A quick timeline of our Dunwich Dynamo experience:
10:00 AM: Wake up to torrential downpour in London. Uh oh.
11:00 AM: Watch Tour de France on ITV4 while rain continues outside.
2:00 PM: Alberto cooks cuban-style rice (rice with tomato sauce and fried egg) for a carb- and protein-filled lunch.
3:00 PM: Take advantage of a break in the rain to go shopping for food for the ride.
4:00 PM: Make wraps, sandwiches, etc. to carry with us while watching the end of the Tour de France.
5:00 PM: Eat dinner of tortellini. More carbs. Torrential rain has returned.
6:00 PM: Get changed, pack the bags, and prepare the bikes.
6:30 PM: Rain has finally stopped (never to return)!
7:00 PM: Head out for Pub on the Park in London Fields, the official start of the the Dynamo.
7:30 PM: Arrive at Pub on the Park. Hundreds of cyclists. Fight through the crowds to pick up our tickets for the coach back to London and get a route sheet. Wait around in the park somewhat away from the crowds.
8:30 PM: See a large chunk of cyclists heading out and figure we should join them. We're on our way!
9:30 PM: Ride through Epping forest in a large group. I manage to keep pace on the hill!
9:45 PM: Ride through Epping town centre - to the jeers of locals standing outside the pub!
10:15 PM: Pass first country pub at Moreton. Many have stopped for a pint, but we keep riding.
11:15 PM: Pass second country pub, Dunmow I think? See above.
Sunday, 17 July 2011
12:15 AM: Pass third country pub, I think it was at Finchingfield. Make a pit stop and fill the water bottles. Otherwise see above.
1:00 AM: Arrive at the 'half way' stop in Sible Hedingham. Queue for food is absolutely outrageous, but we eat some of our supplies and have a hot drink. Consider moving on, but realise if we keep this up we'll be in Dunwich by 7am -- too early if it will be rainy and miserable there.
2:00 AM: Finally set off from the food stop after an hour of warming up indoors. Freezing to be back outside!
4:00 AM: First rays of sunlight peek through on the horizon.
5:00 AM: Stop at Needham Lake to enjoy the scenery and refill bottles in the water fountain. Spot the guy cycling with his two dogs letting them have a bit of a run-around.
5:45 AM: Stop to admire the Bacon Roll stop near Gosbeck. What a nice setup! But again we decide to stick to our own supplies.
7:00 AM: Begin to see a trickle of cyclists coming from the opposite direction. They were cycling BACK to London after all that!
8:20 AM: Arrive in Dunwich!
8:30 AM: Get to the beach. Find hundreds of cyclists napping there.
9:15 AM: Alberto goes for a swim!
10:30 AM: Load bikes on to lorry for return journey to London, organised by Southwark Cyclists. To our surprise, told that we now have to board a coach for immediate departure to London (coaches were supposed to depart at 1PM).
11:00 AM: Coach pulls out of Dunwich. Cyclists still trickling in from the roads leading up to Dunwich.
11:05 AM: Fall asleep.
2:30 PM: Arrive at Smithfield in London.
2:45 PM: Lorry with cycles arrives at Smithfield in London.
3:00 PM: Rain arrives at Smithfield in London.
3:45 PM: Home in time to watch the last 20km of the Tour de France!
Reading that it's as if I was there! Great effort you two. So glad the rain held off, though I am sure Alberto had his waterproofs just in case.
ReplyDelete(Are there any pics of Alberto in his speedos you could send me privately?)
Dunc
Come with us to the beach next time and you will get the full view mate
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