Tips for Epping Forest
Discussion
Hi,
Decided to try some MTBing in Epping today.
Started of from Highbeach and found some good (VERY MUDDY) single track in places.
Really enjoyed it and me a few guys are thinking about making it a regular trip as its only a 20minute drive.
Does anyone have any tips or even better route maps for some good routes?
It strikes me that there are probably some neat routes where all the slog is done on the main paths with downhill/flats on single track. Something in the region of 15-30k is would be ideal.
The stuff we found today was through pure luck rather than judgement and the map from the visitor centre was next to useless apart from helping us get back to the car park when we'd had enough. They could do with a hose too as it was bloody muddy.....my poor car.
Thanks
Decided to try some MTBing in Epping today.
Started of from Highbeach and found some good (VERY MUDDY) single track in places.
Really enjoyed it and me a few guys are thinking about making it a regular trip as its only a 20minute drive.
Does anyone have any tips or even better route maps for some good routes?
It strikes me that there are probably some neat routes where all the slog is done on the main paths with downhill/flats on single track. Something in the region of 15-30k is would be ideal.
The stuff we found today was through pure luck rather than judgement and the map from the visitor centre was next to useless apart from helping us get back to the car park when we'd had enough. They could do with a hose too as it was bloody muddy.....my poor car.
Thanks
Edited by waterwonder on Sunday 8th November 18:15
Edited by waterwonder on Sunday 8th November 18:19
I went to Epping on Saturday.
Haven't been for about 7 years, but I'm amazed that they still don't have a decent map/marked trails/safer crossing points on the main roads. They have managed to put up some 'beware, wheelchair crossing point' markers on the bridleway near to the visitor centre though! Considering that it's touted as the largest open space in the London area I'm surprised that more hasn't been done, particularly as it isn't exactly traquil (i.e. suitable for a quiet country walk) with all of the noise from surrounding roads.
By luck we manged a reasonable 12km route on a mixture of bridleways and singletracks, but with a bit of snow in the ground it was sometimes difficult to work out if you were on a little used track of creating one of your own.
I'd go there far more if there were more easily followed routes. Like you, I also got the car pretty muddy - I seem to remember that people used to bring their own hoses and hook them up to a tap near the pub when I went there a few years back.
Haven't been for about 7 years, but I'm amazed that they still don't have a decent map/marked trails/safer crossing points on the main roads. They have managed to put up some 'beware, wheelchair crossing point' markers on the bridleway near to the visitor centre though! Considering that it's touted as the largest open space in the London area I'm surprised that more hasn't been done, particularly as it isn't exactly traquil (i.e. suitable for a quiet country walk) with all of the noise from surrounding roads.
By luck we manged a reasonable 12km route on a mixture of bridleways and singletracks, but with a bit of snow in the ground it was sometimes difficult to work out if you were on a little used track of creating one of your own.
I'd go there far more if there were more easily followed routes. Like you, I also got the car pretty muddy - I seem to remember that people used to bring their own hoses and hook them up to a tap near the pub when I went there a few years back.
I really must get up there too - lived on this side of London for 18 months now, it's only a few miles down the road so really should check it out properly. Passed through for the Rat Race last year but that was mainly on fire roads, nothing too interesting.
There's a route on bikely that looks interesting: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Epping-Forest... - although you'd need a GPS to follow it on the ground.
Anywhere "muddy" will be frozen solid right now - quite a nice time of year to get out!
There's a route on bikely that looks interesting: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Epping-Forest... - although you'd need a GPS to follow it on the ground.
Anywhere "muddy" will be frozen solid right now - quite a nice time of year to get out!
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