[Closed] Epping/Redbridge

Good news for the 11th - me and Senor J can share knowledge and get you a good ride.

Yep, that works with me!

Do you ride from home? You might well ride past me, I'm in N20

Please do, I may be able make an evenin ride next week, and you might ride past me also - I'm Enfield and can show you a cut through to the bottom of Mott St also which might help if you don't already do it.

My usual route is East Finchley,Muswell hill ,either Wood Green or Turnpike Lane (always interesting) over to e17.
Today I went through Enfield,through the park next to library,Ponders End and across to chingford/pole hill. And back on route 1 from gunpowder park through whitewebbs (?,sometimes forget the names) and back for lovely Trent park singletrack.:-)

11th sounds excellent, many thanks for the offer to guide.

Epicsteve - if you want a decent Essex lanes road ride I'm likely to ride 120k up to the Blue Egg Cafe at Halstead (famous biking cafe, you can google it) with breakfast / best cakes in Essex at the cafe before the return on the following weekend Might be a group from our club but it would be Z2 or just above nothing testing.

Sounds great - going to take me a while to work up to that sort of distance though. I've barely sat my arse on a bike for about 5 years so am working my way up to being ok to do 30-50 mile social rides with one of the local clubs. Quite impressed with the local road bike stuff I've explored so far though - seems to be lots of nice quiet riding nearby.

A ride to Epping Forest sounds good all round!

The section in Turnpike Lane will certainly be interesting, I've always found the driving there to be questionable. One of the closest passes I've had was in Wood Green, driver was completely oblivious

If you're riding back from Trent Park towards East Finchley then you're likely to pass me in Whetstone, I'm near the High Road.

Some local insider knowledge would be great. I know the odd bit round me, there's a few cheeky footpaths around me that are popular with CX groups as there's nothing technical. I don't know my way around Epping at all, I've done a few bits around Enfield but have mainly stuck to the obvious places

Haven't been up to Broxbourne Woods in about 18 months, not since I heard about the bushcraft group blocking access

Work's a bit mental at the moment, likely to be unpredictable finishing times for the next couple of weeks. Would be game for something Friday 9th or 16th in the evening

9th & 16th I can currently do...

@epicsteve If you ride regularly you shouldn't have any problem with the pace - they stop at trail junctions as it's possible to get lost if you don't know the forest that well. They do a Wednesday evening ride too which is definitely a bit faster. Both rides normally end with a visit to the pub.

@epicsteve If you ride regularly you shouldn't have any problem with the pace - they stop at trail junctions as it's possible to get lost if you don't know the forest that well. They do a Wednesday evening ride too which is definitely a bit faster. Both rides normally end with a visit to the pub.

I've only been back riding regularly again for a couple of weeks but suspect I'd probably be fine fitness wise, especially as I'm doing a fair amount of road mileage at the moment. Just need to work out when I'm going back up to Edinburgh with the car so I can swap bikes and bring a mountain bike down - might be a few weeks before that happens though.

9&16 could be possible for me too. I'll keep an eye on here...
Ben- yes i ride from home.cx 90% of time.
i usually get to Trent park via new Southgate,there's a fair bit of quiet road&cycle route to get to Cockfosters.Then back through Barnet .Sometimes I drive there from work and include Wormley woods and/or Epping .

I'll keep an eye on the weather during the start of next week and post up on here

9th is probably a good plan A with the 16th as a back up plan

My CX option is my commuter now so I can ride a rigid MTB which is vaguely gravellish in set up or a hardtail. Both not geared that high right now though so I spin out at anything above 16mph...

Another question for the locals - what LBS would you recommend? Got a few changes I want made to my road bike and don't have the tools etc. down here to do them myself.

Stanley Bridge cycles, either at Waltham Abbey or Waltham Cross. I've had issues with every one of the others you could google.

I regularly ride up to Epping forest from Bethnal Green along the towpath or take the overground to Chingford. In the dry it's fast, rooty and good fun. Full sus ( Mount Vision) is totally overkill of course. As others have said you'll be grinding through mud when wet unless you stick to the gravelly tracks (which are tame).

I've never been around Broxbourne. Any GPX links?

Epicsteve - try Walthamstow cycles..... Good folk & friends of mine.
They have a face book page and collect & deliver etc.

Weather looking acceptable on Friday

I don't actually have a proper road bike, but if I did, I'd use my LBS which is Shorter Rochford. I've generally had pretty good help from them

(Technically my most local LBS is Halfords)

Couple of developments

16th is now out for me, wife is out for dinner
9th is also looking good on the weather front

How does a ride this Friday sound?

A little bump for anyone game for Friday

I'm tempted for Friday, need to check my lights are charged though. Still meeting at the tea hut?

epicsteve I have an old hardtail you could borrow if you wanted? Its a bit of a mish mash of parts, the shifter works in reverse and the tyres need pumping up, Not really had much use recently but it rides epping well enough from memory.

Is there still a group for Sunday 9:00 meet, 9:30 off?

Me
Senor J
?
?
?

I'll be there on Sunday. I'm on a blue kona unit btw so give me a wave if I look lost.

Definitely can't make Sunday

Don't know my way around Epping so would be keen for a ride there

@pablogt - do you know your way around? I've only been there a few times. I found a few trails when I went there in the daylight, and did fireroad bashing last time I went (dark and wet!)

I will say Heavy rain is expected all day Saturday and Epping turns epically shite very quickly - prepares for a slow muddy wet ride...

When they say that it's a medium/fast ride and that anyone that can keep up is welcome do they actually mean fast or are they just trying to scare away any real beginners?

I have ridden with these guys about 4 years ago - not that fast after the first mad 50 minutes testosterone burn up - but I found them to be dull people generally and with a constant trail of newbies trying to prove something or other.......

I'm happy to join a Friday or sunday - cant do this sunday though

Happy to lead around Broxbourne or Ware areas, I mostly single speed these days

Just back from camping 🙂 ,I'm in for Sunday .
I can do Friday too Ben , but to make the most of it it would be best to get there soon as possible (pre dark).what time can you start? Rigid mtb will be ree't.
I doubt I would start from high beech..tbh ,more likely,cycle over to pole hill ,up to high beech ,& south to Woodford .
Back on the road through Walthamstow /Tottenham ?
It takes me about 45/50 min to get back from the forest .traffic light dependent .

epicsteve I have an old hardtail you could borrow if you wanted? Its a bit of a mish mash of parts, the shifter works in reverse and the tyres need pumping up, Not really had much use recently but it rides epping well enough from memory.

Thanks for the very kind offer but I think I'll hold off until I get one of my own bikes down here. It's not just the bike anyway, it's all the other riding gear as I really only have roadie kit down here at the moment.

No prob epicsteve, thought I'd offer before it rains 🙂

benp1, Yes I know my way around well enough to have a good time on mainly singletrack, so it should be an improvement on your last ride.

On the downside I had to book in some last min work down on the south coast on Friday so I'm at the mercy of the traffic as to when I get back.

Keep your fingers crossed and eyes on this thread.

What sort of time you thinking Senor J?

I've been working savagely in the last few weeks so plan to knock off earlier than normal, plus I'm at home

I'd like to get there in the light ideally as there's more chance I'll remember the route!

Sounds like we have a group of:
pablogt
plumber?
senor j
benp1

Any other takers?

I can be available from 1630 onwards (to leave n2).

If you're meeting somewhere accessible by road in the forest tomorrow let me know and I might take a spin up on the road bike to say hello as I'm WFH tomorrow anyway.

Just back in from a spin out on the road bike and spotted a couple of MTB riders crossing the roads between different bits of the forest.

I did the road climb from Abridge into Theydon Bois and up into the forest again tonight - definitely the biggest climb I've found in the area so far - and also the only one so far that's made me drop into the granny ring for a bit.

Ok Steve .see what happens...I was going to say, I'm totally flexible and could do a trot from Trent park say,out to wormley woods..broxbourne?if that's more inclusive...
Re hills - have a look for Epping green & Newgate street in Hertfordshire - just on the other side of the Lea valley(ish)- some good ones there.

Some more hills - Steve from Abridge divert yourself around a bit to come up into Theydon Bois from the bottom of Coopersale lane to add a few extras, recovery through TB high st before tackling the big one.

In Herts, come South straight up Newgate Street hill as Señor J suggest, turn right at the roundabout towards potters bar, heading up, across the cross, swoop down, up, down up, down up the "three sisters" (Carbon Hill & Vineyards road) into Northaw just outside Potter Bar. Another one for you is Robins' Nest Hill, used in our club TT 😈

I used to ride in Broxbourne Woods quite a bit but haven't been there in about 18 months since the bushcraft group got involved (and I stopped working in Welwyn)

I'll go with whatever option gets us the most people out for a ride! If it's evens would prefer Epping as I don't know it at all, not a massive preference though

Sorry, I can't get out as early as I first thought, wife is taking son for a swimming lesson so I have my daughter till she's home. Earliest i'll be able to leave is about 5:45pm (from Whetstone)

Ok Ben , looks like just us& my lights are charged...can you meet @1800 outside Bike&run in East Finchley ?
We can go through Wood Green towards White Hart lane , Tottenham marshes up the canal and over to pole hill.
Should be at high beech around 1945/2000.....
If you can do earlier let's know..

I reckon I could sneak out earlier now, wife has taken my daughter to the swimming lesson as she said I'd probably be grumpy if she got stuck in traffic on the way home

I can probably meet you there at 1700, let me know if that works for you

Might be easier to arrange by phone? My number is o7764 5oo 56o

If anyone else is game to meet up tonight then post up on here on or text my phone

Nice one ,I've sent you a message.
& please don't be a 9stone whippet.:-)

I just walked though the door 🙁

@Epic,for hills on the road bike, banks lane is a short sharp double but leads into a nice rolling loop and Lippets Hill a ways behind Carls hut is a little tester. I never miss the road from Abridge to Theydon though just for the challenge. Regards the MTB, Epping is pretty good for what it is, you can ride a lot of singletrack with not much time spent on the fire roads, but once it gets wet, it's pretty slippy. Also Hadleigh, the olympic mtb course is not that far away and holds up pretty well.

Had a cracking ride with Senor J. Trails were dry and first half was light enough to not need lights on

Thanks Jason for the guided tour, very impressive knowledge of the area. Just over 40 mile round trip from my door, great trails in Epping, tired now!

Had an off doing zero miles an hour, fell into a little gully! What a ****, missed my footing. A few bruises and cuts but nothing serious

PS, hope the trails aren't too muddy on Sunday

Erm, I'm notified as I meet with my club colleagues this morning that I've double booked myself, and am supposed to be leading a road ride tomorrow.

If Senor J is confirmed as riding tomorrow and able to lead (?)I may drop out (apologies) but if not I'll honour this one and lead as I don't want to leave people stranded and not able to ride. By coincidence we are I think picking up a group at the Tea Hut at 9 as its en route so if the former scenario does occur I may be about to say hello.

Apologies maybe, Senor J let me know...?

I'm up for tomorrow - will it ride ok after the rain today?

But I'm also happy to postpone to another weekend, not an issue, I'll nip out on the road instead.

Nice one Ben . Good crack. I enjoyed it . Good company, Cheers.
Kryton..naughty .
I'll be at the tea hut by 0930 as planned. So if no one turns up I'll guide myself. 🙂
I can't promise it'll be as good as krytrons route ....I'll do me best.
Cycles goff-There's still plenty of foliage & leaves on the ground to soak up the rain ,so I reckon it'll be damp under tyre, with the prospect of puddles.

I'm attempting to be there at 8.30 tomorrow avec wife and friends with kids and dogs and Lord knows what. So 8.30 will rapidly turn into 9.30 I'm sure. Might see you for a cuppa afterwards