Greater Anglia has advised that cyclists taking part in this year's Dunwich Dynamo will not be able to transport their bicycles back to London by rail after the event.
The Dunwich Dynamo is an annual 200 km night ride from Hackney in East London to Dunwich on the Suffolk Coast. To ensure riders have the maximum amount of moonlight to ride in, the event is held on the weekend nearest to July's full moon, which this year is on Saturday, 16th/Sunday, 17th July.
The event starts between 8 pm and 9 pm, and most riders arrive at Dunwich between 7 am and 9 am, ready for a quick swim in the sea or a pint in the village pub, The Ship Inn.
Although Greater Anglia's intercity trains have spaces for cycles, there are only six spaces on each train, which is not enough for the large number of cyclists who take part in the ride.
On Saturday, 16th July, the usual six cycles per train rule will apply on mainline services, and cyclists must reserve a space in advance. On local services, six cycles will also be permitted, but on a first-come first-served basis.
On Sunday, 17th July, cycles will not be permitted on intercity or local services to/from Ipswich, and also on local services on Monday, 18th July.
James Steward, Greater Anglia Area Customer Services Manager, said:
“Unfortunately we are unable to support the Dunwich Dynamo as we are unable to offer mass transit for the large number of cyclists involved.
“Our intercity trains have six cycle spaces each and there is no limit on the number of folding bikes we can carry, but this is not sufficient for the number of event participants.
“We are advising cyclists to find an alternative way to transport their bikes back to London.
“We're sorry not to be able to help participants, but these restrictions are in place for the safety of our passengers and these rules will also help to maintain a reliable and punctual service. We would like to thank the cyclists and organisers in advance for their cooperation and understanding.”
