Dunwich Dynamo
Encyclopedia
The Dunwich Dynamo is an annual semi-organised, through-the-night bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....

 ride
Challenge riding
Challenge riding is a form of cycling where the riders challenge themselves rather than each other. Some challenge rides are charity events or pledge rides. Some are organised as pre- or early-season training events...

 from London Fields
London Fields
London Fields is a park and the name of an area of London, situated in the eastern borough of Hackney. The park itself was first recorded in 1540. At this time it was common ground and was used by drovers to pasture their livestock before taking them to market in London.London Fields is just over ...

 park in Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....

, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 to Dunwich
Dunwich
Dunwich is a small town in Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.Dunwich was the capital of East Anglia 1500 years ago but the harbour and most of the town have since disappeared due to coastal erosion. Its decline began in 1286 when a sea surge hit the East Anglian coast, and...

 on the Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...

 coast. The distance is approximately 120 miles (193 kilometres).

The ride (usually abbreviated to "Dun Run" or "DD") takes place overnight, hence "Dynamo". It is scheduled to take place on the Saturday night closest to the full moon in July, partly for tradition but also because it is easier to ride by moonlight. The date for DD20 is 30 June /1 July 2012.

Following the popularity of the Dunwich Dynamo, overnight rides based upon it are being organised in other parts of the country, one of the most popular being the Exmouth Exodus which runs from Clifton Suspension Bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Brunel died in 1859, without seeing the completion of the bridge. Brunel's colleagues in the Institution of Civil Engineers felt that completion of the Bridge would be a fitting memorial, and started to raise new funds...

 in Bristol to Exmouth seafront.

History

The ride originated in June 1993, when a group of bicycle messenger
Bicycle messenger
Bicycle messengers are people who work for courier companies carrying and delivering items by bicycle. Bicycle messengers are most often found in the central business districts of metropolitan areas...

s left London for a fun ride to the coast on fixed-wheel bikes, inviting members of the public to participate. The event was supported by a cycle shop, Mosquito Bikes of Essex Road, providing mechanical support and "controls" where riders had to check in to ensure no short-cuts. This arrangement continued for three further years. During this period the ride started from the Eastway cycle circuit rather than London Fields as at present.

Since then the ride has continued on an unsupported 'turn up and go' basis. The route was planned by the London School Of Cycling and organisation including the transport back from Dunwich at the end of the ride is arranged by Southwark Cyclists; for many years this was led by Barry Mason
Barry Mason (cyclist)
Barry Mason was a noted activist for cycling in London, UK.After graduating from the London School of Economics, Mason had a varied career, including two years as head of visitor services at Salisbury Cathedral and four years working in Liverpool.However, he was best known in his later years for...

.

The 2006 ride had 700 participants but was marred by the death of a 38 year old participant, Andrew Rawling, in a head-on collision with a Ford Transit
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks, produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe.The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term...

 van in North Weald Bassett
North Weald Bassett
North Weald Bassett is a village and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of the county of Essex, England. It is located east of Epping, south-east of Chipping Ongar and south of Harlow....

. The organisers suggested that the 2007 ride could take the form of a memorial event, but Rawling's family requested that it continue as normal without any dedication, as they did not wish the ride he enjoyed to become a campaign or protest. The number of participants has increased every year, to an estimated 1,000 riders in 2009.

2009 was the first year that the ride was attempted—and completed—on a penny farthing. In 2011, a rider completed the event on a "Boris bike" hired in central London.

External links

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