Beyond Epping Forest: The NLD5 Loop
London, England · Aug 29, 2024
A bigger day that pushes east of Epping Forest and links up several local forests before looping back through the city. Mapped as NLD5 by North London Dirt, it is a masterclass in route planning, blending urban exploration with proper countryside grinding. Around 40 percent runs off tarmac, and it works as a blank canvas you can start or finish wherever your legs allow.
This is the ride for when Epping Forest no longer feels like enough. Mapped as NLD5 by the North London Dirt crew, run by the Diprose brothers, the loop heads further east, stitches together several local forests, and then swings back through Epping to close the circle. It is a real step up in distance and variety, and a great way to see how quickly the city gives way to open countryside once you point the bike northeast. It also makes a fine proving ground for a more capable bike, which is exactly what Barry had in mind when he rode it aboard the Singular Cycles Gryphon.
What makes NLD5 special is the planning behind it. The route reads as a blank canvas, so you can start or finish wherever suits your energy and wherever you happen to be staying. Begin in Upper Walthamstow to trim the opening kilometres, or commit to the full top loop if you have the legs for it. The original mapping is a generous day out, so dropping the northern extension is a perfectly honest way to cut it down when your legs are cooked, though it is the kind of call you might regret on the train home. Either way you get a blend of urban edges, quiet lanes, and rougher off-road sections, with roughly 40 percent of the day spent on dirt.
This route is one of the picks from Barry Lachapelle's London gravel guide.
A word of warning: not all of it is smooth rolling. One stretch involves a bit of a hike through thick brambles, so expect a few scratches and pack accordingly. None of that should put you off, because this is the crème de la crème of North London gravel and well worth the effort.
Bring your most capable gravel bike and a sense of adventure. The mix of crushed gravel, singletrack, and the odd overgrown push rewards bigger tyres and easy gearing, and the loop format means you finish back in the city where you began. There are plenty of cafés and shops at either end in town, but the country middle thins out fast, so carry enough food and water to see yourself between the forests. Tackle it in late spring through autumn for the driest going and the best chance of dodging the deeper mud.
