Decided to go for a road ride because the offroad is a bit of a mess after yesterday mornings' rain and consequent freezing over. The main roads were free but the bikepaths were very treacherous here and there. So I stayed on the road as much as possible. Car traffic was quite lenient which suited me fine. The average temperature was a frisky -1 degree C which felt colder because I was riding faster than I would be if I was riding offroad. Funny thing happened when I attached a USB to COM converter to my PC. It recognized the device and promptly started to download software for it. I only had to remove an earlier version and re-install the newest version and hey presto, I could read the data from my Polar S710 on my Vista 32 bits PC . Great, but I already ordered - and received-  a  brand-new Polar RS800CX. So now I have 2 Polar deviced to choose from. Not sure what I will do with that luxury.
Anyway, todays ride turned into a nightride when darkness fell and I had to be even more careful with the bikepaths. They were starting to freeze over because of some mist rolling in . But I got home in one piece.

Ride Stats : 39K and 360/400 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h49mins

8687/93725

06-12-2010, 18:45 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

This morning saw the temperature rise to just below zero. I rode out to do another snow-ride. Concentrating on incorporating a lot of little climbs and descends I made my way to Nethen and Pecrot for some extra heightmeters. The snow was still offering good grip, not too icy so I took some more technical tracks as well today. Obviously taking care not to fall. I encountered 4 bikers on a descent - for them, I was climbing - on the Blue Bloso. They went fast. I looped back to meet them again near the Savenel but I didn't see them. I hope that they did not go too fast. There were some nasty ruts on that downhill. After an hour and a half into the ride it started to snow. Gently at first but when I pointed the Moots into the direction of Mollendaalbos for a last series of climbs it was snowing moderately. A strong wind was howling though the trees as I neared the edge of the Meerdael Forest. Overlooking the plains towards Opvelp and Beauvechain it looked like a white-out situation. I saw 3 or 4 bikers struggling in the fields trying to make their way into the relative shelter of the forest. Perhaps they were the ones I encountered a while back, perhaps not. I did not wait for them , instead I rode towards the Brise-Tout forestry house to start the loop I did last monday. When I was riding from Bierbeek towards the forest I could hardly see where I was going due to the snow and the wind. Arriving home I had a good solid ride with lots of heightmeters. All while not exerting myself too much although my average heartrate was a rather hight 130bpm. Here are some pictures I took along the trails today.

My Polar S710 heartrate monitor is getting redundant. Unfortunately the only PC I was able to read out the exercise data with, went to silicon heaven yesterday. On my newer PC, sporting Windows Vista 32 bits, the USB interface sometimes works, but more often does not. Polar does not support the USB interface on Vista so it kinda "works as designed" . My PPC turns 64bits Vista and that doesn't work either. So I decided to get my a brand-new Polar RS800CX Multi . Sporting a GPS sensor I don't have to put a speed sensor on each of my bikes either. I just have to wear the GPS sensor. The IrDA interface will work flawlessly with the Windows Vista and I can incorporate almost 10 years of Polar Precision Performance workout data into the new Polar ProTrainer 5 software.

Ride Stats : 34K and 505/605 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h38mins

8648/93325

04-12-2010, 15:44 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Was about time I did a ride in the snow. Its early for this winter offensive but we might as well make the best of it. I rode out around 4pm with the sun already dropping down towards the western horizon. The snow quality was good , with my tires finding good grip. I even incorporated a couple of - no too - tricky descents where I had to be very careful not to slide or fall. Does wonders for ones' technical prowess. When I left the forest at dusk I saw a mist over the plains. When I entered it , it was icy cold. Temperature dropped to -5 degrees C and my instruments became unreadable with the moisture from the mist clinging to them and freezing. I leave you with a couple of pictures from this ride. The first ones still with the sun not completely gone. The picture of the mist was taken after dusk.

Ride Stats : 17K and 205/230 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h15mins

8614/92720

Some light snow falling as I rode out for a forest ride. The temperature was slightly below zero and it would remain there throughout the ride. I had an average of -3 degrees C. I wanted to do my Mollendaal loop a couple of times and while it was still light I did a good recon of the loop , remembering the tricky spots and laying a track in the fine layer of powdery snow. When darkness fell I knew where to ride.
I did the lap 5 times, netting 75 heightmeters more at each passage .  The trails were slightly frozen and I only had to take care on the cobbles when I descended into Bierbeek and coming at the end of the Weertsedreef. There are 2 climbs in this loop , the first one steep and short and the second one long and not too steep. I could keep my heartrate low at both climbs and when I returned home the snow was falling a little harder, drawing white stripes in the light of my Lupine Tesla 4. A good ride , I even would call it relaxing because my average heartrate was 116bpm with a max of 139bpm.

The picture was taken at the start of the ride, at the edge of the forest before descending into Bierbeek.

Ride Stats : 31K and 425/480 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h52mins

8597/92490

29-11-2010, 18:56 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Cleaned my Moots yesterday evening to make sure it was in tip top shape for today. I wanted to do a long ride incorporating the Overijse Bloso trails. I set out around 10am with a temperature of 0 degrees C on the Polar. It was not going to get a lot warmer but the sun was shining from time to time and I had dressed well for the occasion. I usually connect to the Overijse trails in Sint Agatha Rode and today was no exception. Coming down from the Radarweg I saw the trails laying in front of me. I decided to ride the trails in the reverse direction to keep things fresh and challenging.

Around Ottenburg I improvised to replace the steep steps uphill with another one. Coming up from Archennes I rode back down into the valley and followed the Bloso trail in the right direction up to Ottenburg. By now I had accomodated well to the fresh temperatures and the bike performed in its usual - flawless - way. Riding the trails in the reverse direction is something I can recommend to everyone. The Overijse trails are even more of a challenge because now there are a couple of really tough climbs. The climb up Reutenbeek or the one out of Overijse in the hollow road leading up to Bisdom for example. That last one was a real challenge and the wet leaves made it very difficult to find grip on the really steep parts. But I managed them all, to my satisfaction. The trail was moist and sometimes - mostly in the fields - it became also wet, with some slippery and splashy mud. The mud made it more challenging to try to keep the bike under control.

When I came near the end of the loop I added another climb into the Sint Agatha Rode Bos before heading towards the point where I started some 32K ago. When I rode back to Sint Joris Weert another biker came riding next to me. I noticed he was riding a Granville Hti titanium bike and we chatted a while before our roads separated when I turned towards Nethen and he was aiming for Weert.
In the Meerdael Forest now and I still felt I could continue for a while, trying to make this another 1000+ ride. The Meerdael trails were dryer and I had a lot of fun finding hills and riding them. I paused for a while to take a picture at the gate leading into the forest coming from the Savenel estate. Another biker was trying to climb a steep hill nearby and I decided to try it as well. It took some effort but I made it , even clearing the 40cm step at the end. Well done, me.

I now continued towards the Warande valley, crossing the Naamsesteenweg and up the hill towards the Kanselierdreef. When I arrived in Mollendaalbos I did last fridays' loop again in and out of the forest and saw the heightmeter marker hit the 1000. That was the signal to return home, but not before riding up to Blandens' highest point, the Wijngaardberg.

Ride Stats : 66K and 995/1125 (Polar/Garmin) in 4h19mins

8566/92010

Looked like it was going to snow this evening, and with temperatures hovering around 2 degrees C I rode out into Meerdael Forest. I figured I might as well get a ride in, staying close to home and do some mild climbing in the Mollendaalbos. I devised a little loop going up to the highest point in the forest, then dropping down to the "Brise-Tout" forestry, climbing up again before dropping down on the Oude Geldenaaksbaan. Following that until I came to the Red Bloso which I followed back up towards the Mollendaalbos. I did this 2 times and the second time it started to snow. Having close to 45 minutes of riding and feeling it was getting colder I decided to ride back home. When I got home the trails were wet with the snow melting and I was glad I wasn't any further away from home.

Ride Stats : 18K and 200/245 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h7mins

8499/90885

25-11-2010, 18:36 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

'I have a cunning plan', as BlackAdders slimy domestique Baldrick would say. I wanted to do a climbing training and I wanted to do it in Meerdael Forest. Its southern edge has a 40m drop where heightmeters can be scored. I wanted to go for a 1000 heightmeters. That would more or less mean 23 climbs of that drop. So I set out around 4 pm and started to make figure 8 loops starting from the Kluis, going up to the Hercules salon, down to the forest edge in Nethen and back up along the trail the Blue Meerdael Bloso takes downhill. Then back down to the Kluis and start again. After 5 of these 2-climb loops I had nearly 400 heightmeters and darkness had well and truly fallen. I judged the downhills to be particularly dangerous, due to leaves, wetness and tree roots, and decided to move towards the Tienne Vincent in Nethen.
This is another nice hill, on tarmac this time so a lot safer to ride at night. The Tienne is pretty steep, around 19 percent at one point so I started to make a figure 8 again, dropping down through the Rue Tienne Binard, with a little step at the top, arriving at the Bruyere du Wez and turning left for another steep climb towards the Chemin de La Trace. When I reached 500 heightmeters I began to think about stopping. But I rode on, riding climb after climb, checking the accumulated height meters on my Polar as they slowly approached the figure 1000.
Upon reaching 960 heightmeters I decided to call it a day. I had been riding for more than 3 hours since I left home and my legs , neck and shoulders began to feel the strain from the climbing and descending. I wore the Lupine Tesla on my helmet, which means my neck has to bear the weight of an extra 150 grams, and I have to look more upwards to guide the beam in front of me. This puts extra strain on the neck and the shoulders during  steep downhills. The moon came out when I was riding the last climb and it looked like it was smiling down on me. I was smiling myself because despite the temptation to stop I had put mind over muscle and didn't quit. The height profile tells the tale of this ride. You can make out the 2 parts of the session. The first 11 climbs are of the forest climbs, then a little flat section to ride towards the Tienne Vincent where I added another 15 climbs to reach a total of 26 uphills. In the end I netted an accumulated number of heightmeters of nearly 1000. The ride back home added some more. The temperature had dropped to 3 degrees when I arrived home and some fog was settling in the open spaces of the forest as I sped home after a very heavy training session.

Ride Stats : 44.5K and 980/1075 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h14mins

8482/90640

23-11-2010, 21:06 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Got up early for an easy ride. After yesterdays' ride my legs didn't feel too bad but I chose to relax and just do an hours' worth of relatively flat roads. The temperature was only 4 degrees with a little fog that was quickly dissipated when a cold wind started to blow. But by then I was already back home again.

Ride Stats : 25K and 255/185 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h6mins

8437/89565

21-11-2010, 11:41 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Dry and sunny and I decided to ride out for a long ride. Yesterday I felt a bit off, probably due to a flu shot I got on thursday but today I felt better. I took the Moots and first rode towards Duisburg, crossing Meerdael and then making my way over the Smeysberg. From Neerijse I rode up towards the double water towers marking Duisburg. A little later I was into the Sonian Forest , following the Dronkemansbaan next to the Kapucijnen Cellar.

The trails were a bit wetter here than they were in Meerdael last thursday, but it did rain yesterday. But nothing to worry about. I passed Jezus Eik and made my way to the Nero route. Coming to the railway bridge I noticed the terrain was once again changed into a building site. I wanted to follow the Nero route in the opposite direction. This is not as easy to do as - say - on the Meerdael Bloso's or the Overijse Bloso's. Some points are easy to recognize but the Sonian forest has a lot of trails that are looking exactly like each other. Lots of squares as well. But I managed , not without looking over my back from time to see if I was still on the track. I included one of the singletrack sections but these were so messy that I decided to leave out the other two. I will do them when track conditions are better. When I arrived in Groenendaal I decided to leave the Nero and riding towards Hoeilaart and Maleizen I connected to the Overijse Bloso trails. Following these I had to chew on a lot more heightmeters than in the Sonian Forest but I had my GPS and trail knowledge and more or less moved into the direction of Sint Agatha Rode, cutting short some corners here and there. My heartrate was still a little high and I didn't want to strain myself too much. From Sint Agatha I rode to Sint Joris Weert where I entered the Meerdael Forest. A quick stop at the Hertebron where I found confirmation of what I already read in the papers . The spring is believed to be contaminated with a bacterial infection and people are warned not to drink the water under the results are in.

Finishing my ride more or less following the Paddenpoel from the Kluis to the Weertse Dreef and then a loop along the Prosperdreef back into Blanden. I had a good solid 4 hour ride in pleasant conditions. I uploaded todays' track to Every Trail so those who want to have a go at it , be my guest. Its not too difficult and should be Ok as a long winter ride as well.

Nero and Overijse Bloso at EveryTrail

EveryTrail - Find hiking trails in California and beyond

Ride Stats : 74.5K and 830/950 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 4h6mins

8412/89380

20-11-2010, 17:30 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Took out the Moots this evening for a ride in Meerdael Forest. The forest had recovered well from last weekends' continuous rainfall and I was amazed at the dryness of the trails. During the first part of my ride I concentrated on Meerdael and Mollendaalbos riding clockwise along the perimeter. A long passage through the fields to reach Valduc where I entered the forest again. Passing in the Warande valley and then slowly making my way to the Northern edge of Meerdael Forest and entering Heverleebos at the Harcourt castle. I had to use my lights now because darkness had fallen completely. I crossed the Naamesesteenweg at La Chasse and rode home passing the Commonwealthh graves and following the Meerdaelboslaan towards Blanden. Temperature was a mild 6 degrees C.

Ride Stats : 29K and 220/270 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h34mins

8338/88430

18-11-2010, 18:32 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Was home quite late but still I wanted to ride out, so I prepared for my first real night ride of the new winter season. Lumicycle LED light on the ready, bright red flashing light in the back, clear goggles and reflective strips on clothing and in my wheels.
Nightriding, or riding the tunnel of light, is fun but you have to be prepared. Can you change a tyre in bad light? Better make sure you can, you never know.  Also, being seen is primordial, so make sure other drivers see you. Christmas style.
Still, that being said, riding the tunnel can be fun, especially on calm evenings like this. Avoiding the busiest roads to escape the diesel fumes, dust and light pollution. The bright white cone in front of my tyre guides me to the strangest places , all I have to do is pedal to follow it. The temperature was tricky, not cold enough for real warm clothing and mittens, but cold enough for an extra layer of gloves and a winter vest with thermo lining over my underwear (three layers of it to wick moisture away from my body). Under my helmet I wore a casquette.
I came home with a good feeling in my head and legs, not tired and with enough energy to spare for the next days.

Ride Stats : 38.5K and 265/315 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h42mins

8309/88160

17-11-2010, 22:19 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Dry and relatively warm conditions, so I rode out around 3.30pm for what would turn out to be a pleasant ride. I took my Lumicycle Led3 with me because I didn't want to stop due to the evening falling. In the beginning the light was Ok but soon it began to fade. High on the crest over Bertem I saw the sun hiding behind some drak clouds, and the wind made for a very bright and crisp view of the horizon. I found the colors very beautiful so stopped and took a couple of pictures. They turned out quite nice. It looks like a window on heaven, if you believe in that kind of thing. And even if you don't you may want to admit that it looks like something is looking in from a very bright place, down on the shady earth. The clouds formations over the darker earth make for some nice photographs, they almost look like paintings.

Riding on and I made a long loop over Neerijse, Huldenberg, Terlanen and Ottenburg and then returned to Sint Agatha Rode. The road to Sint Joris Weert was still blocked for traffic and the big puddles on the road were even deeper than yesterday. I got wet feet riding through them and then rode on towards Weert and the Zoete Waters. It was dark by now but my powerful light cleared the path. Arriving after just over two hours I got a good solid ride under my belt.

Ride Stats : 47K and 390/415 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h5mins

8270/87845

At last, shortly after noon came an end to two days of constant and sometimes heavy rainfall. Belgium has been thoroughly inondated and I could not resist riding out to check out some of the valleys nearby. The temperatures were very warm with an average of 13 degrees C and a strong wind was blowing from the southeast. I was glad to be able to get another ride in after 2 days of watching the rains come down.
As I expected, the rivers had swollen considerably . Starting with the Zoete Waters, ponds thats were overflowing one into the other. I then rode to Sint Agatha Rode from Sint Joris Weert and first the river Nethen and then the big river Dyle were swollen to the point where they crossed the road. The fields were mostly blank. Trying to cross along the 2 Marbaises towards Pecrot didn't look like a good idea. The street was overflown and it looked deep. So I rode towards Florival were the river Dyle was nicely contained . From Florival to Pecrot and then to Nethen, were the river Nethen again was running very high. I leave you with a couple of pictures. 

A little rime that was going through my head as I rode along these water-filled fields.
The music to this rime is the Iron Maiden classic 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' but the words are from Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)

I returned home over Les Claines, Hamme Mille and Le Plein.

Ride Stats : 29K and 185/230 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h23mins

8223/87430

14-11-2010, 17:26 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

As promised a while back, I will try to explain the reasoning behind me getting a new road bike [frame].
I have had a proper race/road bike since 1995, an aluminium Scott AFD 703. It was built up by "Fietsen Kurt" in Blanden and he did a fine job. In those days I also owned a Giant Cadex CF-M 3 - my first mountainbike - and my time on the bike was spread between those 2 bikes. In 1999 I switched the Cadex for a Cannondale CAAD4 and a period of bliss started with me taking part in many mountainbike marathon events. That Cannondale really got me into serious mountainbiking.
In the early 2000's however I got stung by a particularly nasty bug, and I haven't recovered at all, even to this day. That bug is called "titanium". Around 2001 I got my first titanium mountainbike, a 1999 Litespeed Obed - one of the last bikes made by the Lynskey family under the Litespeed flag. I still ride this bike today.
The comfort, durability and ride quality of titanium frames has to be experienced to be believed. The Cannondale was sold a few years later when it simply became oblivious due to me using the Litespeed more and more.
During those days I also gradually became fed up with the harsh ride of the aluminium Scott. It stayed inside and in 2003 I got myself a Scott Endorphin mountainbike which I used for my 'road rides' . The poor AFD703 was banned to a life on the rollers.

During the cold winter months it did serve me well for many years. In those days I preferred staying indoors when it was cold and wet , sweating it out on the rollers. 
The Scott Endorphin made way to a custom-built titanium Hilset - the "Big Bad Wolf" -  in the spring of 2005 and this is the bike I am using up to this moment for my road rides. It is comfortable, durable and it offers me the opportunity, due to its big tyres, to ride through offroad paths as well if needed.
I got myself some good lights and can ride the bike outside even during the dark winter months. I saw no need to change this for many years.

The road bike stayed on the side and was only occasionally used on the rollers if the weather was really too foul to ride out. It did not see a lot of action.
Now the last couple of years another factor came more and more into play. I am allergic to horsefly bites and have to take special precautions when riding offroad in the spring and summer season. From june to september - the horsefly season - I have to wear longsleeved pants and shirts and have to spray a special repellent to be safe during forest rides. This is not too bad once you get used to it but you can imagine it is not a barrel of fun when temps go over 25 degrees C.
The last couple of years this has robbed me of some fine offroad rides. I just went out with the Hilset on the road instead. At least there I *could* wear short pants and shirts and enjoy the sun on my skin . This year was the worse ever because late August I got bitten by a tick and developed Lyme's disease. My autumn Ardennes season fell into oblivion and left me bitter and disappointed.
So this made me think, why not get a titanium frame for my road bike and enjoy some Ardennes rides with that during the hottest days of spring, summer and fall instead of risking my life on the mountainbike in the forests ? 
The titanium would ease up the ride and the current state of road tyre technology seems to provide tyres which are less prone to punctures. And a real road bike will also outperform the hybrid Hilset on the road. 
So the seed was sown and when an opportunity presented itself, a second-hand 2001 Litespeed Vortex frame , I decided to go for it. 

The bike will be built up by Filip Sport, who is at this moment preparing me an offer to provide the frame with some new parts. Fork, a new group, peripherals and perhaps also some new wheels have to replace the 15 year old parts on the Scott. I am looking forward to see the bike built up. Time will tell if it was a wise decision but at the very least it will open up a new bike venue for me, hilly Ardennes road rides.

13-11-2010, 12:37 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Ah november, the weather is so unpredictable. Mostly wet, windy and cold. Today I saw an opportunity to ride out so I took it. The forecast talked of the first Autumn storm coming towards us and indeed, there was already a fierce wind blowing from the south . It wasn't a warm wind though, with an average temperature of 5 degrees C I was dreaming of warmer mittens when I rode. I have to change my wheels as well, the Marathon Supreme tyres are amazing and totally bombproof but with a lot of dirt and mud on the smaller tarmac roads, I prefer tyres with a little bit of profile on them, so I will mount Nokian NBX Lites and 1992 Shimano XTR wheels.
When I arrived home I could feel the first drops of rain in the wind and indeed, a little bit later it was raining again. Nice to have at least one ride under my belt so fat this week.

Ride Stats : 33.5K and 230/250 (Polar/Garmin) in 1h39mins

8194/87200

11-11-2010, 13:26 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

A bit colder today but the wind is gone. So time for another long road ride. I decided on the Haasrode Tour. A ride that starts in Haasrode and makes a fine loop over Bierbeek, Neervelp , Willebringen , Hoksem and Hoegaarden. The ride is moderately hilly and the roads have dried out a lot since yesterday. Even the smaller tarmac tracks, only have to be careful with the mud that has gathered on certain points. Riding with semi-slicks means you have less control when the track becomes slippery. But I did fine and taking my usual rest at the Marollen Chapel overlooking Hoegaarden I took some time to look around. Unfortunately a bit of mist was making it hard to see further than a kilometre or so.

From this chapel the loop goes on towards L'Ecluse, Beauvechain, Pietrebais and Cocrou. From there the last leg took me over Archennes and Pecrot towards Nethen, Sint Joris Weert and along the Zoete Waters back to Vaalbeek and Blanden. This was my second long ride of the weekend and it feels good to know I had recuperated enough to keep the average heartrate low. I had 117bpm on average against 121 yesterday. My average speed was about the same - a little quicker today - with roughly the same hill factor.
On another note, I have been thinking about getting myself a titanium frame for my alu road bike. And an opportunity seems to have presented itself. I'm finalizing my decision (YES or NO , its simple really ) and will report about it when the die is cast. I will also explain my reasoning behind getting a titanium road frame if and when I get the frame , but obviously the additional comfort is a key factor.
I leave you with todays track. You can download it when you copy the link in a new window and remove the bit behind 'gpx'

Ride Stats : 69K and 540/610 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h17mins

8161/86950

07-11-2010, 17:27 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

It started raining yesterday evening and this morning it was still raining. A good soaking for the offroad tracks so I preferred to stay onroad today. Waited until 11am and then rode out to catch up with the trail of the Ludo Dierckxsens ride from a couple of years ago. Not too difficult but with a couple of nice challenges and riding through some beautiful Brabant Walloon villages. The average temperature had dropped a couple of degrees since yesterday but with 11 degrees C it was still quite pleasant. When I returned I passed through Meerdael forest and made a couple of Autumn pictures whilst there is still some leaf on the trees. The browns and yellows were abundant. 

Passing through Florival I met up with a couple of bikers who were already putting down arrows for the upcoming organised ride in Ottenburg on the 11th. A classic and I hope it stays dry next thursday. Back home just in time before a big back cloud let go of another rain shower.

Ride Stats : 65K and 515/565 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h9mins

8092/86340

06-11-2010, 19:01 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Nightriding time is upon us again. Since the hour shifted to its Winter regime, darkness is upon us an hour earlier. Today it was very warm for the time of the year, with temperatures reaching 18 degrees C. I couldn't resist riding out when I got home from work. Took the Moots into the forest to escape the fierce wind blowing from the south. It had done its work quite well since the forest floor was covered with leaves. It also dried out quite a bit since last weekend. I decided to stay on the bigger forest trails nevertheless. Took the Lupine Tesla and for the first half hour I could still do without .

But then the sun dropped beneath the horizon and things got dark. I emerged from the forest in Haasrode for a little stretch and took the opportunity to take a picture of the red ball going donw.

Soon I was back into the forest and switched on the led to make things visible again. I didn't use the full beam, with the leaves I could easily see the road and avoid most of the nasties.  It was quiet and the last joggers and walkers sped out of the threatening gloom of Meerdael Forest. Whilst I entered deeper into it, getting used to riding in my little beam of light. The wind was howling high in the trees above me. When I rode a little stretch in the open coming out of Meerdael and riding into Heverlee bos I got the blast from the side and it nearly toppled me over. Compression between two forests, causing wind speeds to go up even more. Soon I was back in the arms of the trees and the wind couldn't reach me any more. Completing my little loop following the Prosperdreef back from Heverlee to Blanden , just before passing the "De Vlakte" forestry the wind gave me a last violent tug , coming from my right this time. I took it with a smile, I just had a great ride outside and the first nightride of the autumn under my belt.

Ride Stats : 28K and 265/325 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h38mins

8027/85775

I took the opportunity to ride to Bossut Gottechain again this evening to have a look at what a mountainbike event can do when the conditions are bad. The organised ride of Bierbeek had around 1400 starters, the big majority choosing the 45K distance. After the first rest stop in Gottechain the bikers had to come down a tarmac road and then take a left turn into a road between two fields. This road is bad at  the best of times but with the rain and the hundreds of bike wheels it became a nightmare at the end of the track, where the field road reaches a tarmac road. I posted a pic of the bikers passing over it last sunday, and here is what it looks like viewed from the exit.

As you can see, the tracks has become 50 metres wide, instead of its usual 3 metres. This is because in their attempt to keep the tyres rolling, bikers are always looking for some place where they still have traction, in this case, where no-one has ridden before. So far the owner of the field has not formulated a complaint but I would not be surprised if he wants to recuperate for the loss of his young grain that has been mashed but a myriad knobbies. At a certain point the organisers did re-rout the track over an alternative path, avoiding this mud-trap. Maybe that decision should have been taken earlier. It is very difficult to judge the state of each and every track along the 45K distance. It must be a learning point for future years. If the rains come down in the days before the event, this field needs to be avoided.
I completed todays' ride riding past the rest stop area and returning over Gottechain and Hamme Mille. I had to hurry because around 5.15pm the dusk began to fall. The time has come to take the lights out.
On another note, the lost track of last friday, when my garmin froze, has been added to todays ride ! So the amount of heightmeters is a bit high in comparison to the Polars' . But this just makes up for what I lost last Friday.

Ride Stats : 29K and 245/390 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h21mins

Lots of rain yesterday and also a good shower during the night made me put on every inch of watertight verstiment I could find. Gore tex jacket, watertight Sealskinz socks and Pearl Izumi AmFib overpants. Put the Lupine Tesla4 on my helmet because I was leaving in the darkness to reconnoittre the 65K distance. The organisation asks me for help every year and this way I can couple being useful with still being able to ride alone for almost an hour and a half before I am overtaken by the first starters on the longest distances.
Leaving at 7.15am at The Borre I could make good use of my helmet light. The forest trails were wet, dark and slippery , with the cobbles being real deathtraps for the unaware. The first loop up till the first rest stop in Gottechain cost me about an hour for 17K . I didn't take any risks and even though it was wet it was not too cold which made for a fine ride. I was cozy inside my layers of clothing and I didn't want to sweat any more than necessary either.
Meerdael Forest was glistening and a little fog was rolling here and there when the sun rose behind dark clouds. It would certainly rain some more during the next couple of hours. When I passed the first rest stop - located in Gottechain - things got serious whilst the loop continued towards Cocrou. A steep uphill with roots and other niceties, followed by a dangerous downhill on slippery cobbles. There were a lot of scouts wandering around on these trails - boys and girls - and they were all very nice and friendly. They were probably wondering why someone would choose to ride a bike through all the muck. To be honest, I was wondering that myself from time to time today. But as long as it stayed dry, I could cope with the wet and muddy trails. A beautiful loop upwards going to the 2 Sartes where the 55K split off from the 65K distance . A bit further the track turned into Heze for a downhill on tarmac followed by a sharp left and a long long climb - first on cobbles, later on dirt - took me towards the Chapelle du Chenau in Longueville.

31-10-2010, 14:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf