Guided rides around Epping Forest ( aka Follow the strange tall man into the woods )

I expected as much, though under the right conditions* it can dry out incredibly quickly ( in places ) once everything starts to grow.

*yeah, I know.

Some of the sections up from Wood Street to Chingford can also get really bad, but we won't be doing those.

That sounds like exactly the right approach to these rides. If everyone lived locally and was up for bath loads of mud, nowhere is really off limits, although there are a few stretches where forward momentum would come rapidly to a halt – particularly in the parts you’ve chosen to avoid.

As you are well aware, lots of forest around High Beech dries out very rapidly regardless. Even if the weather turns really nasty on the days the rides take place, there are still miles and miles of single track and bridleways which will still be rideable – more than enough for five or six hours out and about - and leave folk in a reasonably clean state to ride back or take the train without concern.

The bits of the forest I like the best are both hilly and marsh like. These areas are kindly building my case at home to get one of the fat tired Surly bikes.