Badgers in heat - Epping Forest Summer rides

Maybe work out a couple of meeting points (like the open space at Theydon Bois) so that its much easier to say to a group "go there" if it does get split

Can I do a write up? Is it too late to do a write up?

I had a great time. I was on the fixed grey pompino (Dan), so thanks to everyone who put up with what was probably a large amount of sketchy riding by me, especially @branwen very kind about my inability to hold a line. The trails I thought were so well picked @BareNecessities. Hardpacked dirt but amazingly not very dusty at all, lots of looping and rolling singletrack and without super gnarly roots to require brake-mashing - although some roots for sure, some gently gnarly, others merely radical. Also good for me because my brakes are utter shit, cheers @xkittyx you've given me inspiration to make them "work". Is it perpetual autumn in Epping? Does it ever go green in the Spring? Or is it always the woodland scene from Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow? I'm always expecting to see a downcast looking Christina Ricci emerge from blown-out colonial lodge as 4000 tons of fallen leaves blow around in the background. Anyway it was very pretty and I also enjoyed the wide variety of bikes, 650b, vintage 26' tubeless (natch), 29++++, cross bikes, SSXC, whatever you'd call Pete's bike...pure swish? straightahead ass-kicking mtb rock lobster, plus good vibes and tea and a well above expectations cornish pasty. So thanks again and sorry I had to leave a bit early. @7Üp that video is insane/awesome.
Finally taking @BareNecessities suggestion to gear down a bit from 66' in the woods I still found myself out of the saddle more than I wanted to be - the answer is 39x22 but I might splash out and treat myself to a freewheel next time out. Better for all involved. The spin out and spin back was a bit balls but excellent day out with the Badgers.

edit: and oh yeah, the first stop was my fault, I had a puncture but I didn't call out which I should have done. That would have saved at least a bit of back and forth faffing. But overall I've been in the woods a few times and nothing like this happened - some rides just split off a bit for some reason while others dont. I'm sure with a backstop and @branwen's suggestion of agreed meet points I highly doubt it would happen again.

Oh yeah, we did lose one. :0)

It's safer to be further apart, more fun too.

This is true, but keeping people in sight is helpful too :-)

I'm going to strap him to my rear rack next time.

lots of looping and rolling singletrack and without super gnarly roots to require brake-mashing

I did actually do a couple of sections like that after you left. Not a good place for your brakes to fail..

Also

Is it perpetual autumn in Epping?

No

Does it ever go green in the Spring?

Yes

Also also, thanks for the whisky. That was most welcome by then.

if anyone fancy some slacker-badgering I'm off work on wednesday and hoping to go out to epping.

Might be able to do Wednesday.

I might be up for this but would be time dependent as I have to get trains so would need to wait for off peak.
So interested, pending times

what times area you able to make it up/need to be done by? Could organise around them.

Could do another 11am-3pm jaunt? That should avoid train restrictions.

Yeah I think 11 is the earliest I could get to Chingford. But also might have to leave before 3 to miss transport restrictions going back. So don't worry about planning around me - will have fun tiems on Saturday anyway :)

will have fun tiems on Saturday anyway :)

Time for a list update then.

1st Oct

BN
spotter
Aroogah
fasih
psg1ben
TomvanHalen & +1
TheShipwright
7Üp
motter
mmccarthy?
xkittyx
ioreka
jesm?
stedlocks?
joshl
branwen
Vuong

Wednesday any good for you @mmccarthy ?

Also, any good for @dicki so I can bring your rear mech with me?

Super late to post this now but thanks to @BareNecessities and everyone who was there on Saturday for such a great day. That was my first forum ride and everyone was really friendly - thanks for putting up with my lack of gears/slowness/crashing/mechanicals.

Any advice on how not to lose people from the group would be appreciated. Dropping someone due to mechanical issues is to be expected, but I've never experienced people disappearing through having followed a different track :-/

I was definitely responsible for splitting the group up a couple of times, I ended up sticking to the back of the pack cause I was struggling with some of the more rooty trails and I think people in front waited up for me which caused a sort of concertina effect where they slowed down to wait for me but lost the people in front of them.

Me and @7Üp ended up taking a different track cause I bottled going down a drop and was looking for a different route down and he waited up for me. By the time we came to the fork in the route you guys must have taken you would have been a fair distance ahead of us and we were unlucky and picked the wrong route.

So yeah, really lack of experience/confidence on my part, first time on the trails and all, but I learned a lot on Saturday and I'll be better prepared for next time.

Patrick - Black All City Nature Boy

Glad you enjoyed it. I hadn't realised this was your first time off-road. I'd usually check, so I can only apologise for that and remember for the future.

Thanks for those who have offered suggestions for not losing people. It's never going to be 100% in Epping, as there are always alternate routes on even those tiny little trails and you don't always have the option to see very far ahead. I might have appeared a little grumpy after the 100th stop that day, but I was getting a bit of a kicking from dragging myself up those hills :-)

I'll learn a bit from each new ride and hopefully they'll just keep getting better. I'm mostly glad that nobody broke themselves

Certainly no need to apologise, I had a great time - was just concerned that I was slowing everyone else up. It's all good experience and I have a better idea of what to expect for next time.

I was getting a bit of a kicking from dragging myself up those hills :-)

You're not the only one, I need better gearing or better legs or something...!

Group is pretty big now. I've moved a few names in there from the facebook group

Let me know if I've missed you.

Should be!

Also, I apologise for my absence as I can see the lack of my bright orange t-shirt really wreaked havoc on keeping the group together ;)

More than happy to volunteer as day-long backstop on Saturday, means I get the best view of the crashes!

bright orange t-shirt

I wonder if they do those in XXXXL..

;)

Perfect

That is a hat, right?

@ioreka I don't mind taking my mtb if you'd like to use the crossbike. It may be a little small, but I can change to a longer stem (110/100 from 60) and put the seat post up?

might be able to do this if i put off work/moving house/being a responsible human being for a few hours