Epping Forest Epics

The BIG GT · Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 126 Location: Derby

Sunday Review:

It was good to see a lot of people out on Sunday, including a few faces I have not seen for quite a while! Smile

It was probably the most fluid group I've ever been out with! We started with 4 (Mick the G, Mick the Brick, Simon and myself) at 'the Shed' and met Jane at the underpass where another two guys tagged along for the first time and we were up to 7.

One of these had the oldest, heaviest and possibly cheapest full-suss bike I've seen anyone (over the age of 12) ride in the forest, a Univega (?) single pivot with Mozo forks that were chunkier than those on my Dad's 900cc Diversion! Confused

He'd paid £13 for the frame (he had another that he'd paid £9 for!) and the whole build had set him back less than most of us would spend on a nice meal for two! But he didn't half have some power in his legs to get it anywhere other than downhill at a decent lick of speed! Shocked

We nearly picked up a random Aussie at the pub just before Pole (sp?) Hill but the fact that he had no helmet or even really a proper bike (made my rigid commuter look like a Turner 5-Spot!) and had already ridden from Liverpool Street kept him out of the gang, Mick obviously not missing the chance to dish out his third card of the day, though! Rolling Eyes

Within minutes we had the familiar sight of a Euro-style, race-garbed rider on a Spesh halfway up Pole Hill and there were Pete (for it was he!) & Cazza, on a Heales demo ride with Cazza foregoing her trusty Trek hartdtail for a rather sweet carbon Rush (up to 9!) until the top where we met another 2-3 recognised faces (but not by me so 'kinda' 11-12).

We split and were back to 7 for most of the outward ride until we lost the two new guys when they realised they were late for the missus's shopping trip (in the dog-house?!) so were back to 5.

Shortly after we lost Simon as he had to head home and we were 4 (again!). We stayed this way and it was pretty uneventful, apart from the brilliant, dry trails, until the tea hut. However, there was talk of Mick the Brick actually being out of breath at one stage Shocked

(no, REALLY!!!) but I think it was a trick of the eye brought on by his missing front teeth from where he'd lost a fight with a JCB (hard as!) or some of the baked-dry dust thrown up by tyres on the trails getting in our eyes!

At the hut we then met up with Dan the Man and Lefty Jon for a chat and it was good to see no lasting ill-effects from Dan's nasty stack at Afan few weeks ago and Jon settling in to his new, Forest-bordering house. 6!! Very Happy

Pete and Cazza then rejoined us too and we had an 8-strong posse as we set off homeward. Smile

This lasted all of 3 minutes as Dan and Jon were under strict instructions from there respective better halves to be home and we were back to 6, again, as they sped off into the trees. Sad

Some more brilliant riding was to be had for the return, memorably interspersed by a gracefully funny (and thankfully painless Razz

) slo-mo endo by Cazza when attempting to drop slowly in-and-out of a dip between the fireroad and the singletrack! It was all I could do to brake and force myself not to land on top of her and her bike with me and mine and I tumbled instead to the side of her.

This was made funnier still by two guys who were behind us seeing it all, the second guy telling his mate in front "Go on, show her how it's done" before he promptly did a clumsier and more amusing version of her crash! Laughing

He looked rather sheepish as I looked backwards to see him picking himself out of the gully! Embarassed

We lost Pete & Cazza at the Pole Hill return point so we finished back at the underpass with 4, from where the Micks headed straight back to the Shed and Jane and I had a quick (read 'getting lost' Embarassed

) Snaresbrook swoop before heading off in our respective homeward directions. So we ended with 2 (+2).

Altogether, a great day back in the Forest, Cool

with more non-Epics riders in the lower end of it than I have ever seen. There were bikes everywhere you looked but fortunately not so many as to ruin the ride for us.

I will probably be less than regular from now on as I've just moved out towards Slough but I hope to see you all again pretty soon,

Thanks again,

Gary

Summary for those who a) do not have time to read it all or b) lost the will to live about 2 paragraphs in...

--- Great ride guys, see you soon!! ---

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Too many trails, not enough time!

Emily · Joined: 30 Dec 2005 Posts: 185 Location: Nea Makri, Greece

Great write-up Gary.
There was no way I was leaving after 2 paragraphs!
Very enjoyable...

See ya!
Em Cool

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Mountain Biking Holidays in Greece
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Robo · Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:41 am Post subject:

Hey guys (SATURDAY RIDE)

I think I passed you guys going up the "Dusty Path" towards the top of Lippits Hill on Saturday, think Mick was in front. I came past on a Specialized full Suss with Blue&White Tri&Run kit on, I said hello as I went passed.
Sorry I couldn't stop, I was doing some hill training and some loops around the same area, then had to ride over to Thornwood Common area to watch some Motocross.

Rob.