moondancer
Well-Known Member
Some of you know (and have generously supported me) that it is now only 2 weeks before I start a sponsored cycle ride from Bristol to Paris.
The relevance to this section of the forum is that as part of the training last weekend I saw a bit of the East Coast, well Dunwich beach! I took part in the Dunwich Dynamo, which starts on the Saturday nearest the full moon in July at the Pub in the Park in London Fields, Hackney at 8 PM.
It is then a 120 mile cycle for about 600 people through London, Essex and Suffolk to Dunwich at about 5.00 am. The whole experience is a bit surreal with the organisers warning people to stick together for the first few miles in Hackney 'bandit country' where people have been mugged for their bikes in previous years.
As it gets dark through genteel Epping people get nicer, actually clapping and cheering the riders on, rather than the general abuse and jeering in Hackney. From Epping on, it is pitch dark with red flashing cycle lights as far as the eye can see and no cars whatsoever. A half time food stop of a huge mound of pasta, bread and jelly babies and an hour's rest makes the second half bearable with the legs having more energy for a short period than at the start.
Sudbury is traversed at nightclub kicking out time with good natured banter from most people. Then the beauty of Suffolk is gradually revealed from around 2.30 when lightening skies show the surprisingly rolling countryside. I thought this part of the world was meant to be flat! Also nearly gave myself a heart attack when I hit a patch of just applied that day stone chippings in the dark at about 30 mph.
We hit Dunwich at about 5.00 am with a hardy bunch diving in for a swim. I managed a paddle and looked at where I had sailed past a couple of weeks earlier.
It should all help being able to cycle the 80 - 100 miles per day to Paris and doing it makes me much more confident of achieving the goal.
Hope you don't mind this off topic update.
Moondancer.
www.justgiving.com/brianbrowne1
The relevance to this section of the forum is that as part of the training last weekend I saw a bit of the East Coast, well Dunwich beach! I took part in the Dunwich Dynamo, which starts on the Saturday nearest the full moon in July at the Pub in the Park in London Fields, Hackney at 8 PM.
It is then a 120 mile cycle for about 600 people through London, Essex and Suffolk to Dunwich at about 5.00 am. The whole experience is a bit surreal with the organisers warning people to stick together for the first few miles in Hackney 'bandit country' where people have been mugged for their bikes in previous years.
As it gets dark through genteel Epping people get nicer, actually clapping and cheering the riders on, rather than the general abuse and jeering in Hackney. From Epping on, it is pitch dark with red flashing cycle lights as far as the eye can see and no cars whatsoever. A half time food stop of a huge mound of pasta, bread and jelly babies and an hour's rest makes the second half bearable with the legs having more energy for a short period than at the start.
Sudbury is traversed at nightclub kicking out time with good natured banter from most people. Then the beauty of Suffolk is gradually revealed from around 2.30 when lightening skies show the surprisingly rolling countryside. I thought this part of the world was meant to be flat! Also nearly gave myself a heart attack when I hit a patch of just applied that day stone chippings in the dark at about 30 mph.
We hit Dunwich at about 5.00 am with a hardy bunch diving in for a swim. I managed a paddle and looked at where I had sailed past a couple of weeks earlier.
It should all help being able to cycle the 80 - 100 miles per day to Paris and doing it makes me much more confident of achieving the goal.
Hope you don't mind this off topic update.
Moondancer.
www.justgiving.com/brianbrowne1
