Thursday January 13^th:

Lying in bed with sister Morfine. Does not sound like a lot of fun and indeed it is not.

Yesterday evening I had to be driven to the Emergency Room in a Leuven hospital with excruciating pains  in the left kidney area and indeed it turned out that I suffer a  kidney stone. At this time sister Morfine is keeping the pain at bay while the specialists are discussing the plan to move forward.

Wednesday  January 19^th:

After 3 days of pain, last friday the pain dimished to a vague throb. I had to drink a lot now hoping that the kidney stone would move out of the urethra and into my bladder. Sadly it did not. Yesterday I underwent urethoscopical surgery to have it removed. Surgery went fine but I had an allergic reaction to the drops they put in my eyes during narcose. Upon waking my eyes felt like they were filled with grains of sand, causing them to water constantly. I got a visit from the eye doctor and she gave me a soothing ointment. Last night was a long one.

Thursday January 20^th :

Home again and starting a period of convalescence. I lost 3 kgs of weight but I’m feeling OK except for the pain when I have to urinate. This is normal and should diminish over the next couple of days. Time to catch up on some reading, watching TV and trying not to think about the cycling I’m missing out on.

20-01-2011, 11:01 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

A new year, and I could not resist riding out to get last nights' dinner out of my system. It was 2 degrees C with a slight drizzle and some thaw mist. Not exactly pleasant conditions but there was no wind and I was riding a clean bike. Having cleaned the Hilset and the Sandman yesterday evening. I did a medium loop connecting the dots between Haasrode, Bierbeek, Opvelp, Beauvechain, Tourinnes, Nodebais, Hamme Mille, Nethen and Sint Joris Weert. Then on towards the Zoete Waters where I stopped briefly to take a picture of the fog over the ponds.

Arriving back home it was still drizzling and the temperature was still 2 degrees C. A very normal ride and looking around when I passed the forest I could see it had become wet with the thaw. The snow was still there, but very mushy and very difficult to ride though. The main roads seem to be clearing with mud taking the place of the snow. I hope it will start to freeze and that things will dry out. But with the two coldest months still ahead that should not be much of a problem.

Ride Stats : 34K and 250/290 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h36mins

34/290

The New year then, let me take this opportunity to wish you , my reader, a very healthy, happy and fruitful 2011. May you spread joy and happiness wherever you go.
May the spirits of arrogance, egoism and intolerance be banned out of our lives. It seems like the world is gliding more and more into the hands of that motley threesome.
I wish people would be more patient, understanding and honest among each other. That would make a better world for sure.

For me 2010 will be remembered as the year 'I got Lyme' but I also see some good things. I am - generally speaking - healthy and fit and I also enjoy the honor to have some good and valued friends and a lot of acquantances . What would we be without them.
For 2011 I am hoping to 'get out' more. Take some opportunities and generally 'go for it' instead of turning the coin around and around without being able to take a decision. You only live once as far as I know, so you better make the most of it.

01-01-2011, 14:08 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Took the Hilset out this evening over the snow-free roads. The bikepaths were still covered in 20cm of snow so I had to ride amongst the cars but I was carrying very visible lights in the front and back of the bike , lots of reflective clothing and a KBC-reflection gilet to top it off. The bike was still very dirty from its last outing a couple of weeks ago. With the winter offensive I have not been able to clean it. The hose with which I rinse my bikes is frozen solid. Have to wait until it thaws. I also have to clean the Sandman before I return it to its owner. But I hop I can use it in dry cold conditions one more time before doing so.
For today I decided to ride through SInt Joris Weert and Nethen to Pecrot and then onwards to Ottenburg on my quest for the last 100 heightmeters to reach my 2010 goal ; the 100.000 heightmeters mark. There was some thaw-mist forming and the temperature was above zero, around 2 degrees C on average. Felt colder though but that might have had something to do with the mist and the fact that I ride a little faster on the road than during my offroad quests of the last couple of weeks.
The month of december has not been an easy month for bikers, well at least for those who like to bike outside. Cold, lots of snow and icy conditions . So it almost seems like a small miracle that I biked 400K and 7500 heightmeters . I am very proud that I reached my goal, notwithstanding all the bad luck I had in september and with the weather conditions being what they were this last month of 2010. Now I can relax for a couple of days and allow my body to catch up on the recovery.

Ride Stats : 34K and 300/335 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h39mins

9047/100235

29-12-2010, 20:31 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

No snow today but with a maximum temperature just below 0 the snow didn't melt much either. Decided to ride to Nethen and do some climbing on the Beaumont crest before riding towards the Tienne Vincent for another couple of heightmeters. The 100.000 heightmeters mark is coming closer and I'm getting impatient to get there.But the weather is not exactly on my side. In normal circumstances I would have passed the mark a while back but now the very difficult weather conditions do not allow for 1000-heightmeter rides. So I have to be patient and not forsake my safety for a quick gain .
The track leading up to Beaumont was a lot icier than last saturday and I had to walk the steepest part. The many wheels had honed the track to a perfect icy mirror. Not much grip and it was difficult finding traction even when riding on the flat. But I managed to find some on the very edge of the car trails where some loose snow was covering the ice. Down the Rue de Pecrot which was also more dangerous now. And then back up the Ruelle du Cure for a couple of times to complete the first part of my quest.

Riding towards the Tienne Vincent then which I attacked 3 times, turning 180 degrees at the top and riding back to the bottom to make things easier . When I returned from the 3rd ascent I followed the road towards Hamme Mille for a while and then rode up the Bruyere du Wez. Luckily the middle part of the road was loose snow so I could make the 17% grade without much troubles. Riding down the Tienne Vincent again for another loop and then back up the Bruyere again. By now the sun had set behind the horizon and this effectively became a night ride.

I decided to ride back through Meerdael Forest. The first part was better then last saturday because the had bulldozered the forest road  so I could ride in the middle of it and avoid the icy jeep tracks. But then there were only the jeep tracks left to ride in and things got very very difficult. The ruts were deep, icy and narrow. So I had to take care when pedalling not to touch the sides of the rut , and also not to slide away and ride through dark muddy puddles.

The bike behaved well although I was wishing for the narrower Q-factor of my ordinary bikes which is 3cm narrower compared to this one. I was glad when I reached the Weertse Dreef. This was still closed for regular traffic but there were good solid jeep trails here, not so deep and a lot wider. Also, less icy which was a relief after the struggle I just had. When I turned into the Prosperdreef there where no jeep tracks any more but I could follow the footsteps left by many walkers. This made for a wobblier ride but at least I could still ride. Reaching the Naamsesteenweg at last I was almost relieved to get out of the dark icy forest.

Ride Stats : 27K and 395/455 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h58mins

9013/99900

27-12-2010, 19:38 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

 Sun was shining today and beckoning me out for a ride. With 30cm of snow I already knew that the plan would be simple. Only take roads where there were already trails drawn by jeeps or tractors. Riding up to the Kluis I quickly noticed the amount of snow on the trails was really huge. The jeep tracks were the only way where you could keep the bike rolling. Big tyres or not, getting though a layer of snow of a foot or more is simply not possible. Or at least not for hours on end. I had a little plan to do my climbing loop behind the Kluis but when I got there I quickly learned that the only way you stood any chance of getting through that snow was riding downhill.

I then decided to ride towards Nethen and try some of the small backroads. Passing over the Beaumont Hill I had my first glance of ice on the tracks. Due to the steepness of the hill I was forced to walk. I came to the big road between Pecrot and Nethen which was completely deserted except of some walkers with sledges and the occasional 4x4. Dropping down into Nethen along the big road gave me some time to relax. I climbed up the Ruelle du Curé a couple of times before I rode through Nethen to have a look at the Tienne Vincent and the Bruyere du Wez. Took the Bruyere first and it was really tough getting up because of the 17% slope and the icy on the tracks. Dropping down the offroad track into the Rue du Tienne Binard was a real kicker. Letting the bike find its way on the top section, having to avoid a fallen treebranch and then into the Tienne itself trying to stay away from the icy patches. Riding up the Tienne Vincent was easier. As far as you can call an 18% slope easy of course. The tarmac was visible through the snow on the tracks drawn by the cars. Obviously they had usd salt here. Back down through the Tienne Binard and I decided to ride towards the other side of Nethen again to do another couple of climbs up the Beaumont Hill. The second one, following the Rue du Bois Brulé was too much to ride. There was only a single jeep track and the steepness forced me to a standstill, having to walk the last section.

Oh well, I can accept defeat. From the Rue de Beaumont back down to Nethen along the Rue de Pecrot. Then up the Tienne Vincent one more time this time riding straight towards the La Trace forestry and into the Meerdael Forest. The road down towards the Naamse Steenweg was very icy in the tracks. I had some narrow escapes but managed to keep the big rubber tyres on the track. I followed the Naamse Steenweg out of the forest and back home. Had a good but very demanding ride. Both mentally and physically my forces were drained by the constant demand to be alert and the sheer difficulty of riding a bike through these conditions.
Again , I was very impressed with the Sandman although at time I wished the 3.8 Surly Larry tyres would have had a but more knobs. The Larry is a compromise tyre that performs great in most circumstances except the really bad ones demanding extra traction. Perhaps an Endomorph would have been more suited for this deep snow conditions.

Ride Stats : 29.5K and 410 heightmeters (Garmin) in 2h27mins

8986/99445

25-12-2010, 16:34 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Another couple of centimeters fresh snow tonight after a little thaw yesterday. I estimate that there is still around 20 cm snow in the forest. I rode out just before dusk to do a little ride in the Mollendaal bos. I had changed the saddle and found the seating to be a lot better on the Sandman Atacama. The snow offered better traction although I had to take care with the jeep tracks. The edges of the tracks were high and frozen, so touching them with the big tyres made the bike bounce to the other side. Whenever I wasn't sure I just steered it into the deep snow and there it found heaps of traction but also some resistance to the forward movement.

Doing my little climbing loop out of Mollendaal into Bierbeek and back up again into the forest for 2 times proved to be more than enough for today. The going was heavy in the deep snow although the second time around I could - try - to follow my own track, making it a lot easier . Having a little rest in the shelter overlooking the Mollendaal crevasse I took some pictures from bike and man.

It had been snowing lightly throughout the entire ride and my average temperature was -1 degree C. There was a cold wind blowing from the northeast when I left the shelter of the forest for the loop into Bierbeek. Another loop dropping down towards the Brise Tout forestry house and then up to the highest point once more.

I passed the 99000 heightmeter mark today so I'm almost where I want to be for this year. A couple of rides to go. The forecast is for more snow tonight but then it would remain dry whilst getting colder again over Christmas and the weekend.

Ride Stats : 18K and 265/290 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h36mins

8956/99035

23-12-2010, 18:43 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Lots of snow these last couple of days, I'm guessing between 15 and 20 cms. Today the temperature went above zero which was a pity because the big snow pack was starting to get all squischy and melting. I decided on a Meerdael Forest ride and took the Sandman Atacama which Koen had been friendly enough to lend me for a couple of weeks.
The snow was deep and beneath the snow a layer of mud wasn't making things very easy for the big-tired bike. The grip had been way better last saturday when it was still freezing. But I went and rode a loop into the forest, trying to take advantage of the jeep tracks when the trails were flat and keeping into the deep snow during ascents and descents. This kept the big tyres from sliding away. The tyres lack the necessary grip for muddy conditions and the deep snow was still offering good traction and grip.

Incorporating a couple of climbs, according to my GPS up to 24 % , the big tyres were also finding their limits. But when I was looking at the size and shap of the other bike tracks, I wasn't the only one having trouble with the slippery conditions. The big brakes make it very easy to control the bike and keeping the weight way back in the descents also helped to prevent the front wheel from getting too heavy. Pausing every now and then to take a picture of bike and ladnscape I was looping towards the edge of the forest in Nethen before turning towards the Kluis and the Paddenpoel.

Returning through the Denteneerpad I crossed the Weertse Dreef - which was still closed to cars - and finalized my ride . The Brooks saddle was not to my liking, I have to change that for the next ride. The rest of the bike is OK, I would prefer a narrower handlebar and I need to get the seating position a little further towards the back of the bike. All things that can be remedied for the next ride.

Ride Stats : 16K and 235/295 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h32mins

8939/98745

21-12-2010, 17:49 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Last night temperatures dropped to -7 degrees C, so the snow got freeze-dried. This made fot a HUGE difference in ride-ability today. The tyres of my Litespeed liked the crackly snow, the water was gone, and except for the big roads, the trails were amazing. Offering good grip and not dangerous at all. I wanted to have another big shot of heightmeters today so I set upon riding my Meerdael climbing. Taking my time, focussing on riding almost surgically into my own trail I rounded the loop 9 times. I did the 3 climbs in succession this time. After some 33K and 1050 heightmeters I was ready for part 2 of todays' activities.

Yesterday I met Koen Viaene of Poco Loco and made an appointment to join them at The Kluis today. There was a meeting organised by Poco Loco and Broederlijk Delen, bringing together the participants of a Burkina Faso adventure. There would also be a chance to test-ride one of the already famous Sandman bikes. When I arrived around 2pm it was pretty busy with people leaving for a GPS trip in and around Meerdael Forest.
There were a lot of Sandman bikes on display and I arranged to ride a green Atacama, the non-butted alu entry model. This bike was fitted with a beautiful Maverick SC32 suspension fork and big 200mm disc brakes. And obviously also sporting the chunky Surly Larry 3.8 inch tyres. The handlebar was a bit too high for me, and seemed very wide.

So I set out for another 3K/115heightmeter lap on this bike. The tyres were at a little less than 1 bar. At first the high and wide handlebar bothered me. I would certainly put it lower. But the width is actually needed to steer this bike around. The big tyres offer great traction and comfort, this bike actually seems to float over all the obstacles. The snow didn't bother it at all. The step upwards in comfort and sheer ride-ability is perhaps even bigger than going from a non-suspension bike to a full suspension bike.
The big brakes offered good speed control because I was going a lot faster downhill than with my V-brake Litespeed. In the uphills the bike just moves forward, it is not as lively as with normal 26 inchers and a bit reluctant to turn . In that aspect it resembles a 29 incher, which of course in terms of wheel circumference it equals or surpasses. The wide handlebar really is a plus here, and after a bit of getting used to I could make it turn just the way I wanted it to turn. But with this bike, getting off of the perfect line is no problem. Just pedal and the broad tyres take you where you want to go. Great experience.
I heard that they will make a small batch of titanium frames. When I thundered down the long straight downhill towards the Kluis I decided to take a small singletrack going up to the parking lot again. This is a very steep track with several steps and of course, no-one had been here so the snow was fresh. The big tyres showed their limits here traction-wise when I had to take the steps but I made the climb without any trouble. I was seriously impressed with the way this awkward-looking bike handles and feels. It must have weighed more than 13kg but the weight didn't bother me for an instant. It makes up the weight penalty with enormous traction, comfort and handling. Seems like a good thing. If you have the chance, try to test it.

So , with another lap I nicely surpassed the 1200 heightmeters mark today. The average temperature of -3 degrees C didn't bother me at all during my long ride. I was well-protected and obviously the climbing kept me well-heated as well. Good workout and a nice experience with a new concept in biking.

Ride Stats : 40K and 1270 heightmeters (Garmin) in 3h44mins

8923/98450

18-12-2010, 17:29 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Lots of snow yesterday evening and this morning. And not the best kind to ride in. It was wet and sticky. This made for beautiful landscapes with the snow literally stocking to almost everything. But the trails were sticky as well. It had rained before it started to snow yesterday evening and this rain was presenting itself as mud beneath the snow. So the going was tough and with the snow clogging up wheels, gears and brakes the bike also got a workout.

I settled for some climbing near the Kluis area. The uphills were slippery where the sun had melted the snow. This was the south side of the forest so it took a lot more sun than the other side, where I would pass later. The snow also seemed less dense here. When I came by the Kluis I noticed the jeep of Poco Loco. And indeed, mr Poco Loco himself , Koen Viaene, was there, changing into bikewear to have a ride with his newest invention, a Sandman.

I know Koen from 10 years ago when I attended his "Coast to Coast Pyrenees" adventure and we stayed in contact over the years. It was good to see him again. The Sandman is a bike 'Handmade in Belgium' with a special frame to incorporate really big tyres. With very low pressure in the tyres they float over just about everything. I may have to test this bike soon because Koen told me that they had settled a deal to make some titanium "Sandmen". 
Moving on I enjoyed the rest of my ride whilst my bike was getting heavier and heavier with snow and mud that started to freeze as the temperatures dropped below zero. The low sun playing in the trees made for a very beautiful landscape. I took some pictures but they hardly do justice to the reality.

Moving towards the Mollendaal forest, crossing the Naamsesteenweg and I added a last little loop before venturing home. I hope it freezes hard tonight so that the snow dries out a bit and becomes more solid. More snow is forecast in the weekend.

Ride Stats : 19K and 320/345 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h36mins

8883/97180

17-12-2010, 17:06 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

I had prepared a very fine ride for today. Combining the 65K Meerdael 2000 track with the Pietrebais track near Chaumont-Gistoux I had concocted a 75K/1000 heightmeter loop and uploaded that into my Garmin . I would cut short some flat sections on the way and I was really looking forward to get a solid ride in. Unfortunately, the weather did not allow it.
It started out fine with some light snow and temperatures around 0 degrees C. Riding through Meerdael forest the trails were OK, with some icy patches under the snow but nothing I couldn't handle. I was feeling OK and the cold did not bother me.
But then it started to rain, slightly at first but when I arrived at Tourinnes and rode into the fields, the rain became more intense and the trails became icy and treacherous. Looking around I saw nothing but dark skies, no sign of clear spells approaching . I don't mind the cold, but even with all the layers of clothing the wetness of the cold rain started to reach my skin. This was not good. So I decided to cut the ride short and return home before I started to chill.
In all I did manage at least to get a ride in today but I would have preferred it to be longer and with some more heightmeters.

Ride Stats : 18K and 225/235 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h28mins

8863/96835

15-12-2010, 12:54 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

First I was having a rest day this sunday but with temperatures reaching 7 degrees C I could not stay indoors. I had to take advantage of the warm spell after the first winter offensive. So I took the Hilset out for a relaxing ride along the Haasrode toer. Legs felt good after yesterdays climbing session but after 2 hours I began to feel tired noneteheless, so I decided to ride towards home instead of making another loop over Nethen and the Zoete Waters. Good thing I did because it started raining shortly after my arrival. Still some snow to be spotted, no doubt waiting for mor snow later this week.

In all I had a very rewarding week , with over 3000 heightmeters and just under 200 kilometers. With 3 weeks to go until the year changes.
 
Ride Stats : 48K and 395/445 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h12mins

8846/96600

12-12-2010, 15:02 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

As some of you might remember, I came down with Lyme's disease at the beginning of September this year. It took me 21 days of antibiotics to recover. Needless to say, the month of september, traditionally the month where I do a lot of rides in the Ardennes, was a month I wanted to forget as soon as possible. I beat Lyme, was diagnosed as being cured, but I had 'lost' a months' worth of kilometers and heightmeters. Each year I set goals for myself pertaining to my bike. I aim for 10.000km and a 100.000 heightmeters. Especially the heightmeters are very important to me. Losing september meant losing 10.000 heightmeters.
So now you know why I am doing all those rides with lots of heightmeters these last couple of weeks !
I have to get to the 100.000m mark before the end of this month. Now december hasn't been very easy on the bikers up to date. Lots of snow, ice and cold weather. Not the kind of weather that is very inviting to do long hard rides. And yet, I am trying to do just that. Fortunately I am pretty headstrong in that department. So I choose my rides very carefully, aiming now to maximize on the amount of meters I climb during each ride. Today was no exception. I greeted the warmer weather with the plan to do a 1000hm+ ride in Meerdael Forest.
Like last tuesday, I chose the same 2 climbs to battle with the terrain, struggling uphill and gliding down the other side of the hill to do it again.
I did go slightly different about it today. Instead of riding all 3 hills in succession , I chose to ride 10 climbs on the first hill, then move on to the second hill, do that 10 times and finish off with 10 ascents of the third hill. Mentally this was better because the first hill is a very steep one, and I was glad to get that over and done with as soon as possible. Its the climb on the Blue Bloso starting down at the Kluis and going up to the Walendreef. It gets me 35 heightmeters in one go.

After 10 ascents the track - which was wet to start with - became slushy and it was difficult to keep the wheels moving without sliding. But I made it and moved on to the second climb. This one is on the Blue Bloso again, but in the opposite direction, climbing up from the fence down in Nethen to the Walendreef. A long steady climb with a lot of ruts and roots, and getting really steep at the end. But a good climb to ride, my heartrate is lower here, except for the last part, where it goes up. This is due to 2 things. Its steep and its slippery so I have to take care where I put my wheels. A very good exercise in bike control. Where to shift is of the utmost importance. After 10 climbs I was done with this hill as well. My heightmeter counter was now just over 750 meters with one climb to go. This second climb is 39 heightmeters.

From the Hercules Salon, I go straight down towards Nethen, very technical descent with a tree at the end. But all ride-able . Then to the left and back up towards the Hercules Salon. Another 36 heightmeters . This climb starts steep and with a lot of branches that have to be avoided or crossed, then mellows out a bit and it ends with another steeper section, but without much obstacles. Then back down again for a new ascent. After 10 climbs I was over 1100 heightmeters.

I rode down towards the Kluis on the Hercules Dreef and decided to ride the complete loop of 3 climbs in succession as a sort of ultimate mental test . I now had 1220 heightmeters and 37km. A hill factor nearing the 33 mark. Not bad for a saturday in December. 

I was feeling tired but also glad that I completed this difficult task. Another big step towards my yearly goal. Here is the Polar file from todays' ride. You can spot the 3 sets of 10 climbs and then another 3 climbs where I complete the loop in one go. The heartrate is the red line, my speed is in blue.

Riding home at an easy pace along the Weertse Dreef I could relax my muscles a bit , already starting the recovery process.

Ride Stats : 44.5K and 1275/1320 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h52mins

8798/96155
 
 

11-12-2010, 17:33 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

..., so many shadows " , as Ronnie James Dio would say. Started out at 4pm and before long it was indeed getting darker. The temperature was a clement 2 degrees C but there was a bit of a nasty wind blowing from what appeared to be western regions. The ice was melted and the bikepaths were clear or at least not icy. I settled for last mondays' ride but in the opposite direction. Netting me a good 400 heightmeters in around 40K that was just what I needed on a ride like this. Legs felt fine and the ride went by uneventful, except that it was getting darker and darker and my Lumicycle Led3 had to burn for more than an hour on end.
On the Polar side of things, my S710 is working like a charm now with a Belkin USB to COM adapter on my 32bit Vista PC. So I now have 2 Polars. 

Ride Stats : 40K and 360/400 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h54mins.

8753/94835 

09-12-2010, 18:48 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

07-12-2010, 16:14 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

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