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A Night on the Tires

As the sun rose over Dunwich, on the Suffolk coast, on Sunday 1st July, Hamiltons were poised waiting – for 1,500 cyclists who had ridden 120 miles overnight from London. They had left Hackney by moonlight the night before to arrive from 5am onwards for breakfast on the beach and a swim in the sea.

This was the eleventh year that Hamiltons have transported the bikes back from the Dunwich Dynamo cycle run. “We support the ride every year because it is so rewarding to help these cyclists who have made the effort to cycle through the night,” says Hamiltons’ managing director Michael Sawyer, who personally oversaw the transportation.

“We have a special technique for packing the bikes. The first row goes in forwards, the next with their handlebars in the opposite direction. Then they are wrapped in cardboard, before the next row is loaded. These bikes are of immense value, in price and to their owners, and as with every job we undertake, we ensure that they are packed effectively.”

The transportation of cyclists and cycles is arranged by Southwark Cyclists. “Most of us are regular, low tech commuters with a taste for adventure,” says organiser Alex Crawford. “Many people say that doing this ride has changed their lives.”