I have to drop my son off at Redbridge (Hog Hill) Saturday and have several hours to kill.

Are there any good trails around there? What is Epping Forest like? I am looking for a 3 hour (ish) ride.

Epping will be a quagmire only for the dedicated mud plugger, you’ll need a guide to link all the single track into a ride. Hadleigh Park too far?

Yes, probably just a bit too far. If the local trails are too sodden I may just take a road bike up and get some miles in instead.

If you’re after a ride and a nice way to spend 3 hours on the bike, once you’ve dropped off at Redbridge right to the canal path that runs up the River Lea, you can go for miles north (then west)

Ride up for 1.5 hours, then ride back. Not technical but a nice place for a pootle. Places to stop for a snack/drink too

Or ride the fireroads of Epping, it won’t be technical but it won’t be a complete quagmire either

I’d take the road bike myself, you can get out onto some nice country lanes and back in three hours.

I was just reminiscing about Epping in wintertime last week while slogging through some claggy clay locally.

Thanks for all of the replies, may be the cx bike instead then and @benp1’s suggestion:

benp1 – Member

If you’re after a ride and a nice way to spend 3 hours on the bike, once you’ve dropped off at Redbridge right to the canal path that runs up the River Lea, you can go for miles north (then west)

Do you know roughly where the turn west is? I wouldn’t mind plonking something into my Garmin beforehand.

You’ll struggle to get lost to be honest, though you might need directions to get to the path from where you are

‘Route 1’, see here http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/route-1

The bit that heads West is Route 61 but I doubt you’ll make it up that far unless you’re Bradley Wiggins

This map is quite handy – http://www.sustrans.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/london20docklands20leaflet.pdf

This website is also helpful – https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/lee-navigation

Another option is to head south (on the same route) into Central London. There are some nice places to explore if you’re up for pottering than smashing out the miles. You can then connect up with the Roding Valley Way which is near Redbridge. It’s a nice place for pootling

this reminds me, there is the ‘epic echappee’ North London edition soon. I think it is later in march but they might have a route up

There is the Rapha Hell of the North sportive which heads out from North London (and finishes in a pub in my town) but it’s a bit further west of where you are

Not head of Epic Echappee

Probably This

Linky

Drop me a line if you want a GPX of some nice country lanes just to the north of town. All tarmac, but the bridleways will probably be minging now anyway.

Eslkay, if you want some miles I’m – weather dependent – riding up to Halstead and back on Saturday through the Essex lanes. The mid point is the popular Blue Egg Cafe, where you quite often can bump into some Pro’s notably Dowsett, Cav and Stannard if you are lucky.

I shall be having an awesome breakfast with coffee. Total 130k ish from where you are, you’re welcome to latch on.

Kryton57 _ thanks for the offer but his race finishes at 1pm so I won’t be hitting the road until around 1.30pm.

Chakaping – I’ll message you later, thanks.