Lee Valley : From Source to Thames

Am thinking of doing the River Lee in the next couple of weeks, weekday or weekend.
From Leagrave Common to Trinity Buoy Wharf using this as a guide

http://www.leavalleywalk.org.uk/

Train to Luton then taking advantage of the natural slope of the earth it will be all downhill to the Thames. My route planning is non existent so it will be a route using the sun and the river as guides. Just keep the sun ahead and the river to you left and you're golden i guess.

Have done it before and it is a bit off roady in parts at the top end around Luton but on the whole canal path and made pathways are the main surfaces.

I am flexible on dates and not the greatest organiser. Would like to have a perfect sunny day so if you would like to join let me know and I'll start looking at the 5 day forecast for some dates.

The Lea Valley Walk is 50 mile route following the River Lea from Luton to the Thames by way of London’ former market garden valley. Prince Charles has described the Lee Valley as “a classic example of what could be done with derelict land if impetus and determination was there”. Now the greening is continuing with the Olympic Games due to be held in the valley’s last derelict stretch.
Lea or Lee

There are at least 25 different spellings for the river’ name. In addition to Lee and Lea past documents record Lay, Ley, Leye, Lyge and even Lyzan. The spelling by 1520 appears to have been Lee but, in the 19th century, Ordnance Survey decided to use both Lee and Lea. The source is at Leagrave. Now the valley is usually known as the Lee Valley, after the Lee Valley Regional Park, whilst the river is the River Lea with the canal sections being called the Lee Navigation.

tickets to bedford look to be £15 or under excluding groupsave which should bring that down quite a bit

You're overshooting the source a touch if you go to Bedford aren't you? Funnily enough I am considering walking the whole thing in a day during the summer, albeit the other way around. Haven't managed to convince anyone else yet though, 4:30am start and 50+ miles on foot seems to put people off for some reason...

I'd like to have a go at this.....I ride the stretch from where it meets the Stort quite regularly, as I'm in bishops Stortford and my mum lives in waltham abbey....if work allows, in!

The canal route is brutal with a headwind - I averaged <10mph on the way south from Waltham Abbey a few weeks ago!

You're overshooting the source a touch if you go to Bedford aren't you? Funnily enough I am considering walking the whole thing in a day during the summer, albeit the other way around. Haven't managed to convince anyone else yet though, 4:30am start and 50+ miles on foot seems to put people off for some reason...

see i told you my organising skills are 2nd rate
luton .. i'll check prices to luton

The canal route is brutal with a headwind - I averaged <10mph on the way south from Waltham Abbey a few weeks ago!

sun with minimal wind then
10 days forecast in favourites

I'd be up for this, if I'm around at the time.

we'll lets aim for a sunny windless day when you are

As ever, I'm unable to resist reading the comments :-)

THIS WALK THAT WAS VERY ENJOYABLE IS NOW UNBEARABLE DUE TO CYCLISTS CONSTANTLY RACING PAST WITH ON REGARD FOR ANYONE ELSE WHERE WILL THEY LET THEM CYCLE NEXT?

does anyone have a bike mountable airhorn

sounds good to me, the towpath is lovely cycling

K & I would come along if it was a weekend without kid.

Im in as well Dicki,

Dates, weather and almost everything else permitting, I am a maybe possibly perhaps I might make it.

#commitment

^ that!

I'll have to keep an eye on this thread I suppose

I've ridden to Hertford and back to Limehouse marina a few times. I've found the towpath is rough north of Waltham Abbey and there are too many walkers/fishermen at weekends, so weekdays are best and 26 x 2.3 tyres.

^ hmm. i reckon i'll get away with 700/28's. if not i'm out as that's the biggest that'll fit

all the bits I've ridden on would be dealt with easily by 32's, 28's should cope as well.

But only if it's dry, then it's just off road conditions...

26 x 2.3 tyres.

2.3"?! For the the 10 foot drop-offs and rock gardens?

the upper reaches are much like parts of the brighton ride when we crossed fields and hopped our bikes over fences across pasture / grazing land
5- 10 miles in it goes to more canal path type and sections like the old railway line, again on the brighton ride

i think a weekday might be best as it can get crowded on the weekends and a whole day of dodging old ladies might get a bit annoying and time consuming

In for a weekday ride.

weekday ftw

a whole day of dodging old ladies
I read that so wrong.