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Tales from the Woods |
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18-02-2011 |
Colder |
Only 3 degrees C when I rode out around 1pm for an easy LSD ride. Legs were fine and the shoulder was also feeling better. So I did my standard ride connecting dots with the names of Haasrode, Bierbeek, Bremt, Neervelp, Opvelp, Beauvechain, Tourinnes, Nodebais and Hamme Mille before arriving back home along the Naamsesteenweg. I passed chez Filip Sport earlier today and the Reynolds/Seven carbon fork will be shipped today. So all I need it a set of wheels to start the Vortex buildup. I have to wait for Gregory Joseph to return from the Tour of Oman to check out some Campagnolo Neutron wheels he has for sale. In the meantime I already ordered a pair of Continental Grand Prix Attack/Force road tyres. I hope they live up to their reputation of being puncture resistant and offering great mileage and good traction.
Ride Stats : 29.5K and 250/285 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h19mins
153/1350
18-02-2011, 15:14 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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14-02-2011 |
Drizzle in the dark |
Koen from Poco Loco came by to show me the titanium version they are developing to complement the Sandman range. This was only the prototype (#2 of 5) of a titanium Gobi but the build quality was excellent. Sandman uses the same titanium welder than Hilset used to do - the Chinese Chian Chang Da factory - but the Chinese have evolved a lot since the Hilset years. They have refined their craftmanship even more and just looking at the finish of the welds gives you a confident feeling they are really on top of this craft. So after a good chat about titanium with Koen - who was leaving for China tomorrow to finalize a deal for 100 frames and wanted some background information on the art of titanium bikes - and some picture taking I was ready for a ride with my Hilset when darkness was falling.
I went for a relaxed ride along easy roads and it was raining very lightly throughout the entire ride. Seeing the Sandman Gobi and talking about titanium frames and craftmanship made me long even more for the buildup of the Litespeed Vortex I acquired last december. Filip Sport is waiting for delivery of a Seven/Reynolds carbon fork to start the buildup. I can hardly wait to have it finished and having a titanium roadbike for the spring and summer. But for now my trusty Hilset lead me along the wet and dirty roads passing through Nethen, Pecrot, Eerken and Sint Agatha Rode. Then towards Sint Joris Weert and the Zoete Waters to finish my ride with a little bit more kilometers than yesterday.
Ride Stats : 29K and 185/220 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h18mins
86/705
14-02-2011, 19:48 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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13-02-2011 |
Back on the road again |
Long time no ride. First obviously the time needed to recover from my kidney stone and the removal of it, and then 2 weeks later the removal of the stent they inserted between my kidney and bladder to keep the kidney from being blocked again. And then I had to go to the kine to have a look at my shoulder which appeared to be blocked. I suffered a trauma when I slipped whilst cleaning snow and had to grab my shovel to keep me from falling. This happened the day before Christmas. Since then obviously I felt some pain and have been altering my posture to keep the pain to a minimum. This put some strain on other tendons and muscles and there you go.. After 3 treatments the shoulder feels better now and I am nearly back to full movement. But it is a process that will take some more time. But in the meantime, I'm back on my bike again. My legs felt great after a month and a half of non-activity . Of course some of the strenght is gone but the fitness is still there and riding on the road there is no problem. I have to take it easy though, riding for short periods and gradually building up the pace and/or distance. It was difficult to choose the right clothing because I have been "out of synch" with the weather for a while and I had to guesstimate the number of layers I would need. As it turned out I was just fine with 3 layers of shirts and a wind cover. My ride took me towards Heverlee, where I noticed the massive amount of bikers at the arrival of the Zoenk ride.
Adding a bit of spice to the ride I climbed up to the Park Abbey and then turned towards Heverlee and Oud-Heverlee to finish my ride along the Zoete Waters and Vaalbeek. My average heartrate needs to come down a bit but I'm sure this will happen during the next couple of rides.
Ride Stats : 23K and 165/195 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h4mins
58/485
13-02-2011, 13:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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20-01-2011 |
Sister Morfine |
Thursday January 13th:
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 19th:
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 20th :
Home again and starting a period of convalescence. I lost 3 kgs of weight but Im 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 Im missing out on.
20-01-2011, 11:01 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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01-01-2011 |
New Year |
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
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27-12-2010 |
Snow and Ice |
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
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23-12-2010 |
Tiefschnee |
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
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18-12-2010 |
Enter Sandman |
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
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17-12-2010 |
Meeting Mr Sandman |
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
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12-12-2010 |
Taking advantage |
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
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11-12-2010 |
The Battle with Lyme. |
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
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07-12-2010 |
Icy climbing |
Had a day off from work and I wanted to score some heightmeters. So I set out with the Litespeed - which took over from the Moots because the Moots is having its winter sleep now - towards the The Kluis area near the Paddenpoel. The trails were icy where cars, jeeps and bikes had left their mark. Next to the icy parts you could find some grip, the less traffic a road had seen, the less ice. The small ponds near The Kluis were frozen over, but not solid enough to venture upon them.
I had a loop in mind that I hope would net me around a 100 heightmeters. Starting with the climb the Blue Bloso takes, with a 17% maximum slope the steepest of the three, I then took a right turn towards the Hercules Salon. There I turned left for a steep downhill towards the lower edge of the forest near Nethen. I then took a left again for a long uphill, against the direction of the Blue BLOSO which descents here. I had to be careful because there were a lot of black ice patches. In the uphill that shouldn't be too difficult but I can imagine what happens if you ride downwards and an icy patcht appears under your wheel all of a sudden. Upon completing this climb I am back at the Walendreef. I follow this to the left and cross the Hercules Salon again, going straight down the slope. This is a tricky ascent when dry , so you can imagine how it is now. Lots of roots, snow and ice and a fallen tree near the end. Taking a right , then left, and then left again following the track alongside the forest edge. This is the 3rd climb of the loop and after a 100 metres I turn left to attack the slope and arrive at the Hercules Salon for the 3rd time. Straight down towards the Kluis, a sharp right turn at the bottom and the loop starts anew. Checking my Garmin I noticed this loop was 3km long and between 115 and 120 heightmeters. Not a bad one. I did this loop 5 times before returning along the Walendreef towards the Naamsesteenweg. But then I decided to add a loop alongside De Tomme, an old burial site elevating itself over the rest of the forest.
I then rode towards the Naamsesteenweg again, crossing it over the wooden bridge. Following my secret Meerdael Loop for a while to get to the Eleonore Dreef. This turned out to be a bad move.
They have recently put some fine gravel on this trail and it looks like it keeps the water from entering the soil. The Dreef turned out to be very icy and slippery. I had to ride very carefully to make it out of the forest without falling or sliding. But I succeeded and could look back on a good ride . The average temperature was a frisky -2 degrees C but there was no wind and just a slight whisp of fog in the open areas. It was very icy though and even when new snow will cover the tracks, they will remain very dangerous until it gets warmer. For those who want to try out my little climbing loop, here is the GPS track on Garmin Connect
Ride Stats : 27K and 660/705 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h27mins
8713/94430
07-12-2010, 16:14 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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