Here was a ride with a twist – we would gather food as we rode through the gently undulating Essex countryside; then after a heave up to Epping Forest, the plan was to glide back to London via the Lea Valley. 

There would then be a chance to consume our provisions at a BBQ by the Palm Tree Pub, courtesy of ride leader Alex.

First stop, after a train trip to Sawbridgeworth, was a pick-your-own fruit farm.  Here the busy Wheelers soon filled up punnets of luscious berries.

Then it was onward east to an organic farm shop at Tyler’s Green providing a tasty lunch and opportunities to buy meats and hearty vegetarian fayre.  An experienced chef on the ride then kindly took charge of the meats and safely stored these in his cool box.

After lunch the route took the party through Ongar and on to Theydon Bois, where there was a climb of 200 feet in under a mile.  Tea and good value cakes were then consumed at the forest hut, before a swift descent to the Lea Valley.

Arriving at the Palm Tree, several groups already happily cooking their food on BBQs, so Wheelers joined in the fun.  A small group of cyclists headed to a local supermarket to get a supply of rolls, and Australian riders in the party provided expert guidance cooking the meats.  Fine Cornish real ale was on tap in the Palm Tree.

Thanks to Alex for masterful planning and leadership of a splendid summer ride.

Report and pictures by Richard Paterson

Some supplementary info and a route map from Alex:

The stats:
17 riders (5 girls, 12 boys)
8 first timers (6 total newbies and 2 who were attempting a moderate ride for the first time)
2 Punctures (one was me, as usual. Luckily it was very slow, so i was able to fix at the tea stop)
1 dropout at Theydon Bois, 16 made it back to LBTH

Something really pleasing was that for quite a few (6 or 7 riders) this was their longest ride to date and they were a little unsure about the distance at the start. They all made it in the end and seemed to have a buzz of achievement by the time we got back to the BBQ.