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

This is a chilling and spooky ride done in the small hours, with all sorts of weird and unexplainable noises - or so it seems at the time and the temperature always noticeably drops at Bellringer's Corner!

Sorry Workstand, that was probably me ;-)

Good description of the trails though.

@Texas - Try to hold on for a few months there!

Take the train?
Ride there?

I'm about the opposite side of London, so overall the car would be the simplest option. Ride there, ride around, ride home, would I think kill me.

Take the train?
Ride there?

I'm planning on riding through central London on my way to Epping if anybody is up for riding there.

Where do you enter the forest mmccarthy? Wanstead/Whipps Cross area?

Sorry Workstand, that was probably me ;-)

You cost me a fortune in dry cleaning ;-)

Good description of the trails though.

School summer holidays, long long ago. I spent nearly every day up there with friends and we realised it might be an idea to learn what the different woods, clearings and paths were called, and the history behind them. In recent years I wanted to get fit again and I got bored with not being able to cover enough ground on foot - hence the bike.

Incidentally, for those who don't want to come by train and have easy access to the River Lee navigation tow path, coming off (or meeting up) at Ponders End Lock is also a good choice. If you leave the tow path there and follow the road between the reservoirs, keep straight ahead and turn left at the third set of traffic lights and Chingford Station is a few hundred yards down on the right.

I'm about the opposite side of London, so overall the car would be the simplest option. Ride there, ride around, ride home, would I think kill me.

I'm west side too.

I'm planning on riding through central London on my way to Epping if anybody is up for riding there.

I probably will be, not a particularly fast rider though and on an mtb I'll be even slower. A direct ride form central is just under 20 miles right?

Where do you enter the forest mmccarthy? Wanstead/Whipps Cross area?

You know what, I can barely remember, i'll have to get some rides up there to remember my route. I used to aim for the visitor centre and head off from there. I'll be sure to get some rides up there and confirm!

I probably will be, not a particularly fast rider though and on an mtb I'll be even slower. A direct ride form central is just under 20 miles right?

No worries, i'll be on a SS MTB on around 65 GI so won't be aiming to go that fast anyway. It'd be nice to get a group together to ride out though.

If I can stop being such a techno dullard, I'll sort out some detailed maps for meeting points + other information, such as access, transport, parking, suitable bike*, etc

Probably best to just ask me questions beforehand and then I can let you know.

*whatever you ride, it won't be as ugly as mmccarthy's bike ;-)

You know what, I can barely remember, i'll have to get some rides up there to remember my route. I used to aim for the visitor centre and head off from there. I'll be sure to get some rides up there and confirm!

No worries, i'll be on a SS MTB on around 65 GI so won't be aiming to go that fast anyway. It'd be nice to get a group together to ride out though.

Defintely

If I can stop being such a techno dullard, I'll sort out some detailed maps for meeting points + other information, such as access, transport, parking, suitable bike*, etc

Probably best to just ask me questions beforehand and then I can let you know.

*whatever you ride, it won't be as ugly as mmccarthy's bike ;-)

"follow the strange tall man into the woods"
Pete, you could just print out a map, draw/write on it by hand and then upload a pic of it.

*whatever you ride, it won't be as ugly as mmccarthy's bike ;-)

^ This.

And if it is, don't bring it, bring something else. My bike is the ugly bike.

Pete, you could just print out a map, draw/write on it by hand and then upload a pic of it.

Great thinking Batman. This may take me a while though.

Don't be put off by the "strange" bit. I'm as normal as anybody else that spends too much time in the forest ;-)

Very much up for this. Tend to get very lost and ride in small circles whenever I attempt to discover new ground within Epping. I'd ride in from East London, up the canal.

Rode alot in Thetford Forest as a teenager and found that to a lot more navigable despite the much larger size. Perhaps it's because of the density of paths within Epping.

Woodland Golum gonna lead us to the the giant spiders lair so when we're dead you can take our bikes?

^^ Having ridden a few times in Thetford, I'd agree with you on that. Still some great fun to be had there, despite the lack of any hills.

^^ I'm going to need a CRB check at this rate :-)

that's one mighty proboscis

that's one mighty proboscis

Great for catching squirrels.

I'm west side too.

Maybe we could meet up and ride. I might be able to start a bit closer to London and save a few miles.

I hope it will be fixed MTB friendly too :)

Doesn't your mtb have vertical dropouts?

Doesn't your mtb have vertical dropouts?

One of them does :)

One of them does :)

Oh, that's right, you bought the Kona as well.