… and back along the Lee Valley on my Dialled Alpine with an Selle Italia SLR saddle!
Me batty is well aching. 😕
Not exactly punishing terrain but at least it got me out on the beast.

I finish most of my rides on the stretch from Broxbourne to Cheshunt, and your Alpine wouldn’t be the longest-travel bike I’ve seen on the towpath!

Head a few miles west from the Broxbourne/Ware section and there’s much more interesting riding, btw.

… resurrecting a thread from approximately a million years ago, either of you do much riding in this kinda area?

My local loop is in the Broxbourne/Ware area described above. I live Hertford way.

I used to be Crouch End and used the Lee Valley a few times to head out towards Epping Forest. It took a while amd I confess I headed towards the darkside as a result.

i live on the edge of hackney and islington and have been meaning to try this route. is it worth doing, and easy to follow?

Once you get onto the Lee Valley path its very straight forward to follow. Its a question of where you come off for Epping Forest.

I couldn't advise you where to go once in the Forest. There is plenty of riding there. I think one of the local cycle shops does a Sunday morning ride. Its probably your best bet to learn the good bits. Its very easy to get lost once your in and I did.

The tow path is pretty obvious, takes a little finding from the London side.

I'll have to head up Broxbourne way some time and have a play, I've had a bit of a pootle around Epping, but not enough to really find all that much.

yeah it looks fairly obvious once you're out of town, it's where and how to pick it up in london that looks a bit confusing on the map.

I come off the towpath into Gunpowder Park then turn right onto Sewardstone Road (A112) then left onto Yardley Lane. That takes you to the Forest and your first climb is up towards Pole Hill.

I come off the towpath into Gunpowder Park

that sounds more like it should be at the hackney end 😆

either of you do much riding in this kinda area?

Yes, drop me a line if you want to come out sometime. Email in profile.

"it's where and how to pick it up in london that looks a bit confusing on the map."

Finding the towpath is fairly easy. I used to go from Clapton Common / Upper clapton and take Spring Hill E5. At the bottom its straight on to the path by the Rowing club.

North you can pick it up by Ferry Lane in Nam.

South there is Lea Bridge road, or down by Homerton Road so plenty of options.

theflatboy – I seem to think you're vaguely in the Highbury/Finsbury Park area? Best bet of hopping on is just past Tottenham Hale area, I reckon.

This (not mine) puts you on it pretty cleanly.

Another one for getting to the Canal off of Ferry Lane here. It's a nice ride up the Lea Valley early in the morning…

chakaping – that would be awesome, I'm out this weekend, but maybe soon after. 🙂

theflatboy – I seem to think you're vaguely in the Highbury/Finsbury Park area? Best bet of hopping on is just past Tottenham Hale area, I reckon.

spot on mate, cheers – that's what i'd always figured, just never got round to trying it. might give it a go this weekend once my girlfriend's gone out and think i'm staying at home "working" 🙂

If you head out for a ride copy me in on the emails. I work shifts but if i'm about i'll join you.

hello all.
I live in East Finchley and often commute to Stevenage via the Lee Valley canal;long commute option .
As Davros23 says, you can come off at Sewardstone , through Gunpowder park. I then pick up Avey Lane to take me straight to High Beech.
If you want the full blown Epping adventure I go straight through Tottenham Hale to Walthamstow via Blackhorse lane on the a503 and head for the start of the singletrack just off the Waterworks roundabout.
I also work shifts so go there weekday morning/afternoons.
I'm going Friday for a bit of a bog trot 🙁 .