Fifty Shades of Badger ( aka - The Epping Forest 50 )

Thinking about operations, how's the rehab coming along @Aroogah ?

I am back commuting a couple of days a week. Legs work, elbow fine but I am in NO shape to do a 50. I am targeting a week of light touring in September along Burgundian canals. I will be back and probably around for off road rides by early summer.

Hopefully in.
Aiming to go for a sneaky scout around tomorrow morning c 7am from Hampstead ish on the ultra-hipster Geek if anyone is bored. ( @Howard can you ping me that route again?).
I have to be back by 10, so won't be a long one.

@bareneccesities you're right 27th = easy 28th = mtfu

Hella muddy this morning, probably the worst I've ever seen it. Don't plan to ride anywhere in that forest at a reasonable speed at the moment!

Hmm... Sounds promising. I guess I'll just fire track* a bit of it for fun times.
Or kings way or whatever its called.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/2551691547

Here's a route...

reasonable speed

*Wonders what Jon's idea of reasonable speed is *

Lots of the fire roads further south (I didn't get any further than the tea hut) weren't exactly dry. I think it's a combination of some forestry work and the snow. Still, a few weeks of reasonable weather and some photosynthesis from the trees and it should start to dry out.

Thats the [title of thread] thanks.

Less than 4 weeks to go now. Time to consider some form of training....

Bathtub Gin.

Helps with pondering the bigger questions like how to train for a game of muddy follow the tall bloke on a bike.

I did some laps of Richmond park today. It was awful.

One of you has the right idea.

What's the drinking water situation like on the route, Pete?

I've got a framebag now to carry all sorts of goodies, but sadly it gets in the way of my seat tube bottle cage, so I've probably only got 1.2l worth of capacity.

On the assumption that it'll be nice and warm and dry (ha!) I'll probably want to fill up somewhere if possible?

Plenty of free water from the forest conservation centre tap. It's just near the tea hut, which we'll make several stops at, so I can top up on bread pudding :-)

Excellent news on both fronts, thanks.

I'll save some space for several doorstops of bread pudding myself.

Only if @TomvanHalen , @platypus and @mmccarthy haven't eaten it all.

Maybe I should phone ahead....

There's also a water fountain thingy at the Hunting Lodge.

Currently planning out the route.

probably can't make this now due to work :(

Ah balls :-(

The route will include two proper tea hut stops, and a pub that's close to the end.

Potential fluid top-ups are:

10k - tea hut/conservation centre

20k - pub

30k - slightly out of the way pub ( only if you're dying of dehydration and nobody likes you enough to give you any water )

40k - tea hut/conservation centre

48k - pub stop. You're nearly there, so congratulate yourself with a well-earned beverage, before the gentle roll home :-)

Can we have plenty of hills please

It's just hill reps isn't it?