Another ride up the Lee Valley, soon to be transformed by Olympics works.

We’ll head up as far as Waltham Abbey to the fabled site of King Harold’s resting place, then come back through Epping Forest and town.

Can’t promise you’ll see the Lee Valley alligator or whatever it is supposed to lurk in those waters but you can look forward to a good ride in good company.

For an idea of what the ride is like you can check out the report from September 10, 2006.

Suitable for any bike except racers.

Lunch at a pub or cafe. As always, bring snacks, water, spare tube or two.

Report

Six of us at Cutty Sark Gardens – Kathryn, Jack, Sam, Kerry, Bill and Paul. The forecast for Sunday two or three days before had been pretty grim but the threatened rain was holding off.

We stopped at Springfield Marina for a coffee and sociable natter, then lunched at the Cafe just before the Waltham Abbey turn-off. Decent food, decent value but it can take a while to come – maybe next time we’ll try one of the pubs in Waltham Abbey.

A quick look at King Alfred’s supposed/maybe grave, though everyone declined to have a look in the Abbey. Must check it out myself sometime.

The only real climbing of the day took us up to Epping Forest, then a downhill via a quiet path. Bill spared us a long detour around what looked like a sea of deep sea of mud by just riding straight through – it turned out to be solid under a thin film. Down a short bit of fast road, a dispute with a driver, then back into the relative calm of the forest. Few people around – deterred by the usual over-gloomy weather forecasts no doubt though by now it was pretty much ideal cycling and walking weather.

Emerged from the forest at Chingford to a flurry light rain and howling winds – thankful that we had at least entered the shelter of the city’s outskirts, but it was over as soon as it had begun.

Then onto what must surely be London’s most bizarre and intricate cycle route – the “quiet route” to Walthamstow and Hackney. Turning at what seems like every second street, it would only take the disappearance of one sign, and you’d be lost forever in suburbia.

Back to Walthamstow marshes, round the other side of Hackney Marshes and then down through the soon-to-be-Olympic-land Industrial Estate and the entrance to Stratford International to hit Carpenters Road. By now the day was so beautiful that I’d decided to add a bit on to the ride and we looped into Victoria Park, past the old London Bridge shelters plonked there, and did a circuit of the northern edge – neatly rejoining the canal towpath just after its blockage for maintenance.

Kerry left us here and we started to peel away at various points. Three of us went over Tower Bridge and I managed to persuade Kathryn that it would be just as easy to cycle home as wait for a train at London Bridge. Not exactly sure if it was but she’s trying to get the miles in so no harm done.

Good ride. One jammed chain (thanks for freeing it Bill), one puncture (Bill’s) – he did his normal super-efficient tube change and I returned his favour by zapping the Topeak portable road pump onto it.

For more impressions of this route, and more pics, check out the report of September 10, 2006.

Paul