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Ok - not sure there will be any takers for this but here's the plan. Since last year ive been keen to do a monster Epping ride as much as anything to show the breath of trails available in the forest. I've done a couple of 60kers which are usually top to bottom rides and i think i could throw in a few more k by linking in some of the trails in the middle of the forest. Aim is

8 am start
7+ hour ride with maybe 1 hour of breaks
Ave speed will need to be 15kph ish
As little bridleway / road linking as possible - I reckon I can keep it under 5k
As little as possible reuse of tracks. Maybe 1 or 2 will have to be done in reverse.
Will hit the very North - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/51% ... !1s0x0:0x0
and the very south https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/51% ... !1s0x0:0x0

If anyone fancy's it or wants to tag along for a bit of it then let me know.

Which way will you head first? I'd like to join for at least some. At the very South as its 10 mins from home, but would also like to check out the very north as its uncharted for me.

Ha - as soon as i made the plan look whats happened to the weather
http://www.bbc.com/weather/2643743?day=3
So it might not be a goer after all - i will monitor it.

Ill be starting in the middle @ 8 hitting the south @ 9 and High beech @ 10 and then the plan probably gets a bit loose from there.

One note - that 15kph ave speed is a fairly brisk pace round Epping. Measure that against ur Epping rides on strava or whatever just to make sure you will be ok with it. - best to be realistic about thespeed ill need to run it @ to get it done by mid afternoon.

15kmh= 9mph. On one of the last epping runs I averaged 8.8mph so it could be done if I put my mind to it and don't dawdle too much. Weather may slow that down a bit though, will keep an eye on it

Been weather watching too before posting a shorter more sedate paced ride

Don't mind a bit of drizzle, odd shower etc.... can make things a bit more interesting but it's not looking good

Cool stuff - the forecast looks to have improved a bit.

Going to have to give this a miss now. Had to book in some last min work in the morning, plus I had a reasonable sized off at Danbury friday eve and I'm still aching a bit.

Enjoy yourself though

Hi Jon,

Where are you starting from?

Cheers Pablo...heal up fast - oldmanriver Ill be starting from Loughton - stubbles car park but TBH with the rain due between 8 and 12 i was going to make a call on it when I got up so will probably just aim to ride solo so i can punt the start time to later to miss the rain if needs be

Makes sense, enjoy the ride.

Looked at the route Jon, looks good but hard to follow, when you do another i'll be up for it.

Ah cool – link here https://www.strava.com/activities/344618838 - ill let you know when the next one is. The 100k is on the horizon before the summer is out. it was a good way of checking out trails that I don't often run.

It was good few hours on the bike. I did it on my Capra so was pleased with the 15.7 kph average speed. The end of the ride was very wet and 20k from the end I had to hide out for 1/2h as the rain went mental. I was pretty fresh at the end and confident I could break 100k if I had the time and had put a bit more thought into the route. Planning the route was tricky as I had a few pre requisites to make it authentic.

As little bridleway / road as possible – only about 5k on the route
Don’t run tracks more than once unless I have to. – I ran about 1k of track twice
Avoid running track both ways if possible – did this apart for the thin bit around Chingford where there really isn’t an option without making it dull – maybe 7k or so.
Try and not do to many loop backs just to gain miles -– happy I did this.
Only really run the fun tracks and run them in the right directions like I would on a normal ride. – happy I did this.

It worked out well… but to keep those aims and bust the 100k I will definitely have to think a bit more about the route, to keep the flow / do good stuff while adding in that extra 15+ k.

Route was roughly

Loughton South
Whips Cross
High Beech
Loughton North
Theydon Bois
Epping
Thornwood
High Beech
Buckhurst Hill
Loughton

I found with those sorts of distances it wasnt my legs that were the problem, it was the underside, being perched on top of the bike for all those hours takes its toll.
If you dont already use it, i would definitely recommend using a chamois cream. that helps wonders.

Capra? Did i miss that?
Beautiful looking bikes.

Capra? Oooh, pics

I managed 50 miles around Epping last year and that was Chingford to Whipps then back to High Beach then out to Theydon and back to Chingford.