you know who you are!) to get your bike sorted for the Dun Run (or any big ride for that matter). Do it a month in advance so that you have the chance to ride it around and make sure it's in working order. When we used to service bikes (RIP LBK Repairs Workshop), we would tell our customers to come back within a month to get any new cables tightened up as they will "bed in" once they've been used, which means brakes and gears are less responsive.
That said, on one Dun Run at 5am I did a bad shift while riding up a hill, and my rear derailleur went into my back wheel (I swear it was set up correctly?!) It broke 2 spokes and because the wheel had a low spoke count, I was left with a rim so wonky that even disconnecting my rim brake wasn't enough to stop the brakes from rubbing. I was so tired that I just left it and cycled the last 20k with the brakes on. It was awful. (This is an area where disc brakes win.)
Sometimes, shit (shift?) happens. Just accept it and know that it will become a funny story / cautionary tale!
4. LIGHTS - MY GOD, YOUR LIGHTS
It will get DARK folks. Make sure you get a good front light, one that can light up a dark country lane. Also, make sure that it will last the whole night!!! That little rinky dinky flashy job is great for London coz we have street lighting. But on a light-less lane, you will need to see what's in front of you.
I am not actually au fait with what the best lights are right now, but I know that Exposure (a British company) make fantastic front lights. Some roads will be lit, so you won’t need your high beam the whole night, but some roads will be pitch dark. A light that can do a variety of brightness will mean some battery savings and efficiency. The Cat Eye AMPP 900 and AMPP 1100 both look like they will have a good range. If you have front light recommendations, please post them below or email me and I will share them below.
Your rear light doesn't really matter, but know that you will have a lot of people behind you, so a super flashy bright one is not polite.
Some people will dress up their bike like a Xmas tree - I highly encourage this as it will be fun for you and for other people when the going gets tough. Just know that the light needs to last the whole night through!
I have written more about lights here:
Be sure to bring a spare cache battery and spare lights for an emergency.
5. STOMACH
"Never miss a chance for a wee and to fill up your water bottle - not at the same time" - Me
Remember to bring lots of water and snacks. There will be places open along the way, but don't depend on them for sustenance.
You're also more likely to crave salty savoury things than sweet ones. Don't overload on sugary protein balls, they will taste gross by the end of it.
Make your own energy drink by adding a pinch of salt and squeeze of honey to your bidon. We sell LBK bidons here.
Crisps are going to be DELICIOUS during the last third of your ride.
I use a feed bag / stem cell to hold salty nuts to snack on whilst riding.
Baby food sachets are the best energy gels - Aldi/Lidl/Sainsburys have yummy cheap organic ones, you can get savoury AND sweet for the entire journey! (The sachets are plastic, I know! But I only buy them once every couple years, so that's my excuse.)
I like making Japanese onigiri (rice balls) as a during-ride snack. The white rice is a simple carb, and you can stuff it with some salty protein (like tofu and tsukemono - oishiiii) Let me know if people are interested in an online roll-a-long class. I taught this once with our Hex Club and it was good fun!
6. RETURN
This is probably the hardest part. The train companies are still behind the times and will not be allowing hordes of zombies and their bikes onto trains at 6am Sunday. “Cycles will not be permitted on intercity or local services to/from Ipswich on Sunday 21 July, and on local services on Monday 22 July.” Hard eye roll here - they’re really missing a trick (and a lot of money!!)
There are alternatives to get back but you need to plan.
Southwark Cyclists still have spaces available for their bus and bike return.
You can also rent an airbnb nearby, or camp, or have someone pick you up from the beach, or organise your own private coach with a group of friends - these all require planning, so START NOW.
OR - and this is not for the faint of heart - you could ride back. Yes, some people do this. But see point number 1 before you consider attempting this.
And my final tip is beware of the drivers in Epping/Essex while heading out. They are awful. And also beware of the clubs that have decided to do a team time trial. Let them set off and get them out of the way so you can get back to enjoying your ride.
More info can be found here. Report back on any useful findings or to let us know how it went!
Team De Ver Cycles page is very comprehensive
CROWDFUND IN MOTION
Even though we are still creeping towards being fully funded (we are currently at £10,563, only £4,437 away!), we have decided as a team that we are going to get started and work towards reopening the DIY space as we are confident we WILL reach our goal of £15k soon.
This week has been a cleaning extravaganza, with Amie and Inês cleaning out our sloppy toxic Rozone enzymatic parts washer, and the whole team plus volunteers cleaning out the back patio. Thank you to all our GoFundMe donors who helped pay for our XL waste collection by First Mile Waste Management (and pizza for the volunteers!) Donors also helped pay for new lights being installed by Silvi's dad.
PLEASE GIVE - EVERY LITTLE £5 HELPS
I know it sounds trite, but it is genuinely the many smol donations that add up and help a fundraiser achieve its goal. Of course we are so incredibly appreciative of larger donations (I am in awe of those of you who have donated 3 figures!), but I am equally in awe of people giving £5 and £10. I know that times are tough right now, and making space in your pocketbook to help us means so much to us.
D.I.T. SPACE WAITING LIST
Interested in being one of the first to get your hands dirty in our Do-It-Together space? Sign up to our wait list here!
We'll get in touch with you when we are ready to open, you'll be the first to be able to book a workstand.
We will have an advance online booking system, as well as drop-in stands available. A future newsletter will go into detail about how it’ll work logistically.
UPCOMING CLASSES
Silvi has recently revamped the LBK website and we would love for you to take a look and see if we’ve made things more clear and easy to understand. She’s added a very helpful “pathway” for people to see what classes to take for their specific journey. Could you take a look and let us know if we’re on the right track or if we could add anything? Thank you!
RIDE WITH LDN RIDERS
“The Coolest Cycling Route London Has Ever Seen” - Silvi
LDN Riders will be guiding you on this fun route takes you on a journey around London, starting and ending in Southwark! We will go through some of the major parks and sightseeing spots.
Meeting point: The Colombian Coffee Company, Arch 34, Flat Iron Square, 87 Southwark Bridge Rd, SE1 0AB
Date: Saturday 6th July
Meeting time: 09:00AM for 09:30AM start
WHERE DOES YOUR LOCAL MP STAND ON PALESTINE?
Palestine Solidarity Campaign launched the Vote Palestine 2024 initiative for the General Election to help voters make an informed choice on 4 July. It includes a statement and six questions for all Parliamentary candidates, as a set of concrete actions on Palestine to commit to if elected. Thousands of people have sent these questions to their local candidates, and you can now see their responses.
That's all for now friends.
If you’re not able to donate to our GoFundMe at this time, would you be a dear and send our page to a friend, or post it on your social media? Thank you!
I've recently become a paying subscriber of
’s Substack (her writing is such a treat), and I have 3 vouchers for 1 month's free access to her archives. If you'd like one, just hit reply!I leave you with a vintage covid zoom video class I did on How to Carry More by Bike. Enjoy!
Ride on,
Jenni x