Epping Forest Epics

apapadop · Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Posts: 15 Location: London W14

Never having ridden in the UK, I wonder what equipment I should have to make my first weekend ride as pleasant as possible... I currently have:

+ No special bike shoes & no SPDs.
+ A pair of old motocross pants that I use over my special bike-padded shorts.
+ A long-sleeve isothermal base layer, over which I wear my short-sleeve biking jersey.
+ No rain-proof equipment at all.
+ A pair of Exteondo windstopper gloves.
+ A water bottle
+ Air pump
+ Bike helmet
+ No guards
+ No glasses

I'd appreciate your suggestions for the must-have's, as the weather & terrain I'll be facing are unknown to me...

SENOR J · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:33 am Post subject:

welcome aboard Apapadop.
to ride pretty much anywhere in this country it is advisable to have a rucksack full of the following when you ride......

hydration system - platypus/camelbak
pump
2x innertubes
puncture repair kit
bike tool
waterproof jacket

Helmet & cycling gloves are a must ,particularly if you plan to go off road.
as are safety specs in epping forest!

you don't need spd's or fancy shoes,but they do make it alot easier.
as for clothing , it's getting warmer now so if you are hardy enough you'll get away with shorts & a couple of base layers.
I always use a windproof layer!

guards - i presume you mean mud guards - don't worry 'bout them.
make sure you have off road tyres tho'.
you will get dirty. if it rains in epping = very dirty.

hope this helps.

J.

apapadop · Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Posts: 15 Location: London W14

J, thanks a lot for the info.

I ordered most of the necessary stuff from chainreactioncycles.com (as some friends have been using them for quite a while and were happy with them) on the 24th of April and I still have not received my stuff, or an explanation (after an enquiry on the delay) of what's happened!

So I sent in a cancellation request today and now I'm going to have to go shopping around for a waterproof jacket and all the other good stuff. A major waste of time (already spent, plus the shopping that has to happen).

I've spotted a shop near London Bridge tube (next to the horror museum) which I shall pay a visit to.

But the outcome of the story is... I still haven't got the necessary equipment to ride in Epping! Sad

-A

alaric · Joined: 30 Dec 2005 Posts: 71 Location: Nea Makri, Greece

Hi Alex,

Chain Reaction are a bit unreliable at the moment. You can try email andy.watson@ChainReactionCycles.com or BrianBlack@ChainReactionCycles.com as this can sometimes get a better respose than a phone call or email to "sales".

Otherwise it's LBS as you've found (Local Bike Shop).

Have fun!

Alaric.
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